Keighley coach in surprise departure

Championship side Keighley have parted company with head coach Rhys Lovegrove.

Lovegrove, 36, led the Cougars to an invincible season in League 1 last season, as they won every game to earn promotion back to the second tier for the first time since 2014.

Chief executive Ryan O’Neill said: “We would like to thank Rhys for his commitment and service to the club and it is disappointing that results have not reflected the hard work and commitment that he has undoubtedly shown. He leaves with our very best wishes.”

Australian Lovegrove had been at Cougar Park since January 2019, where he previously served as assistant to Craig Lingard.

When Lingard was sacked in June 2019, the former Hull KR forward stepped up to the head coach role.

Lovegrove said: “Having been at the club 4 years it has been a honour and privilege to lead the club as head coach. I would like to thank the performance staff, some often going above and beyond, and the players and I wish all concerned the very best for the future.”

His last game in charge was the 46-18 home defeat to high-flying Sheffield at the weekend.

On-field progress overshadowed

Despite it being their first season in the Championship for nearly 10 years, Keighley have managed to win five of their 11 games so far, including a famous win over rivals Bradford.

They have also recorded wins over Newcastle, London, York and Whitehaven, as well as two victories in the Challenge Cup.

Star winter signing Luke Gale departed the club recently to join Super League strugglers Wakefield.

Their progress on the field has been overshadowed by the regular outbursts from the club’s owners in relation to the IMG proposals to ‘re-imagine rugby league’.

Cougars owners O’Neill and Kaue Garcia have been relentless in their opposition and criticism of the proposals, voted in recently to scrap automatic promotion and relegation.

Instead a grading criteria system will be used to determine the make up of Super League, which has been slammed as ‘sport by spreadsheet’.

Keighley recently announced plans to re-develop the main stand at Cougar Park as part of their development plans for the club.

Assistant coach Jy-Mel Coleman will take over as head coach on an interim basis, with the support of Jordie Hedges and Dean Muir.

Former Castleford and Hull KR centre Jake Webster will step up as Director of Rugby, a role previously held by current York coach Andrew Henderson.

The Cougars are next in action against Bradford at Summer Bash in York.

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