Former nib Newcastle Knight Rory Kostjasyn will take on the head coaching role of the Club's Intrust Super Premiership (ISP) side immediately, following the departure of current coach Simon Woolford.



Woolford has accepted the head coaching role at English Super League club, the Huddersfield Giants.



Knights head coach Nathan Brown, who was head coach of the Giants from 2009 to 2012, has thanked Woolford for his service to the Club and said it will be a great opportunity.



"Simon is very passionate, he's a young emerging coach and the Huddersfield job will not only be good for him as a coach, but it will be great for the Giants," Brown said.



"He's got the right skills and work ethic to get Huddersfield back to where they'd like to be, and whenever you lose a person from an organisation it's always disappointing but opens up the door for someone else."

Kostjasyn made his NRL debut at the Melbourne Storm in 2010 before linking with the North Queensland Cowboys in 2013.



The 30-year-old, who came to the Knights in 2017, retired last year after playing 126 NRL games and having won a premiership with the Cowboys in 2015.



In 2018, Kostjasyn took on a full-time role with the Knights as an elite pathway development coach and head coach of the Club's Harold Matthews Under 16s squad, which recently reached the preliminary finals.



He will continue on as an elite pathway development coach alongside Scott Dureau, but will also take on the head coaching role of the ISP side with the help of current assistant coach Daniel Fitzhenry.



Kostjasyn said he's excited to take on the new challenge.



"It will be a great opportunity to keep coaching and learning at a senior level, with a young and talented playing group," Kostjasyn said.



"It has been unexpected but this is a challenge I am most definitely looking forward to for the remainder of the 2018 season."



"Taking on the role, I hope to be a positive influence on the players in their development towards cementing NRL positions in the future."