Hull KR confirm incoming coach: NRL assistant-boss to take over next year on long-term contract
Hull KR have confirmed their incoming coach from the start of next season.
Australian-born former New Zealand international Nathan Cayless has signed a three-year contract to replace 2025 treble-winner Willie Peters who is joining new NRL club Papua New Guinea Chiefs. Cayless, 48, spent his entire NRL playing career with Parramatta Eels before moving into coaching with Wentworthville Magpies.
He had spells on the staff at New Zealand Warriors, Parramatta and Sydney Roosters, returning in 2022 to the Eels where he worked under current Leeds Rhinos boss Brad Arthur. The Robins – whose next game is at Rhinos on Friday – will be his first head-coach role at the top level.
He said: “Hull KR is the right coaching opportunity for me and I am grateful. I’ve been coaching rugby league within NRL systems since 2014, starting in pathways and development, moving through to head-coach of NSW [New South Wales] Cup, NRL assistant-coach roles and as an international assistant-coach with the New Zealand Kiwis.
“My rugby league coaching philosophy aligns with the hardworking, successful culture that exists at Hull KR. When [chief executive] Paul Lakin and I first spoke, we connected immediately via our alignment on the vision and philosophies required to produce sustained success on and off the field.
“Under my leadership as head-coach, the supporters can expect to see a group of players that continually put the team and club first, chase constant improvement and execute the fundamentals of the game at the highest of standards consistently.”
Lakin said today’s appointment is “the culmination of a comprehensive three-month process in which we have engaged with over 15 coaches worldwide”. He insisted: “Nathan meets our desired profile and attributes exactly and we are delighted to have secured his services.
“He is a born leader, he understands the culture of our club, how we compete as a team and how we represent our community. In short Nathan just ‘gets it and us’, our ambitions, personality and the trajectory we are on.”