Australian Rick Stone succeeds Paul Anderson as Huddersfield Giants head coach

HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS have appointed Australian Rick Stone as their new head coach.
I'M In CHARGE: New Huddersfield Giants head coach, Rick Stone. Picture by Vaughn Ridley/SWpix.comI'M In CHARGE: New Huddersfield Giants head coach, Rick Stone. Picture by Vaughn Ridley/SWpix.com
I'M In CHARGE: New Huddersfield Giants head coach, Rick Stone. Picture by Vaughn Ridley/SWpix.com

Stone, 49, former head coach of Newcastle Knights, succeeds former Great Britain international Paul Anderson, who was sacked last month.

Stone, who coached Fiji at the 2013 World Cup in the UK, was sacked by the Knights last July and has been working on the backroom staff of Sydney Roosters.

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The Australian has agreed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Giants and is planning to fly into the UK in time for Sunday’s home game against St Helens.

He will be assisted by former Huddersfield players Chris Thorman and Luke Robinson, who also worked with caretaker coach Andy Kelly until he left for Australia with the England academy squad on Saturday.

Stone’s immediate task will be to keep Huddersfield in Super League after a bottom-four finish consigned them to the Qualifiers. They have two matches left of the regular season before the split which means a seven-match play-off series to determine the make up of the top flight in 2017.

Huddersfield managing director Richard Thewlis said: “Firstly I have to say that the level of interest in our position was overwhelming and I thank all those who showed a desire to become Giants, and at a very difficult time at the club it is certainly a morale boost to see that we are still viewed as a highly attractive proposition both in the UK and overseas.

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“In Rick Stone we believe we have an outstanding head coach who fits the bill superbly for what we at the Giants want. He has head coach experience at NRL and international level and his CV is outstanding in the way he has worked his way to the very top of his profession with many successes along the way.

“He has taken a knock or two as all coaches do I guess but he’s had a little rest to recharge the batteries so to speak and we are convinced he is the right man to take us forward.

“We face a huge battle in the remaining nine games of the season and he is aware of that. It would be wrong to talk now about any further down the line as our focus has to be on 2016.

“Rick has shown an immense desire from the very start of our search for a new head coach to accepting the position here. To coin a phrase he is “keen as mustard” to get cracking.”

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Stone, who was succeeded at Newcastle by former Huddersfield coach Nathan Brown, said: “I’m delighted to get the opportunity at Huddersfield Giants - simply delighted.

“I have had a short period out of the full-time game, probably my first for around 25 years and I’m very keen to get back into the coaching arena.

“Top jobs such as this one don’t come around very often so yes I’m ready to go and really can’t get there quick enough. The UK will be new to me but I follow the Super League and at the end of the day we all start with 17 against 17 and the same chance as each other.

“I know the club has some very short-term goals in terms of wins needed in whatever league structure we end up in after 23 rounds but I’ve always believed that results tend to take care of themselves if you work hard, prepare well and commit to your team-mates which are key parts of my coaching style.

“I’ll give honesty and demand it back and I’m looking forward to getting into the club and working with everyone there as soon as possible.”