League: Help on the way for McFadden

Warriors coach Andrew McFadden. Photo / Brett Phibbs

An end of season review of the Warriors coaching staff and structure could see coach Andrew McFadden paired with an assistant or mentor in a similar role to that previously filled by John Hart.

With the Warriors finals hopes dashed for a fourth straight year following six consecutive defeats, McFadden and managing director Jim Doyle are examining what improvements and changes could be made to the coaching personnel for 2016 and beyond.

Former All Blacks coach Hart joined the Warriors as the executive director of football in 2005, spending seven years in the job and helping lead the club through changes in its development programme and mentoring former coach Ivan Cleary.

McFadden is open to the idea of the club establishing a similar position for an assistant or mentor to work with him, either on a fulltime basis or in a more casual role.

"There's certainly probably some room to have someone in that sort of position there," McFadden told Radio Sport following Saturday's 50-16 defeat to the North Queensland Cowboys.

"I've spoken to Jim about that. Whether it's an informal or formal role, we're still just yet to decide but [it's] certainly something we're looking at.

"I've spoken at length with Jim about how we're going to get better and the structure we need. Whether that's recruitment or coaching, or whatever it is, and we'll go through that process again and I'm sure we'll make some changes."

Since leaving the Warriors in 2011, Hart has been working in his role as the New Zealand PGA Pro-Am organising committee chairman, and has been mentioned as a potential candidate for the mooted mentoring-assistant position.

Former Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens, currently working as a director of rugby at UK Super League club Salford, has also been linked as a possible contender for the job.

Sheens is contracted to the Red Devils until the end of the season to help refine and improve the club's playing roster and recruitment strategies, and may sign on for a further two years if both parties are happy.

McFadden's position has come under scrutiny over the past six weeks as the Warriors went from fourth spot on the NRL ladder to drop out of the top eight and down into 10th position.

Despite speculation that he is under pressure to retain his job, Doyle and several senior Warriors players have repeatedly stated their support and declared him the man to take the club forward.

After taking over the head coaching role last year following former coach Matt Elliott's early season departure, McFadden guided the side to 10 wins and 9 losses before they finished the campaign in ninth spot (12 wins, 12 losses overall).

The Warriors have two games remaining in the NRL season, against Wests Tigers in Sydney on Sunday, and a final round away clash against the Canterbury Bulldogs on September 6.

With a current win-loss record of nine and 13, they are desperate to avoid equaling the horror finish to 2012, when the club lost their last eight games to finish third last.