Rufo, a former Newcastle Breakers youth league player of the year, was announced as the Roosters coach late Tuesday night, eight days after Nick Webb resigned.

Webb, who had coached Lake Macquarie to eighth (20 points) in 2018 and ninth (12) this season, quit over what he described as a breach of trust with the club.

Rufo was technical director at Lake Macquarie last season, when he also coached Belmont Swansea to grand final victory in the second division. The 37-year-old also coached Wallsend to the second-tier championship in 2015.

Rufo was excited to get an opportunity in an NPL top job.

"I've had a working relationship with them in the past, so I'm looking forward to going to that next step," Rufo said of the Roosters.

"It's been my drive to get to this level. I've done all the badges and been proactive in getting involved at clubs at the lower levels to learn the trade better.

"I think I just want to bring a really hard-working approach, with some fresh eyes and ideas, to the club. Just try to help the club reach its potential. New ideas and a fresh approach can sometimes be a really good thing for a football club.

"It's got all the tools, we've just got to now put it together."

In other news, the internal upheaval at Charlestown increased on Tuesday when president Dean Crossley stepped aside before a dispute over the acceptance of memberships at a committee meeting.

The Newcastle Herald was told new club membership applications, including about 70 from a group supporting coach David Tanchevski, were rejected at the meeting. The group behind Tanchevski was exploring ways to overturn the decision.

Memberships needed to be accepted at the meeting for those applicants to have voting rights at the September 17 AGM, where a new group hopes to lead the club and sack Tanchevski. It has sounded out at least three potential replacements.

Charlestown secretary Roger Steel confirmed Crossley had stepped aside but said it would be inappropriate to comment on what happened at the committee meeting. Vice-president Ty Standen has become interim president until the AGM.

Meanwhile, Hamilton have signed Scottish attacker Anthony Marenghi.