Neil Kelly, the leading Eng-lish coach in this country, has pledged to stay with Dews-bury despite the club's failure to land a place in Super League.

The former Dewsbury hooker - Northern Ford Premiership Coach of the Year for two of the last three seasons - is disappointed with the NFP champions' decision to drop their promotion bid, but is set to sign a new three-year contract.

Dewsbury failed to satisfy league officials that they could bring their tiny Ram Stadium up to Super League standard in time for next season and instead will kick-off the new NFP season on December 3.

"I am very proud of what we have achieved this year and disappointed that we're not going to get the opportunity to go into Super League," said Kelly.

"But I have sought assurances from the club that they will continue to strengthen on and off the field and I have received those assurances."

Kelly is the longest-serving coach at a single club, having taken over the Dewsbury reins from Tony Fisher in February, 1996, and is confident about keeping the nucleus of the Rams team that lifted the NFP leaders' trophy for the second successive year and beat Leigh in last month's Grand Final.

However, record-breaking scrum half Barry Eaton, who is in the Wales squad for October's Lincoln World Cup, is on loan at Super League club Castleford and could be one to leave.

"We're trying to facilitate Barry's World Cup bid, but if someone can offer him Super League football and he wants to leave it would be wrong to stand in his way, but I hope that is not the case," said Kelly.

"We've not been inundated with offers for players so far and I think they will find the prospect of enjoying more success at Dewsbury an attractive one."

Meanwhile, bottom club Huddersfield-Sheffield are tomorrow expected to complete a clean sweep of overseas coaches in Super League with the appointment of Australian Tony Smith as successor to England boss John Kear.