Watson joined Rovers in the off-season
Picture by Matthew Merrick/SWpix.com – 10/05/2026 – Rugby League – Betfred Challenge Cup Semi Final – Warrington Wolves v Hull KR -Ecopower Stadium, Doncaster, England. Rovers Ass Coach Ian Watson
Hull KR assistant Ian Watson has ambitions of becoming a head coach once more down the line, but it’s unlikely to be at Craven Park.
After spending a year and a half out of rugby league following his departure from Huddersfield Giants, Watson joined Willie Peters’ backroom team at KR in the off-season alongside Luke Gale.
The coach spent time with rugby union side Seattle Seawolves during his time away from the sport, but the return to Super League was a return to what he knows best and he seems to have settled in well in east Hull, helping the club reach the Challenge Cup final and go on a nine-game winning run.
However, change is on the way at KR with Peters set to join Papua New Guinea Chiefs at the end of the season. A new head coach is yet to be appointed but the process is now in its final stages, with Paul Lakin pushing to find the right man to fill Peters’ shoes.
Watson admits the new Rovers boss probably won’t be him, but he does have ambitions of claiming a top job down the line once more following his spells in charge of Huddersfield and Salford Red Devils.
“I don’t think so,” Watson said when asked if in the running on Sky Sports’ The Bench podcast.
“I think the one thing they’re really good at at Hull KR is having a bit of a succession plan.
“I think there has been somebody in mind who they have got. Whether that works out or not, they will be able to tell you that. I won’t be able to tell you that.
“I have had a chat with the club and just said, if it was a case of having some consistency in the way that they train, the way that they prepare, because it’s very, very similar.
“If they want that kind of consistency, then I would be willing to look at that and step forward if that was needed to and they thought I was the right person to do it.
“My ambition is to get back into head coaching at some point. Whether it is here, we don’t know.
“Nobody ever knows. I think everything is timing.”