Global search led RFL right back to England assistant McNamara

The Bradford Bulls coach was yesterday unveiled as the successor to Tony Smith having been handed a four-year deal to make his mark on the international game.

He will initially combine his role at Odsal with the England job but will go full-time once his Bradford contract finishes at the end of this season.

Wood said: "This is the biggest appointment on the field over the course of the next four years.

"Our trip to the 2013 World Cup starts today.

"We searched the globe and went to speak to a number of people to ensure we found the right candidate and I'm delighted that, four months after that, Steve has emerged as our first choice. He's the best person to do the job and we're delighted he shares our vision of how to take British rugby league and the national team forward."

Hull-born McNamara, who had been Smith's assistant since 2007, said: "This is a superb opportunity and I'm proud to get the privilege.

"There's a new breed of young players emerging through the Super League now and a very ambitious RFL.

"They are very keen to make sure the foundations already put in place by Tony are progressed and keen on opening up to new ideas."

McNamara, who has only been a head coach at club level for four years, believes his previous England involvement gives him a head start as he attempts to overcome Australia and New Zealand to become the world's No 1 side.

"That's absolutely vital," he said.

"Although I'm still reasonably young as a coach I'm quite experienced as an international coach.

"I've had three years in the international set-up and it is different. A lot of it is about management.

"There's a lot of areas I've been able to see – good stuff but also the difficulties Tony faced – and was able to go into the interview process and say what has to be different to get to the next level.

"Bringing someone in from the outside, who starts fresh, might have seen those mistakes made again. We've a great foundation but we just need to build some pillars across it to get to the top of the house."

McNamara, 38, plans to name his backroom team within the next fortnight but one appointment he has already made is Sydney Roosters coach Brian Smith – Tony's elder brother – as performance adviser.

The veteran Australian, who coached McNamara at both Hull FC and Bradford, will act as his eyes and ears Down Under ahead of the Four Nations there this autumn.

"I've done a lot of research into this role and it's paramount we had someone of that calibre on the other side of the world," he said. "Brian will become an integral part of our whole organisation."