Keighley Cougars say Jake Webster will remain as head coach

Webster went from being the club’s director of rugby to interim head coach after the controversial sacking of Matt Foster in July, but Keighley lost four of his nine games at the helm, including the season-ending Betfred League 1 play-off final defeat to Hunslet on Sunday.

But Garcia, who is also the club’s managing director, feels the belief the playing squad have in Webster was enough to convince he and his fellow co-owner Ryan O’Neill to give the interim boss the permanent job.

Garcia told the Keighley News: “Jake is carrying on in the position of head coach for 2025.

“When Ryan and I make decisions like that, we listen to the players and he has the support of the team, which speaks volumes.

“It was an unfortunate thing to lose on Sunday, someone had to be the winner and that was Hunslet.

George Flanagan's try was the only highlight of a miserable afternoon for Keighley on Sunday. (Image: JT Sports Media.)

“But we have confidence in Jake and we’ll carry on with him in charge.”

Webster’s record in charge does compare unfavourably to Foster, who almost kept Keighley up in the second tier last season, before winning 11 of his 13 league games in charge this year before being sacked.

But Garcia insists he and O’Neill still stand by that call now, saying: “When you run companies or clubs, you have to be 100 per cent sure about certain decisions, and we don’t regret that one.

“There is no beef between us and Matt, but we feel it was the right decision.

Matt Foster (right) came close to masterminding a shock win over Bulls in the 1895 Cup in February, but he was gone less than five months later. (Image: JT Sports Media.)

“Every fan is entitled to their opinion, and some will curse the two of us until the day we die.

“But when you underperform, fans will understandably have a go if things don’t go right.”

And while Garcia has no issue with both he and O’Neill getting flak for their sporting decisions, he admitted to his frustrations that the pair continue to get targeted by some for the fact they are a gay married couple, as well as for their fervent support for trans rights.

He said: “It is very frustrating, because you always have that constant noise from a minority.

“All of our own fans have supported Ryan and I in the last five years since we took over.

“They’ve backed us over the things we do, and we have proved we are ambitious, because we always try our best and try to sign the best players.

“But when it becomes toxic and you’re involving someone’s sexuality, that’s just wrong.

“I don’t see other club owners being questioned over their sexuality, and Ryan and I have had to give loads of interviews where we say that we don’t accept homophobia, as that’s crossing the line.

“There are loads of club owners that get a bit of flak over certain things that make the fans unhappy, and I go back to what I said before, that they have the right to that opinion.

“But looking at some clubs who had terrible starts to the season for example, no-one was questioning the owner’s sexuality, as he’s a man sleeping with a woman.

“With us, it becomes the narrative, and these people get a block and get told they’re not welcome at this club.

“We respect everyone, and we deserve the same respect back.

“Our sexuality, me sleeping with Ryan every night, it should have nothing to do with people’s opinions on the club.

Ryan O'Neill and Kaue Garcia (centre) are an out and proud married couple, but their sexuality and support of gay and trans rights has led to them receiving abuse from a minority of people. (Image: JT Sports Media.)

“I can take someone calling me an idiot for how we run the club, we totally get that, but don’t come for our sexuality, because there’s no place for it.”

Garcia and O’Neill, as well as the players and coaching staff, have been on the receiving end of some justified flak this week, given Keighley fell short of the promotion from League 1 that was expected of them.

Reflecting upon Sunday’s surprise 20-6 defeat to Hunslet at Cougar Park, Garcia said: “It is disappointing.

“Every club has ambition, otherwise we wouldn’t be playing, competing and getting the best team out on the field each week.

“That was why we fought against IMG (Super League clubs being decided on a grading system as opposed to linear promotion and relegation) because the structure and beauty of the sport is that a win can get you promoted or put you in with a chance of that, and a defeat prevents that.

“Next season, we’ll have a go at trying to get promoted again, and Ryan and I will support the players, Jake and (chief operating officer) Steve Watkinson in that.

“Sunday was disappointing, but we’ll always carry on.

“One thing I’ve learned in the last few years, and I don’t know if this is just a Yorkshire thing, but you always have to go onwards and upwards.”

Garcia was speaking to the Keighley News on the way to the RFL's end of season awards, where Cougars winger Billy Walkley was nominated for League 1's Young Player of the Year prize.

Despite his 20-try season and playing every minute of the campaign for Keighley, the Wales international was beaten to the award by Oldham's Phoenix Laulu-Togaga'e.

The young full back, who used to play for Cougars, was a key part of the Oldham side who won the title and promotion.