Wednesday 24 February 2016 15:04, UK
Hull KR have sacked head coach Chris Chester, with his assistant Willie Poching taking charge for Friday's Super League clash at home to St Helens, live on Sky Sports.
The club issued a statement on Wednesday morning that Chester had "stood down" with immediate effect.
The statement added: "The sole focus of everybody at the club at this time is on Friday's game and securing two much needed points and any further comment on the situation, future plans and expectations will follow after the weekend."
Rovers fans reacted angrily at the end of the 14-12 home defeat to Wakefield Wildcats on Sunday, booing the players after a result which left them without a win after the first three Super League rounds.
The loss to visitors Wakefield at the KC Lightstream Stadium was the first win of the season for last year's bottom club.
Hosts Rovers are ninth in the table, with just a solitary point from the opening round 16-16 draw at home with Castleford Tigers.
Chester, who previously played for the Robins as a back row forward, became a coach at the club in 2009, before being promoted to head coach in 2014.
In his first full season at the helm, the 37-year-old guided Rovers to the 2015 Challenge Cup final, which they lost 50-0 to holders Leeds Rhinos.
Chester almost predicted his own downfall at Hull KR's pre-season media day in January after being told he was second favourite - behind Wakefield's Brian Smith - to become the first Super League coaching casualty of 2016.
He said: "I thought I'd have been the favourite after the weekend! It comes with the territory; it's part of the job and it doesn't worry me too much. I've just got to get on with my job because it's a job I'm very privileged to do."
While Poching will take temporary charge, the task of finding a successor will almost certainly fall to Jamie Peacock, the former England captain and Leeds and Bradford forward who took up the club's newly-created role of football manager at the start of the season.
At a press conference later on Wednesday, Poching spoke of his ambition to become a head coach.
Poching, 42, joined Rovers as assistant coach from Warrington at the start of last season, and said he is now ready to take control of a team.
"I'm really excited," Poching said. "I've been 10 years as an assistant and I'm not a head coach yet - I'm just holding the fort. It's not the way I would have envisaged or liked but I've got a job to do.
"I'm genuinely excited to work with the players we have here. I love coming to work every day."
Asked if he would like the job on a permanent basis, Poching said: "Definitely. I've waited almost 10 years for a chance to come along. I've bided my time, I've done an apprenticeship. I came into this gig as a coach to one day be in charge of a team and I still harbour that ambition."
Watch Hull KR in Super League action at home to St Helens on Friday, live on Sky Sports 2 HD from 7.30pm. Or watch for £6.99 without a contract, on NOW TV.
