Club in no rush to appoint new head coach

Warriors fans still have some time to wait before learning who will lead the NRL club in its next era.

It has been more than a month since the club fired Stephen Kearney. Todd Payten is interim head coach but the club has launched a thorough search for Kearney’s successor.

Since Ivan Cleary departed the club after leading them to the 2011 grand final, the Warriors have had six head coaches. Three were sacked midway through a season.

Warriors chairman Rob Croot says the selection panel — made up of himself, club legend Simon Mannering, owner Mark Robinson and chief executive Cameron George

— are not rushing to make a decision.

“It’s a huge challenge. We have to get the right coach. The process we’re working through has been very methodical,” Croot said.

“Putting a time limit on it forces a situation that we either [don’t meet] that time limit and get crucified for it, or we’re forcing a decision that might not be right.

“We’re maybe a little bit over halfway of the first round with the people we’re interested in talking to. As soon as we’re comfortable, we’ll move forward as quickly as we can. But I’m not going to put a time frame on it.”

Croot admitted their decision to move on from Kearney without already having locked in a replacement was a bit unconventional.

The Warriors have been linked to several available coaches, some with plenty of first grade experience such as Wayne Bennett, Anthony Griffin and Paul Green, as well as coaches yet to take charge of an NRL team in Payten, Ben and Shane Walker, and Jason Ryles.

Whether or not their next coach had a wealth of experience in the competition was not a determining factor in the search process, however, with the candidate’s fit in the club being paramount.

“We’ve looked at a broad range. We have been looking high and low,” Croot said.

“We have internally set up some criteria we evaluate each against and there are some core philosophies we are looking for within the club in that long term.

“We are weighting them against that. We will be all about that person that can continue to reinvent us and provide the destiny we expect — performing at the top of the ladder.”

George said everyone who has shown an interest in the role had one thing in common.

“The theme that’s come through with everyone is they want that chance, as we all do, to prove to New Zealand and fans abroad that we can get it right,” he said.

“There’s a real fire in the belly from a number of people we’ve spoken to that have different ways of achieving it, and I’m really comfortable that when the call is made, we’ve got a really good option.

“We’ve got some really good options, and they could be from Queensland, Victoria, the UK or even Penrose. It’s actually a pretty good position we’re in.”

It’s a huge challenge. We have to get the right coach. The process has been very methodical. Warriors chairman Rob Croot