St Helens have appointed Wests Tigers assistant Royce Simmons as their new head coach from next season. The 50-year-old has signed a two-year deal to replace Mick Potter, who is moving to Bradford this summer.
Simmons said: (quote) I am going over there to do my best and I want to win some silverware. The club has told me they want to do that and I want to do that. I will do everything in my power to help a very good football side do that. I am very proud to be associated with a club with such great tradition and a club that’s been so successful over so many years,I knew how good the club was, as I’ve been over there and coached Hull back in the early 1990s. Even back then I knew how professional St Helens was. I got the chance to fly over for one day. It is a long trip for just one day, but I sat down with everyone and it did not take too long to realise how professional the club was. The junior development was so well set up and structured with so many players coming through that system. The recruitment policy is very strong and they consistently win games. After talking to everyone and getting to know the people around the club it was quite obvious they are winners. They did not have to sell too much to me after that. (end quote)
He has been assistant coach to Tim Sheens at Wests Tigers since 2003 and during his playing days was a hooker with Penrith Panthers and appeared for both New South Wales and Australia.