DUBAI // Henry Paul plans to stay in Dubai and make Jebel Ali Dragons successful in domestic rugby, despite reportedly being lined up to coach the new Bradford rugby league club in the UK.
The 42-year-old coach enjoyed a successful spell playing for Bradford Bulls, the previous incarnation of the team which was liquidated this month after years of financial turmoil.
He played 100 matches for the Bulls around the turn of the century, most notably winning the Super League Grand Final with the club in 2001.
New Zealand-born Paul was sounded out about coaching the Bulls in 2014, but they opted to appoint James Lowes instead, who himself left the club last May.
The new owners of the reformed club were announced on Tuesday, and according to The Guardian newspaper, Paul is the man they want to coach.
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However, the former dual-code international, who moved to Dubai last summer to start a coaching academy and become the head coach and club ambassador at the Dragons, says he does not intend to leave.
“I am really focused on building my rugby academy here, and it is going well,” Paul said.
“It is growing slowly, and I am more than happy to be with the Dragons and to get this business up and running.”
Until last year, his brother, Robbie Hunter-Paul, who he also played alongside at the Bulls, was the chief executive of the club, who are in the second tier of UK rugby league.
Given his brother is no longer involved, while he himself only recently moved to the UAE, Paul says he is surprised at reports linking him to the position.
Graham Lowe, one of the new owners of the Bradford club, was quoted as saying on Tuesday: “We are focused on bringing in a new, proven and experienced coach as soon as possible and that recruitment process is under way. We expect to provide an update on this shortly.”
Paul is “hoping and wishing” the new Bradford venture is a success, but labelled talk of him being involved “a bit of a joke”.
“I don’t know where it has come from,” said Paul, whose Dragons side have a break from the West Asia Premiership this weekend.
“I had a chat with Bradford Bulls about three years ago, before I took up a school job, so I don’t know where this has come from.
“I know it has had quite a bit of coverage but I am not paying much attention to that. It is a bit of a joke. I haven’t got anything to say because I have not talked to anyone.
“My brother was chief exec. Other than hoping and wishing they had a team there, I have no idea where this story has come from about me coaching them.”
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