Kevin Walters to leave Australia role for St Helens head coach job

St Helens have appointed Australia boss Kevin Walters as head coach for the next three Super League seasons, in a major change that will take effect after the Rugby League World Cup. BBC Sport reported that Walters will leave the Kangaroos following next month's tournament, while St Helens confirmed that he is due to lead the club from the 2027 campaign.

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The appointment gives Saints a coach who is currently in charge of the world champions. The club said Walters guided Australia to a 3-0 Ashes series victory over England last autumn. His immediate focus remains the World Cup before he begins his new job in Super League.

Walters has experience at both club and representative level in Australia. Before taking charge of the Kangaroos, he coached Queensland in State of Origin and was head coach of the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL. He has also previously worked in Super League with Catalans Dragons, giving him familiarity with the competition he will enter again in 2027.

St Helens said the appointment followed a detailed selection process that attracted applicants from around the world. The club identified Walters' experience, ambition and commitment to the role as decisive factors. Chairman Eamonn McManus described the move as a statement of ambition by both St Helens and Super League, and thanked the Australian Rugby League Commission for helping facilitate it.

Eamon O'Carroll will continue as St Helens' interim head coach through the end of the current season. He stepped into the post after Paul Rowley left the role in July, and the club said supporters would continue to back O'Carroll and the team during the remaining fixtures. Walters' arrival therefore establishes the longer-term coaching plan without changing the immediate arrangement.

Walters also brings a decorated playing record. St Helens said he won six NRL premierships, made 20 State of Origin appearances and played 11 Test matches for Australia. He was part of the Kangaroos side that won the 1992 World Cup, adding direct experience of the sport's highest international level to the coaching background Saints have chosen for their next phase.