After interviewing 15 coaches, Nathan Cayless has been appointed new Hull KR head coach
Hull KR CEO Paul Lakin
Hull KR chief executive Paul Lakin says the club’s focus is fully on 2026 after securing the biggest signing for next season and beyond having finally landed the club’s new head coach.
Lakin has spent the past three months carrying out an exhaustive process to find a successor to Willie Peters, with 15 coaches interviewed from around the world in what has been the most rigorous process ever undertaken by Rovers, and potentially any Super League club, to appoint a new head coach.
The process now culminates with the appointment of World Cup winner and Parramatta Eels assistant coach Nathan Cayless, who, like Peters, will step up from being an assistant in the NRL to undertake his first role as a head coach at Rovers.
Also like Peters, Cayless “gets us” says Lakin, with the two parties sharing a joint belief in the approach that needs to be taken moving forward, having built on the success and structure brought in by Peters.
“This is the culmination of a comprehensive three month process in which we have engaged with over 15 coaches worldwide,” explained Lakin.
“Nathan meets our desired profile and attributes exactly, and we are delighted to have secured his services. He is a born leader who has been an Assistant for 8 years across 4 NRL clubs, Head Coach at both NSW Cup and U20 levels, and is now Assistant to Stacey Jones for New Zealand heading into the World Cup.
“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.
“We believe he has all the outstanding attributes necessary to continue the fantastic work and achievements of Willie Peters as he becomes our Head Coach from 2027 onwards. Our focus now, remains fully on this season, we have so much we all want to achieve together in 2026.”