Micky McIlorum’s future confirmed as Catalans Dragons lock in 2026 coaching staff

Micky McIlorum’s return to Catalans has now been made official: with the Dragons announcing the appointments of him and Mitchell Pearce as assistant coaches.

Veteran former England and Ireland international McIlorum spent seven seasons as a player at the Stade Gilbert Brutus from 2018 to 2024, lifting the Challenge Cup and a Super League Leaders’ Shield as well as featuring in two Grand Finals.

The hooker has spent the 2025 campaign with Hull KR, adding another couple of winners medals to his haul in the shape pf Challenge Cup and League Leaders’ Shield triumphs.

Much of his year so far at Craven Park though has been spent batting off questions around his future, with reports linking him with a return to Perpignan in a coaching capacity intensifying once former team-mate Joel Tomkins was handed the reins of the Dragons.

With the ‘regular’ season now done, Catalans have finally announced his appointment as an assistant coach: and he will link back up with the French outfit ahead of the 2026 campaign.

Micky McIlorum’s future confirmed as Catalans Dragons lock in 2026 coaching staff

McIlorum will join a coaching team with plenty of familiar faces in it, including NRL icon Pearce – who hung up his own boots at the end of the 2023 campaign after a two-year stint donning a Catalans shirt.

Pearce has been back working at the Brutus on a voluntary basis since April, with his appointment now made a permanent one.

With more than 400 career appearances under his belt, McIlorum said: “I would like to express my deep gratitude to Bernard (Guasch, Catalans’ owner) for his trust in me and offering me this role.

“I am delighted to be working alongside Joel and Mitchell, a great team with whom I look forward to working alongside to get the  Dragons back competing against the best.

“I am happy to be going back home to be with my family and back to the Stade Gilbert and reconnect with the passionate supporters.

“I am proud to represent this club and to share the next two years with you. We will give everything we have, every day, to bring pride back to the Catalans jersey!”

The Dragons endured an underwhelming 2025 campaign which saw long-serving head coach Steve McNamara depart, and ended in a ninth-place finish on the Super League ladder.

Four wins in their last five games though offer hope, with that sequence including successes in each of their last three games this year.

Head coach Tomkins added: “I am delighted to have the coaching staff confirmed for next season. With Micky and Mitch working alongside Ryan Sheridan and Mathis Giroux, I believe we have the knowledge, support and trust needed to be an effective coaching team and help the players achieve success on the field.

“I’ve been close to Micky for over 20 years and his mentality, attitude and personal standards both on and off the field will bring positive change to our environment.

“Mitch’s career as a player speaks for itself and he thinks about the game in great detail, he will bring a new dimension to the way we attack.”