Wigan Warriors old-boy lands first head coaching role in Championship with retirement plans confirmed
The former Wigan Warriors man will retire at the end of the season after landing his first head coaching role
Former Wigan Warriors prop Brad Singleton has landed his first head coaching role, having agreed to take charge of Championship club Workington Town from 2027.
Singleton, who will turn 34 in October, will play out the remainder of the current campaign with hometown club Barrow Raiders before hanging up his boots and taking charge of Workington ahead of next season.
The former Ireland international, who has made more than 300 career appearances, joined Barrow in June, having made the decision to step away from Super League following a 16-year professional career in the top flight.
Singleton will see out the remainder of this season with the Raiders before taking the reins at the Fibrus Community Stadium ahead of next season.
“I’m very grateful,” Singleton said on becoming Workington head coach from 2027, with the club having announced the appointment earlier this week.
“At this current moment, I’m still playing for Barrow, and I’m proudly doing that. I want to finish that right.
“But it was time for me to think, ‘what’s next?’. I could probably have squeezed another year out (playing), but I think what excites me more is coaching, and Workington have been very proactive getting in touch.
“It’s a great position to be in, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Workington’s current head coach Jonty Gorley will move into a director of rugby role when Singleton takes over.
“He is a great bloke,” Singleton said of Gorley. “If you ask any Cumbrian player, I think they can’t speak highly enough of him.
“Jonty, for me, his experience will help. There is no secret that this will be my first gig, and I think it will be a great partnership.”
Singleton will commit to seeing out his contract with Barrow for the rest of the year, and the Raiders say he will depart with the club’s best wishes at the season’s end.
“Brad recently informed us of his decision to move on at the end of the year, and as a club, we fully respect his decision to look ahead to his post-playing career,” a Barrow club statement read.
“During those discussions, Brad reaffirmed his commitment to helping Barrow Raiders enjoy a successful end to the year as we continue to challenge at the top end of the Betfred Championship.
“Brad remains a key member of our forward pack, having joined the club last month, and with news of his new coaching role out in the public domain, we are confident that his full focus will now be on having a successful end to the season with his hometown club.”
Singleton has made more than 300 career appearances since making his professional debut for Leeds Rhinos back in 2011, going on to represent Toronto Wolfpack, Wigan, Salford, Castleford Tigers and now Barrow.
The Barrow-born prop, who has represented Ireland on the international stage via his heritage, was part of Leeds’ treble-winning squad in 2015 before assisting the Rhinos in their Super League Grand Final win in 2017. He later helped the Warriors lift the Challenge Cup at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2022.