Andrew Henderson on York Knights vision, second-guessing IMG and route back to head coaching

The details of his contract said everything about his commitment to the project in North Yorkshire.

Henderson signed a five-year deal to take over as head coach, which is almost unheard of in the cut-throat industry that is sport.

"I like to build things," he told The Yorkshire Post.

"I'm very fortunate that I haven't come into a club that was in dire straits or at rock bottom and had to build it from the ground up.

"There was already some good infrastructure in place and the nucleus of a strong team.

"Yes there are some things we need to build on and improve to take us forward so we can get to the next level and compete there. What excites me is hopefully being able to realise that for the club and its fans.

"I'm thankful the owner (Clint Goodchild) felt I was the right man to help take the club forward on this journey."

The destination is Super League, or at least that is the plan.

James Ford left behind a strong legacy after taking York from the brink of extinction to the upper echelons of the Championship.

Henderson is convinced the Knights will reach the promised land by 2027.

When asked where he saw the club in five years, Henderson replied without hesitation: "In Super League.

"I'd be disappointed if we're not playing Super League rugby in the five-year term that I'm here.

"When that happens, I don't know. I know where we're currently at as a club. If you're asking me now whether we're Super League-ready today, the answer is no. But will we be Super League-ready in a few years? Yes, as long as everything goes to plan."

The Knights begin their latest quest on Sunday afternoon when Widnes Vikings visit the LNER Community Stadium.

While they may not be the finished article on the pitch, they have made huge strides off the field in recent times.

Crucially, Henderson and Goodchild are on the same page.

"I was under no false illusions where the club was at," added Henderson.

"I did my research and had a really good chat with the owner before I took the job on.

"After speaking to Clint, I was very aligned with how he wants to develop the club and the team moving forward.

"He's really invested heavily in getting that club operation right. When you look at the backroom staff and the offices, we've got a strong commercial team and social media and marketing team.

"We've got a general manager in place, an events manager and people working in the club shop. The key for him was getting that club operation up and running to generate income and be run like a business to reinvest back into the performance side.

"The current performance set-up is good. We've got a really good training base at York St John University who are fantastic partners for us. The facilities there are Super League standard.

"Now the stadium has been built, we've got a Super League standard playing facility as well.

"The infrastructure we've got is strong. There's definitely room for growth and improvement there, no doubt about it, but the next stage is developing that performance side to compete at the next level."

Henderson inherited the bulk of the team that got to within 160 minutes of Super League last year after securing a first-ever Championship play-off win for York in a thriller at Halifax Panthers.

Life in the second tier has become more complicated since then as IMG gets to work on 'reimagining rugby league'.

Under the proposals set out by the global sports management giant, automatic promotion and relegation between Super League and the Championship would be replaced by a new grading system.

However, clubs must wait until next month to discover the on and off-field criteria that would be used to establish three categories: A, B and C.

With only Category A clubs guaranteed a seat at the top table, there is a question mark over the true value of promotion between now and 2025, when the new system is set to come into effect.

"It is a little bit of a guessing game," said Henderson.

"If I'm looking at York and what the criteria might be, you're thinking they probably want to look at a different demographic area-wise.

"Having York in Super League, it's not an expansion club that is miles away from the heartlands. You're within touching distance while also attracting a different demographic of people to the game.

"The fact you're in a city means there are commercial opportunities. The facilities are already in place and the foundation is up and running now doing some great stuff in the community by offering kids the opportunity to play.

"We've obviously got the women's team and are now setting up wheelchair and PDRL teams. These are all things that IMG will look at.

"One of the key things is trying to encourage more growth in the game. That seems to be the main word they're using – they need to grow the game.

"Some of the things York already have in place and are aiming to put in place will put us in a strong position. I think the criteria will be something along those lines.

"You've got to play that kind of guessing game. That was part of the reason why I felt this was the right job for me."

Henderson flirted with promotion during his three years in charge of London Broncos, twice qualifying for the Super 8s Qualifiers on his way to landing the Championship Coach of the Year award.

His work in the capital earned him an opportunity in Super League – but the move to Warrington Wolves did not work out as planned.

"I'm not going to lie, my aspiration was to one day take over the job there at Warrington," said Henderson, who cut his teeth in head of youth and player performance manager roles at Sheffield Eagles. "That's why I went there.

"I went to work under Steve Price to learn and develop as a coach with the ultimate goal of taking over.

"Unfortunately, the club felt they needed a fresh change and to go in a different direction."

Circumstances rather than design, then, kept Henderson out of head coaching for five years.

He returns a better coach than the version that left London in 2017, thanks in no small part to a rewarding 12-month spell as head of rugby at Keighley Cougars.

"One thing I've always said is I won't take a coaching job for the sake of it," said Henderson. "It's got to be the right club at the right time and the right job that's the right fit for me as well.

"I think sometimes coaches fall into that trap of finishing up in a job and taking the next available job, which may not necessarily be right for them in terms of how they operate or the club might not be aligned with their values.

"There were a couple of jobs that were presented to me at the back end of 2021 when I finished up at Warrington but I didn't feel they were the right fit for me, for different reasons.

"The opportunity at Keighley felt like the right fit. It was a great experience. It added to my skill set and gave me a different insight into other areas of the club operations that you need to be aware of as a coach."

With momentum behind them after winning every game on their way to promotion from League 1, the Cougars made some eye-catching signings including Luke Gale and Ben Crooks.

Henderson will have one eye on Keighley's progress after leaving a parting gift for Rhys Lovegrove.

"I have built their team so it'd be nice to see them do well," he said with a smile.

"I went there with a plan to help develop the club, team and coach. I'm really pleased with the work I was able to do in that 12-month period.

"I felt comfortable when I took the York job that I'd leave Keighley in a better position than it was previously. That's all you can do.

"I've left them with a competitive side. The nucleus of the side is still there and I was able to make some quality additions.

"If Rhys can manage that group and get them to buy into his philosophies, they've got every chance to be a real threat this year. They've got the tools there to have a successful season.

"I think it's going to be one of the most competitive Championship seasons we've seen for a long time. I think we've got as good a chance as any other team."