EXPERIENCED Craig Sandercock has knocked back a guaranteed job on Nathan Brown's new-look Knights coaching staff to sign with Wests Tigers.
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Sandercock, who rejoined Newcastle last year as an assistant coach to former Knights tactician Rick Stone, was offered the coaching co-ordinator position as part of the club's operational restructure.
Knights chief executive Matt Gidley said Sandercock had accepted the role, only to contact him on Friday to reveal a better opportunity had arisen at the Tigers, where he will join David Kidwell as one of Jason Taylor's two assistants.
"He rang me this morning, completely out of the blue," Gidley told the Herald.
"He had agreed to take on a role with us, but overnight was offered a more senior role with Wests Tigers.
"We're not going to stand in his way, so we wish him all the best. We would have liked to have kept him, but if he thinks he can progress his career, good luck to him."
Gidley said Sandercock was "a cracking bloke and a good coach".
Sandercock's proposed role at Newcastle next year would have been to provide analysis for Brown and help mentor the club's NSW Cup and under-20s coaches.
It is understood at the Tigers he will be more hands-on with the top-grade squad.
Sandercock spent three seasons with Newcastle as Stone's right-hand man, in 2010-11 and last season.
Before joining the Knights, he was an assistant coach at Manly in their premiership-winning 2008 campaign.
When Wayne Bennett arrived at Newcastle in 2012, Sandercock accepted the head coaching position at Hull Kingston Rovers, spending almost three seasons and 77 games at the helm.
Gidley said Newcastle would consider their options but were likely to search for a new coaching co-ordinator.
Former Wests Tigers coach Mick Potter and club legend Danny Buderus, who had a
six-game stint as caretaker coach when Stone was sacked last season, shape as Brown's assistant coaches.
Potter and Brown played and coached alongside each other at the Dragons.
The rest of Newcastle's coaching and support staff have been briefed on new job descriptions, and those interested in being retained will have an opportunity to state their case.
The Knights are expected to kick off their 2016 pre-season on or around November 1.
AAP reports: For the second time in as many years, Wests Tigers have undergone a radical overhaul of their coaching structure with four assistants leaving Jason Taylor's side.
Assistant coaches Rod Reddy and Matt Cameron, NSW Cup coach Paul Fletcher and under-20s coach Brett Kimmorley have all left Concord after the club's internal review of their disappointing 15th-place finish to the season.
Only two of the men, Reddy and Fletcher, were given their marching orders.
Sandercock will join David Kidwell as Taylor's right-hand men at the Tigers.
Former South Sydney stalwart Paul Stringer steps up as under-20s coach, while another former Rabbitoh, Willie Peters, takes the reins in the NSW Cup after a stint at Redfern as SG Ball coach.
The club also appointed a new head of physical performance, Marcus Kain, following the mid-season departure of Corey Bocking.
Chief executive Justin Pascoe said the changes were deemed necessary to extract more from their roster in 2016.
"Following the 2015 season we conducted a full review of our coaching structure, the same way that we did with our playing group," he said.
"As a result of that we have made a number of positive changes to our coaching staff for the 2016 season.
"The club and Jason have made these changes in order to get the most out of our playing group both on and off the field."
The comprehensive revamp continues a tumultuous off-season for the Tigers, who have yet to resolve the ongoing contract drama involving unwanted skipper Robbie Farah.
