Andy Kelly is going to be a very busy man.
Huddersfield Giants’ Head of Youth has stepped up to take charge of the Super League team in the wake of the club’s decision to part company with Head Coach Paul Anderson and Assistant Kieron Purtill.
He will be in charge tomorrow, when the Giants visit Salford Red Devils in Super League bidding for only a fifth victory of the season, and then he will prepare the squad for next Thursday’s massive Challenge Cup quarter-final against Wakefield Trinity Wildcats at the John Smith’s Stadium.
The following Thursday, the Giants are at home to Hull FC and, on Friday, July 8, they play Hull KR away.
But the following day, Kelly is due to fly out to Australia with the England Academy Squad because he is their head coach!
Intriguing times for the 55-year-old, who is highly experienced as a coach, especially as the club have put no timescale on their search for a new team chief.
Kelly was the man who took home-city club Wakefield Trinity into Super League in 1998, thanks to a play-off final victory over Featherstone Rovers at the John Smith’s Stadium.
After getting Trinity into the top flight, Kelly assembled a capable squad on a tight budget and in limited time (promotion wasn’t confirmed until the November).
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It was the start of an unbroken spell at the top table for the club.
Inevitably, changes at the top at Trinity meant Kelly departed and he later coached Gateshead Thunder, Featherstone Rovers, Dewsbury Rams and the Ireland national team, before shifting attention to academy rugby.
An England international as a player, he is one of three brothers who have played for Wakefield alongside Neil and Richard.
