Former Wigan Warriors, St Helens and GR star named Brian McDermott’s replacement as Featherstone head coach

McDermott resigned last week after the club’s Betfred Super League promotion hopes were dashed by defeat to Batley in the Championship play-off semi-final.

Former St Helens and Great Britain scrum-half Long will take the reins after the upcoming World Cup, where he will serve as France assistant coach.

The 46-year-old said on Rovers’ website: “It feels really good, I’m really honoured.

“I had a spell with the club in 2013, I really enjoyed my time there then, the players and staff are great and I’ve kept in touch with a lot of them.

“I can’t wait to get involved and to get back.”

Meanwhile, St Helens have announced Paul Wellens as their new head coach and Laurent Frayssinous as his assistant.

Wellens and Frayssinous will replace Australian Kristian Woolf, who took charge of his last match in Saints’ recent Grand Final win against Leeds.

Woolf bowed out on a high after guiding Saints to three straight Grand Final wins and will become assistant to Wayne Bennett at new NRL franchise Dolphins in 2023.

Wellens, 42, who spent his entire 17-year playing career at Saints, has been assistant head coach at the club for the past four seasons. He won five Grand Finals and five Challenge Cups as a Saints player.

Frayssinous, 45, a former player and coach with Catalans Dragons, became the youngest Super League coach at the time when he was appointed head coach of the club in 2012. He has been head coach of France since 2021.