Greenwood and Murrell aim to inspire Scots’ World Cup charge

SCOTLAND HAVE bolstered their backroom team for the end-of-season World Cup with the addition of former Halifax player Lee Greenwood.

The 40-year-old, currently the head coach at Dewsbury Rams, will join head coach Nathan Graham and another former Fax player, assistant Scott Murrell, in preparing the Scots for their opening World Cup match against Italy at Kingston Park, Newcastle, on Sunday, October 24.

Graham, a former Dewsbury player, recently returned to the

Rams to work as Greenwood’s part-time assistant.

“The men’s squad preparations are coming along well,” said Scotland Rugby League operations director Ollie Cruickshank.

“The management team has been finalised and Nathan Graham has added Lee Greenwood to the coaching staff.

“We are continuing our dialogue with the players and speaking to potential new ones.

“We have decided against a mid-season international due to the clash with the domestic calendar and the number of matches the players will be playing this season.”

The domestic league in Scotland will resume after a 14-month absence due to the coronavirus pandemic with a new face and the return of an old one.

Cruickshank said: “We were approached towards the end of 2020 by Forth Valley Vikings about starting up a club, which gave us a fifth team in the National League.

“Aberdeen Warriors also got in touch about coming back in 2022, which we are fully supportive of, and we offered them a place in the Scottish Cup which they accepted.

“They will also be playing in a season-launching 9s competition in June.

Cruickshank is hoping the league can be expanded to two divisions, with an emphasis on Under-16 teams and community coaching in local schools.

“I would like to see us get to two divisions, North and South, with the top two teams going into the play-offs for the Grand Final as well as the Scottish Cup mixing both divisions up, together with a 9s series,” Cruickshank said.

He also says the establishment of a women’s league is a priority for the SRL.

“We are currently finalising our four-year strategy and that includes the creation of a women’s domestic competition which would help create a real club atmosphere.

“The board is also looking to appoint a director of disability rugby league and they will support our Wheelchair, PDRL and LDRL programmes.”