The possible contenders for Catalans job: Championship bosses, NRL assistants
Who could be in the frame to become the next Catalans Dragons coach?
Catalans are on the hunt for a new head coach after Steve McNamara departed the club following a difficult start to the new Super League season: but who could be next?
McNamara spent eight years in the south of France and oversaw a glittering and unprecedented period of success for the Dragons.
That included a Challenge Cup triumph in 2018, a League Leader’s Shield and two appearances in the Super League Grand Final. But he is now gone from Perpignan, and attention will start to turn towards who could replace him. Here are some contenders.
Joel Tomkins
An obvious place to start, given how he’s been on the staff there as both a player and part of McNamara’s support team.
And if Joel Tomkins does have aspirations of starting a coaching career, the south of France would be the ideal place to start it.
Love Rugby League revealed on Tuesday that Tomkins will be in interim charge this weekend, which gives him a crack at the job. Impress enough, and that could become permanent in 2026.
Sylvain Houles
Houles has certainly got an exciting project on his hands with Toulouse, who are jostling to be granted admission to Super League themselves through the IMG criteria.
He is undisputedly the leading French coach out there – could he be tempted to leave one French club for another?
Paul Rowley
It is now a tradition for Rowley to be linked with another Super League role when they become available: and his name will be linked with Catalans this time around, too.
The prospect of a departure is arguably more realistic than ever on this occasion given how Salford are a club clouded with uncertainty financially.
He is due to move upstairs at the Red Devils and become their head of rugby in 2026 – but those plans look to be up in the air to say the least.
If he wants to continue coaching, would Catalans be an ideal landing spot?
Kyle Eastmond
If it is to be an appointment for 2026, Catalans may well look at young, up-and-coming coaches ready for their next step.
And if you look at the job he has done at Halifax Panthers so far in 2025, Eastmond definitely fits the bill. He’ll be a Super League coach one day: will this job come too soon?
Ben Hornby
There are a plethora of NRL assistants ready for their break in the big time – and Catalans have shown in the past they are prepared to go down that route if needs be.
One of the best – and certainly the highest-rated – is Souths number two Ben Hornby. Already touted for one Super League job next year if Paul Wellens leaves St Helens, could he come onto the radar for the Dragons?
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