North Queensland Cowboys legend Aaron Payne has been relieved of his coaching duties at the Townsville Blackhawks immediately after five seasons in charge.
The former Cowboys icon who appeared in 219 games for the club, mainly as a hooker between 2002-12, was awarded the Blackhawks head coaching role in 2018, replacing current Dolphins assistant coach and ex-St Helens RLFC coach Kristian Woolf.
His five seasons with the Blackhawks have now come to an abrupt end after being terminated immediately. It is understood that he was summoned to a meeting of the club's sub-committee on Thursday a week ago, where he was informed that the club intended to move in a new direction.
According toย News Corp, the club's chairman Glenn Carroll said Payne offered his resignation at season's end but was sacked effective immediately.
โAaron, management and the Board met recently and it was mutually agreed that it is the right time for both parties to embark on new journeys,โ a statement read.
โHis passion for the game and commitment during his time with the club has been exceptional, pushing through some challenging times and this season in particular where the frustration of not being in full control of our Hostplus side due to this season's agreement with the North Queensland Cowboys where he has not had full control over the team and playing style has been remarkable.โ
Former North Queensland Cowboys playmaker Michael Morgan and assistant coach Christian Quabba will takeover Payne's duties for the remainder of the season on an interim basis.
