Rohan Smith Joins List of Mid-Season Coaching Casualties in Super League 2024
In a move that has shaken the rugby league world, Rohan Smith has become the latest coach to depart his Super League club midway through the 2024 season. The Leeds Rhinos parted ways with Smith on Wednesday, making him the second coaching casualty of the year after his uncle, Tony Smith, left Hull FC back in April.
The Mixed Bag of Mid-Season Coaching Changes
The jury is still out on whether Hull’s decision to part ways with Tony Smith was the right call, as the team has managed just one win since his departure. But this news begs the question – how have other mid-season coaching changes fared in recent Super League history? A deep dive into the archives reveals a mixed bag of successes and failures.
Tony Smith’s departure from Hull FC in April saw the club continue to struggle, winning only one more game since then. Meanwhile, Andy Last’s dismissal from Castleford Tigers in August 2023 proved to be a relative success, with replacement Danny Ward guiding the team away from the bottom of the table.
Further back, the mid-season sackings of Daryl Powell at Warrington Wolves and Lee Radford at Castleford Tigers in 2023 did little to improve their respective teams’ fortunes. However, Richard Agar’s exit from Leeds Rhinos in 2022 paved the way for Rohan Smith’s impressive turnaround, as he led the Rhinos all the way to the Super League Grand Final.
“Past coaching changes in the world of rugby league, both successful and unsuccessful, provide valuable context as the sport continues to evolve.”
As the 2024 Super League season unfolds, all eyes will be on the impact of Rohan Smith’s departure from Leeds and the search for his successor.
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