York Knights boss Andrew Henderson admits that it is “nice to have a couple of hands” to support him on the sidelines for tomorrow’s pre-season friendly against Doncaster RLFC.

Ireland head coach Ged Corcoran and player-coach Danny Kirmond will join Henderson on the sidelines for his first match in charge, with the 43-year old grateful to have them alongside him.

“I felt that it was important that we got an assistant coach on board,” Henderson explained.

“I’ve known Ged for a number of years. I’ve never worked with him personally but I’ve got a good relationship with him.

“We speak often, and we challenge each other with different ideas and about the game.
“He’s got as much passion and enthusiasm about the game as I do so I know we’ll work well together.”

Corcoran joins the Knights with a wealth of experience in the Betfred Championship, having spent a lengthy spell at rivals Sheffield Eagles before leaving the club in November, an attribute that did not go unnoticed by Henderson.

“He’s got plenty of experience coaching in the Championship with Sheffield, and he’s the Irish World Cup coach as well,” he added.

“He’s worked with players at the highest level and a lot of players in this division too, so he’ll be able to give me some really good insight into the Championship and what’s going on.

“His skill set is probably more attuned to the forwards, but also to the defensive side of the game too. I can utilise his skill set as best as we see fit.

“One thing that I want to try and bring to this organisation is people in our performance department who want to be here, and who want to help the club progress and develop.
“That’s one thing that Ged will do. He’ll have the players’ interests first and at heart, and he’ll be here to support me to develop these players and develop the team.

“We’ve got Will Leatt too as our team manager and he offers a bit of a supporting role there in a coaching capacity, so it’s nice to have a couple of hands there to support me now moving forward.”