Craig Sandercock appointed as new Wests Tigers NRLW Head Coach

The Wests Tigers are pleased to confirm the appointment of Craig Sandercock as the Club’s NRLW Head Coach on a two-year contract.

Sandercock – who has held a variety of roles across the NRL, NRLW and the English Super League – will be tasked with leading the Wests Tigers elite women’s program, as he returns to the Club where he served as an NRL Assistant between 2016 and 2019.

A highly credentialed coach with more than two decades of experience, Sandercock was Head Coach of the English Super League’s Hull KR between 2011 and 2014.

In addition to his time with the Wests Tigers, Sandercock also served as an Assistant at the Newcastle Knights, Cronulla Sharks and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.

Sandercock was instrumental in the recent establishment of the Bulldogs women’s program and brings a deep understanding of the NRLW and women’s rugby league landscape to his new role.

Sandercock will begin his tenure as Head Coach in November, overseeing key recruitment decisions for the 2026 NRLW season as the Wests Tigers work towards finalising their Top 24 and Development players. His focus will then immediately shift to detailed pre-season planning alongside Assistant Coaches, Greg Inglis and Taiana Scanlan-Waddell, within a newly restructured elite women’s program.

Wests Tigers CEO, Shane Richardson welcomed the appointment of Sandercock as the Club embarked on a new period of investment and growth within its women’s program.

“There was a significant amount of interest in this role. We went through a rigorous recruitment process with a very strong field of candidates,” Richardson said.

Craig’s had a lot of experience coaching at the highest level – he’s worked alongside some of the best coaches in our game – and has a proven track record at implementing systems and structures.

Shane Richardson Wests Tigers CEO

“He’ll be a fantastic addition to our Club and will fit in well with the existing staff and I’m looking forward to seeing the impact he can have on our NRLW program,” Richardson concluded.

Richardson said that Sandercock’s appointment was part of a larger body of work being undertaken across the NRLW and Women’s Pathways. 

“We’re focused on continuing to build and develop our women’s program – from the NRLW right through our junior pathways – Craig’s appointment, our increased investment and the work being undertaken by Charmain will play a big role in the Wests Tigers becoming a club of choice for elite female players,” Richardson added.

Wests Tigers Head of Women’s Football, Charmain Steventon said Sandercock would spearhead a new look women’s program for 2026.

“It’s fantastic to have a coach of Craig’s calibre leading our NRLW program, not only because of vast amount of experience he brings, but in particular his recent work in the women’s game,” Steventon said.

“We were clear on the attributes and overall profile of our NRLW Head Coach and went through a detailed process – with key contributions from across the Club – to understand the leadership our program needs to get us to where we want to be.

“Following our conversations with Craig, it was clear that he would bring the technical experience, temperament and overall coaching philosophy that aligned with the Club’s vision and values,” Steventon concluded.

Steventon said the Head Coach recruitment process became part of a pre-existing review into the women’s program.

We needed to look holistically at our women’s program – from top to bottom – to understand where our resources are best directed in the short term, how we are structured and the expertise we require to meet the Club's vision of becoming a highly successful Club in the women’s game.

Charmain Steventon Wests Tigers Head of Women's Football

“Craig’s appointment is a part of embedding the NRLW program within the Club’s high-performance framework, ensuring clear accountability and alignment across our football operations – we’re so pleased to have him on board,” Steventon concluded.

Newly appointed Wests Tigers NRLW Head Coach, Craig Sandercock said he was looking forward to getting started in his new role.

“It’s a privilege to be able to lead the Wests Tigers NRLW program and I’m grateful to Shane and Charmain for their support,” Sandercock said.

“It’s exciting to be involved in such a new program, which I feel has fantastic potential given the Club’s established talent and young players coming through the Pathways.

“I’m looking forward to getting to work to build systems and standards that promote immediate performance but also support the Club’s long-term success,” Sandercock concluded.