The Newcastle Knights have filled the void left by outgoing assistant coach Willie Peters, with four-time Super League-winning mentor Brian McDermott set to join Adam O'Brien's new-look coaching staff, per The Daily Telegraph.
McDermott won multiple Super League titles with the Leeds Rhinos and was also at the helm of the Toronto Wolfpack's historic charge to the Super League, which was ultimately brought undone by the COVID situation and then the league itself as clubs voted to refuse the Canadian team's re-admission to the competition after the pandemic.
McDermott is also a former player, making 170 Super League appearances for Bradford.
He most recently spent this year at the helm of Championship side Featherstone Rovers, where they finished second behind Leigh Centurions in their battle for promotion.
The Telegraph reports that McDermott almost arrived in Australia ahead of the 2021 season after being reached out to by then-Sharks coach John Morris before the deal fell through, once again thanks to COVID.
McDermott is now at the World Cup as a member of the Fijian coaching staff. He was required to take the reins for the Bati's warm-up loss to England, and will likely be expected to take on more responsibility following the prolonged hospitalisation of Bati coach Joe Rabele.
McDermott previously coached the United States national team during the 2017 tournament.
The Bati's tournament beings on Saturday night (or Sunday morning Australian time) against the Kangaroos, with kick-off from 5.30 AEDT on Sunday, October 16.
