Chris Chester: Axed Wakefield Trinity coach had agreed contract extension before his sacking chief executive Michael Carter confirms

Former Leeds Rhinos player Willie Poching, who was one of Chester’s assistants, has been placed in caretaker charge for Sunday’s visit of Warrington Wolves.

Trinity chief executive Michael Carter said he had a first expression of interest in the head coaching role “within a minute” of Chester’s departure being announced and expects more applications over the coming days.

Chester was appointed in March, 2016 and guided Trinity to their highest Super League finishes in 2017 and 2018, but they have won only four games this year and were beaten 22-18 at Huddersfield Giants last Sunday, after leading 18-0 inside 15 minutes.

“We’d had some talks about it and we’d got to an understanding of agreeing an extension,” Carter confirmed of Chester’s proposed new deal.

“I think the events since Sunday, in particular, have overridden that, but I have assured Chris that what we had verbally agreed I will honour.

“We’ll do the right thing by Chris as he has never done anything other than the right thing by me.

“We had got to a position where we were comfortable, but I just think events since Sunday snowballed.”

Of what had changed, Carter said: “I think from previous defeats or poor performances there has still been an element of mitigation with what’s gone on, but I didn’t sense any feeling of that after Sunday.

“Something just didn’t feel right and Chezzy has admitted that to me as well.

“There’s something not quite right within the whole structure at this minute in time and something had to change.

“Ultimately, in this profession you can change three things: You can change the players, but that’s a difficult process given they are under contract.

“You can change the board and I’ve yet to find a madman that wants to fill my shoes so that’s a difficult one.

“Or you change the coach.”

Carter admitted: “As with everything, it’s a gamble.

“Who’s to say anyone will come in and do any better?

“We don’t know that, but what we are hoping for is some sort of spark or lift you do see when a change takes place and hopefully the players want to put a few wrongs right.

“We are always in their hands.

“By and large this season they have given everything they’ve got, but we just need some steel or toughness or something that just gets us over the line one week and I think the confidence would flow from that.”

Poching rejoined Trinity, where he had a spell as a player in the early 2000s, at the start of this season as assistant to Chester.

He held a similar role at Leeds, Warrington, Salford Red Devils, Huddersfield Giants and Hull KR.

Carter insisted Poching’s prospects of being made permanent head coach are “in his hands”.

He said: “The way I see it now is there’s seven games left in the season and if we were to win all seven then you’d kind of say Willie has earned the role.

“He’ll play his CV out for real over the course of the next few weeks.

“We have nothing to rush with.

“Hopefully we can secure a few more wins that keep us safe and then we have a break until the 2022 season.

“That is going to be a big, big season so we need to get someone in place who is going to be right. That might be Willie or it might be somebody else.”

Carter said he and Chester - a lifelong Trinity fan - will remain friends and paid tribute to the former coach.

“It is the toughest decision I’ve had to make,” he stated. “Whenever any fan sees him next they should applaud him for what he has done and wish him all the best.”

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