Cunningham and St Helens part company

}Keiron Cunningham has been sacked as head coach of St.Helens, the Super League club have announced.

The former Saints and Great Britain hooker, who is immortalised in a bronze statue outside the club's ground, has paid the price for his team's disappointing start to the season.

St Helens go into their Good Friday derby at Wigan in seventh place after winning just three of their opening eight matches.

Cunningham, who was appointed as the successor to Australian Nathan Brown after the club's 2014 Grand Final win over Wigan, is the first Super League coaching casualty of 2017.

He came under pressure last season after Saints won just nine of their opening 18 matches but looked secure after they rallied to reach the play-off semi-finals.

Cunningham made 496 appearances for his home-town club from 1993-2010 and won every possible honour in that time. He was named in the club's "greatest 17" as well as heading a fans' poll to have a statue erected in his image to honour the club.