Hull KR sack coach Tim Sheens

The 68-year-old former Kangaroos coach, who guided the Robins back to Super League in 2017 in his first year in charge, was out of contract at the end of the season and has left with immediate effect.

Rovers are in danger of automatic relegation, two points clear of bottom-placed London after winning just five of their 16 matches so far, and were knocked out of the Challenge Cup by Warrington last Friday.

A statement from the club said: "Hull Kingston Rovers can confirm that Tim Sheens has left his position as head coach with immediate effect."

The club have yet to say who will be in charge of the team for their next game, which is at home to defending champions Wigan on Sunday.

Sheens is the second Super League coach to lose his job this season following Leeds' decision to terminate the contract of another Australian, Dave Furner, a month ago.

Sheens' future has been in doubt for several weeks but it is an ignominious departure for the man who guided Australia to World Cup success in 2013 with victory over New Zealand at Old Trafford.

He spent 28 seasons coaching in the NRL, at Penrith, Canberra, North Queensland and Wests Tigers, and in 2010 became the first man in Australian rugby league history to take charge of 600 games.

With four premiership titles, he is second only to Wayne Bennett as the most successful coach in the NRL.

Sheens was coach of the New South Wales' State of Origin team in 1991 and won 26 of 31 matches as national coach from 2009-15.

He stepped down from his post with Australia in October 2015 after being persuaded by Marwan Koukash to become director of rugby at Salford and resumed his coaching career 12 months later when he took charge of the relegated Robins.

York coach James Ford and former Halifax boss Richard Marshall have already been linked with the vacancy.

Coincidently, former Robins boss Justin Morgan was back in the country at the weekend on a personal visit and, although he is thought to be keen on a return to coaching in England, he is an outsider for the job.

The change of coach is part of an overhaul of Hull KR's off-field structure, with John Bastian having moved from Bradford to become head of youth and stand-off Danny McGuire set to take charge of recruitment when he hangs up his boots at the end of the season.