Iestyn Harris appears to have taken charge of Salford for the final time after it emerged that the club are in discussions with him over a severance deal to end his tenure as head coach.
Harris’s assistant, the former Salford player Ian Watson, oversaw training on Thursday after the club said that Harris was ill and unable to look after first-team matters.
But it is understood that Harris, who took over from Brian Noble last year, will not now return to his role at all, with talks ongoing behind the scenes over the terms to release him from his contract and then allow the club to appoint a new head coach.
Salford confirmed that Watson will take charge of the team for Sunday’s game against Catalans Dragons as the club prepare to welcome the incoming director of rugby Tim Sheens in the next week.
A club spokesman said: “Iestyn is off sick and was unable to take control of training. Ian Watson took training on Thursday and he will be in charge for Sunday’s game against Catalans Dragons.”
Salford have won just one of their last nine fixtures under Harris, and are currently second from bottom of the Super League table. With just a handful of games left, they look destined to be competing in the middle eight later this year against Championship sides such as Leigh Centurions, who knocked them out of the Challenge Cup in April.
The Salford owner, Marwan Koukash, insisted last week that despite the impending arrival of Sheens – the current Australia coach – Harris’s job was not under threat.
“Iestyn Harris is still the head coach,” he told reporters then. “He has worked with Tim Sheens before and Tim’s appointment has no bearing on Iestyn’s position in charge.”
But following defeat to Hull FC on Tuesday night in the solitary game that Salford had in hand on their rivals, the club are believed to have acted.
Attempts to contact Koukash directly were unsuccessful, but he will have closely monitored the situation at Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, who ended their 16-match losing run on Wednesday night just a month after appointing the experienced Australian Brian Smith as their new head coach.
Sheens will not arrive in the country in time for the tie against Catalans on Sunday – when entry will be free of charge in a bid to entice new fans to the club – with clearance expected to arrive in time for him to take up his role with the club in the middle of next week.
He had worked with Salford in an advisory role earlier this year, but will now take up a permanent contract until the end of the season, a deal which Koukash admitted is likely to be extended if all parties are happy.
“I need Tim’s help to ensure we recruit the right people to this club,” Koukash said last week. “Obviously, to start with, Tim is on a short-term contract until the end of the season but it wouldn’t surprise me if he stayed on for two more years after that.
“He will help the club in many ways. I want to invest in youth and I need Tim’s help to ensure we recruit the players who will be proud to play for the club.”
