Friday 16th July 10

Links with the past were the key to persuading Mick Potter to commit his immediate future to Bradford Bulls.

The Bulls ended their search for a new head coach when the 46-year-old Potter, who is to leave St Helens at the end of the season, abandoned plans to return home to Australia and decided instead to go back the club where coaching began for him 14 years ago.

Potter, who has signed a two-year contract with Bradford from 2011, cut his coaching teeth under fellow Australian Matthew Elliott and alongside Brian Noble at Odsal in the first three seasons of Super League when the Bulls were the trail-blazers for the razzmatazz of summer rugby.

He then returned to Australia, where he was an assistant coach to current Huddersfield Giants boss Nathan Brown at St George Illawarra, before bursting to prominence as head coach of Catalans Dragons from 2006.

“It was really tough for me initially because I was going home,” said Potter, who is in his second season at the GPW Recruitment Stadium.

“But they were very persuasive and I’m happy to stay. I think they are a club that are in the building phase and that probably suits me.

“I think Steve Mac has laid a good platform to take them forward.

“And, if I was going to stay at a club in England, Bradford were probably the one, having had some involvement there in the past.

“It was my first coaching role and it was a lot of fun back then. I worked with Matthew Elliott and Brian Noble and the players included James Lowes, Paul Anderson, Paul Medley, Brian McDermott and Steve Mac.

“So I had a bit of a relationship with people who are still floating around. I still know some people from back then.”

Potter was coach of the year in his third season with the Catalans after guiding them to the 2007 Challenge Cup final and a third-placed finish in Engage Super League and, although he had a tough act to follow after succeeding Daniel Anderson at Saints, he has high hopes of ending his stint at the GPW Recruitment Stadium with silverware.

“Although I’m looking forward to the challenge at Bradford next season, my only focus for the next three months is the St Helens club,” he said.

“Like the players, I’m desperate for success in the Challenge Cup and Grand Final and the fans can be assured of my total and undivided commitment to fulfilling both of those ambitions.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Saints and appreciate the opportunity which they gave to me - I aim to finish with a record of achievement.”

Intriguingly, among the opponents during Saints’ run-in are Bradford, who are due to visit on Friday, August 13, but Potter has been in this situation before.

“It was probably similar when I was appointed at St Helens while I was still at Catalans,” he said. “It wasn’t too bad. It didn’t feel strange at all.”

Lee St Hilaire, McNamara’s former number two, will be in charge that day after being appointed as caretaker coach for the rest of the season and he is likely to stay to work under Potter.

Bulls chairman Peter Hood says Potter “ticks all the boxes”.

“We’re delighted to get our man,” he said. “We had quite a number of candidates but Mick is exactly the right person for the job.

“As far as we knew, he was going to go home to Australia but we got into a conversation and we were able to change his mind.

“He is clearly a well-proven and successful coach who ticks all the boxes. In a sense, he is coming home and he will be familiar with the culture of the club which hasn’t changed since he was last here.”

Potter, a full-back of note in his playing days with Canterbury and St George, is the second Australian head coach to perform a U-turn inside a week after Brown announced he would be staying on at Huddersfield instead of returning home.

Today’s announcement leaves St Helens with the only coaching vacancy for 2011.