Rugby League: McCormack set for Hull KR

Oct 23 2007 by Nick Smith, Liverpool Daily Post

WIDNES VIKINGS coach Steve McCormack is on the verge of signing for Super League’s Hull Kingston Rovers to become Justin Morgan’s number two after the Robins made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

The former National League Coach of the Year has been attracting interest from a host of clubs following Widnes’s defeat to Castleford Tigers in the National League Grand Final two weeks ago and after the Vikings’ announcement of taking voluntary administration McCormack was free to talk to other clubs in a bid to secure a future for him and his family.

McCormack was interviewed by Barrow Raiders last week for their vacant head coaching role and after impressing them with his credentials the board decided to offer him the position and a relocat-ion deal to move to Cum-bria.

The Scotland coach was set to put pen to paper at Barrow tomorrow but only hours before he was set to be unveiled as the club’s new coach he informed them that he had an offer from a Super League club which would too good to refuse.

Paul Lakin, chief executive at Hull KR, is remaining tight lipped about the impending move but the Daily Post understands it is a done deal.

He said: “There has been strong discussions between Hull KR and Steve McCormack.

“Justin Morgan is currently away on holiday and I have been dealing with this over the last few days and the discussions are a fair way down the line.”

Barrow club chairman Dave Nixon said the Raiders’ directors were ‘disappointed’ with the way things had worked out. Nixon said: “He was happy to come and that’s what we thought was happening.

“We were just waiting for a few loose ends to be tied up down at Widnes and we would probably have been announcing him as Barrow coach sometime this week.

“But at the end of last week a Super League club came in and offered him an assistant coach job, with the view to becoming the full-time coach.”

There are also doubts about the future of McCormack’s assistant Andy Haigh, who is also attracting interest from Salford City Reds in a strength and conditioning role.

This leaves the Vikings in even more turmoil and McCormack’s exit could see the departure of some of Widnes’s remaining players who have struck up a strong relationships with him.

The club’s potential new owners now face the prospect of finding a new coach as well as undergoing huge rebuilding work which is needed at the club.

Karl Harrison, former Salford head coach, has been installed as the front runner for the Widnes job but a dark horse in the race could be former coach Neil Kelly who is looking for a return to the game.

Another possible candidate, Tony Rea, will join Celtic Crusaders to assist Australian coach John Dixon.