Willie Poching wants Wakefield job on permanent basis
Wakefield’s interim head coach Willie Poching has thrown his hat into the ring for the job.
Chief executive Michael Carter has said Poching is in pole position to claim the job on a permanent basis and, speaking at his first press conference, the former New Zealand and Samoa international made no secret of his desire to be a head coach.
“I’ll be throwing my hat into the ring,” said Poching, who was assistant coach at Warrington, Huddersfield and Hull KR before joining Trinity and was given temporary charge of Hull KR in 2016 following the departure of Chester.
“When I started playing, I aspired to go right to the top and as far as I could and that didn’t change when I set out coaching.
“I wanted to sit in one of these seats. I do want to do it permanently and I do have an audition now.
“I’ve also got to see it as just doing my job for the team over the next five weeks and get these guys back to doing what I know they do well.”
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Poching, who made 69 appearances as a player with Wakefield from 1999 to 2001 before going on to play for Leeds, also said he would support another head coach if one was brought in above him.
He will take charge of his first game when Warrington visit Belle Vue on Sunday and is currently preparing the team with the help of Andy Last, who was interim head coach of Hull in the second half of the 2020 season.
Poching won a Super League Grand Final and World Club Challenge with Leeds as a player and represented Samoa in two World Cups.