NRL: Warriors complete coaching shake-up

Tony Iro. Photo / Dean Purcell.

The Warriors have completed a significant coaching shake-up.

As first reported in the Herald on Sunday earlier this month, head of recruitment and development Tony Iro will take over as reserve grade coach next season.

Iro will also become an additional assistant coach to Stephen Kearney with the NRL team, reprising a role he held with Ivan Cleary from 2010 to 2011. He was also assistant during Brian McClennan's tenure in 2012, and returned to that role under Andrew McFadden in 2015.

Iro also coached the Warriors' Under-20s in 2008 and 2009, when the likes of Kevin Locke and Shaun Johnson were coming through the ranks.

The appointment means Iro will relinquish his recruitment responsibilities, though he is likely to be involved in talent spotting and development below first grade level.

The decision means that Ricky Henry will be in charge of the Under-20 Warriors, which is a tough call on Henry. He was the only Warriors coach to take a team into the playoffs last year, with his reserve grade team reaching the third week of the NSW Cup finals.

Grant Pocklington, who was in charge of the Junior Warriors over the past season, will be kept on in a coaching role at the club.

The confirmation comes after the club spent almost three weeks completing reviews into the 2017 season in September.

Meanwhile, it's believed the Warriors have a three year deal pending for Manly five eighth Blake Green, but any move to Auckland is contingent upon the 31-year-old gaining a release from his Sea Eagles contract. That could yet happen, but depends on how the dominoes fall following Cooper Cronk's move to the Roosters on Monday.