Goole Vikings identify England international as top head coach target

Goole Vikings are in talks with Brett Ferres to become their next head coach.

Ferres, a former England international, is currently a player for the Vikings as he continues to play on after an impressive career that is now in its 22nd season.

Goole are looking for a new head coach after it was announced on Monday that Scott Taylor will leave the role at the end of the season after two seasons in charge. Taylor is strongly tipped to join Hull FC’s coaching staff to work under Steve McNamara.

It has seen them turn to Ferres, who is believed to be keen to join the coaching world moving forward. Now 40, Ferres has spent the last two seasons with the Vikings and is highly thought of at the Championship club.

No deal has been finalised yet but both parties are keen to conclude a deal that will ensure Ferres is their coach moving forward.

Ferres started his career at Bradford Bulls and 467 career appearances. 296 of those were in Super League after representing Bradford Bulls, Castleford Tigers, Wakefield Trinity, Huddersfield Giants and Leeds Rhinos. He won the League Leaders’ Shield with the Giants in 2013 and the Grand Final with the Rhinos four years later.

Internationally, Ferres played five times for England, with three of those appearances coming in the 2015 Test series victory over New Zealand.

Since dropping out of Super League in 2020, Ferres has played for Featherstone Rovers, Doncaster and most recently, Goole.

Now, a move into the coaching ranks appears to be in the works.

Who are Goole Vikings?

Goole entered the professional ranks in 2025. Their first season saw them play in League 1, finishing seventh in the table. The second and third divisions were amalgamated heading into 2026, with Goole currently seventeenth in the competition with three wins from 14 games.

Their squad features some names many Super League fans will know. Most notably, former Hull FC players Liam Watts and Andre Savelio.