Friday 15 January 2016 16:14, UK
Wigan Warriors have promoted John Winder to the position of assistant coach to Shaun Wane from his previous role as junior assistant coach.
Winder has been junior assistant coach since 2014 and has played a vital role in helping many of the club's young players make the transition into the first team.
He stepped up as assistant coach following the departure of Paul Deacon in July 2015 and he has now been given the role on a permanent basis with immediate effect after beating off some "high-quality applicants".
Wigan chairman Ian Lenagan said: "We advertised the position of first-team assistant coach last year and although we received a good number of high-profile quality coaches, it was clear that we already had the ideal candidate in John Winder.
"John has been with the club in a full-time coaching capacity for six years now and is a great example of the career progression that we encourage at Wigan.
"John learned a tremendous amount from his time in Australia [with Melbourne Storm] and he has continued to grow and develop since his return.
"The loss of Paul Deacon in July last year, although unexpected, did not disrupt the first team and a lot of that is because of the work John undertook. John has proven his coaching credentials over a number of years and we look forward to seeing him grow again."
Wane said: "Having worked alongside John since 2010, I know that he is a model professional and an excellent rugby league coach.
"Like myself, John has a passion for developing players and nurturing home grown talent from our Academy right through to the top level of Super League. He has worked hard over the past six years and is fully deserving of this opportunity."
