Danny McGuire: Hull KR head of recruitment to combine assistant coach role

Danny McGuire won every trophy available at Leeds, the last of his eight Super League rings came in 2017

Former England and Great Britain half-back Danny McGuire will join Tony Smith's staff as assistant first-team coach at Hull KR for the 2021 season.

McGuire, 37, finished a distinguished career at Craven Park in 2019, having won everything at Leeds and helped Rovers retain Super League status.

He then became head of recruitment for 2020, a role he will continue to hold alongside his coaching duties.

"I was doing some coaching with the academy and scholars," McGuire said.

"I absolutely loved it. Once you've been in that environment on the field and then step away from it to an office I missed it, I felt like I've got something coaching wise to give back."

Smith, who has had to miss matches while self-isolating under Covid-19 restrictions, also has another former player, David Hodgson, on his staff and has also been helped out by club legend Stanley Gene in recent weeks.

Rovers withdrew from the remainder of their season following a number of coronavirus cases, and the campaign was then curtailed after a league vote.

McGuire is confident for the future with a crop of young players coming through the system in 2020 with the number of senior absentees.

"We've got some really good young lads," he added. "If you look at the spine that we could have for the next five years plus - Jez Litten, Will Dagger, Rowan Milnes, Mikey Lewis - then you throw in the experience with Adam Quinlan, Matt Parcell and others, it really excites me.

"I'm going to do the recruitment alongside Paul (Lakin) the new CEO, and Tony (Smith). I've still got loads to give there, I'm still going to give all I can to help with the academy as well."