Radford switches codes to join the Jackals

DOUBLE Rugby League Challenge Cup-winning coach Lee Radford has landed his first job in professional Rugby Union – as defence coach with new MLR team Dallas Jackals. Radford was sacked by Super League side Hull FC in March but is now looking forward to working under Jackals’ head coach Allen Clarke.

“Allen Clarke was coach of Ospreys last year and came to Hull with his assistant to mirror us for a week and look how the organisation was run,” Radford said, explaining the connection.

“We hit it off when they came over to stay, and stayed in touch. When he was released halfway through their season, I dropped him a message and spoke to him and he did the same when it happened to me.

“I said to him off-the-cuff that I’d like to have a catch up with him and pick his brains regarding Rugby Union because it was a direction I wanted to go in.

“Within a few days he’d rung back and said he could go one better than that, and did I fancy travelling to Dallas to be defensive coach with him there?

“After putting the phone down it was one of those where I got the old butterflies in the stomach, the excitement was there, and I snapped his hand off.”

Radford’s only previous coaching experience in RU came a decade ago, at Hull RUFC, in National 2 North.

Jackals general manager Phil Camm said: “We’ve seen the huge impact that coaches from the 13-player code can have on our game and we’re confident Lee can bring a different dynamic to the Jackals and MLR.”