BRADFORD Salem have mutually agreed to part company with their coach Phil Nilsen.

The 31-year-old, who is a full-time player with Yorkshire Carnegie, could not give his role at Shay Lane as much time as he or the club wanted.

"It has been a perfectly amicable decision," explained Bradford Salem's first-team manager Neil Klenk.

"We felt that Phil could not give us the commitment that we needed because he is still a full-time player at Yorkshire Carnegie.

"The decision was by mutual consent but we hope that Phil can still take some sessions from time to time and that the door is still open for him to come back to us in the future in some capacity.

"We have appointed (former England international) Dan Scarbrough as head coach for the backs and James Cunliffe as a player-coach for the forwards.

"Dan is leaving Bradford Grammar School to take up the head of rugby role at Queen Ethelburga's College in York, replacing rugby programme manager Henry Paul, and may play the odd game for us, either starting or on the bench.

"James was going to take up a similar forwards' player-coach role with Skipton, but we thought 'he is taking the exams, who can't he do it with us?'"

As for player movement, prolific try-scoring No 8 Christian Baines has joined from Old Grovians, Kiwi prop Ryan McKessar has returned home, and prop Adam Hewitt has left to rejoin Baildon.

Salem start pre-season training on Thursday, July 7 (7pm).

* Phil Nilsen has quashed hopes that he might soon be pulling on a Bradford Salem shirt.

Speaking at the club's players' dinner during a question-and-answer session, he said: "I hope to play for Yorkshire Carnegie for another two or three years."