Leon Pryce has his sights on coaching at the highest level
Leon Pryce begins his coaching career with Workington when the League One season kicks-off this weekend.
Pryce, 36, is one of the most decorated players in the summer era with four Super League titles, six Challenge Cups, three World Club Challenge wins and six League Leader’s Shields.
He hung up his boots after a second spell at hometown club Bradford midway through last season and now starts a new chapter with a trip to Keighley on Sunday.
He said: “It’s going great. I couldn’t be happier with things.
“Absolutely my long term goal is to coach Super League, England, the NRL.
“I think you should always set your targets as high as possible. Who starts off their career not wanting to get to the top?
“I’m at the very bottom of my career and I want to get to the top, just like you do when you’re a player, you start at the bottom and work your way to the top, it’s as simple as that.”
Pryce’s former club Bradford enter 2018 as heavy favourites for the League One title, but there are at least half a dozen clubs that will harbour realistic ambitions of gaining promotion to the Championship.
The former St Helens, Catalans and Hull stand-off has used his contacts to recruit strongly, including ex-Super League players Jamie Foster, Oliver Wilkes, Sean Penkywicz and Ryan Bailey.
He added: “We’re looking decent. I’m looking to build. It’s a 2/3 year programme that I’m looking to complete, it’s not just about this year, it’s about next year.
“I want to win but I want to put some good foundations in place for the club so that when I leave, the club’s in a better place than it was when I came.
“I don’t think people will fancy a pop at me. I think Bradford will be the ones under pressure, it’ll be like a Grand Final for them every week.”
And as for the question asked to all retiring rugby league players – does Pryce miss playing?
“No, not now. I can’t run, and one of the most important parts of playing rugby is to run and I can’t do that!
“I don’t miss playing because I’m still around the team environment, so it’s great.”