John Hickey Gunnedah Bulldogs | Search for new coach under way

While the man he controversially replaced, Sean Hayne, said in a brief text that he did not want the job back "whilst the present committee are in place".

In announcing his departure, Hickey reiterated his pre-season declaration that only a premiership in 2019 was an acceptable result for the side.

However, he said he had only ever planned to have one year in the role. Hayne took the side to the 2018 grand final, where they lost 34-28 to North Tamworth.

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Hickey said he gave it "my best shot". "If you don't win one [the premiership] you should step down, in my opinion," he said. "I didn't win it. I should step down. And even if I did win it, I would've stepped down."

Hickey said the club were already looking for his replacement. "I've discussed that with [Bulldogs president] David [McCann] - and they've got their feelers out, and hopefully there's people now applying for the job.

"I've had people ring me and talk to me about it [the job] ... and I know that they're keen to coach. So hopefully they'll find the right coach, that really fits the squad, by next year."

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Hickey said he did not know if Hayne wanted to return to the role. But Hayne replacing him "was not something that would worry me at all". "I think the best candidate should get the job."

Hickey - a professional coach with a stable of triathletes under him, who is also head coach of Swimming Gunnedah - expects "three or four" people to apply for the Bulldogs coaching gig.

He and Hayne were the only candidates for the job at the end of the 2018 season.

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Under Hickey, Gunnedah scraped into the top four and then were beaten 54-18 by Kootingal-Moonbi in the elimination final.

The dumping of Hayne - who did not coach anywhere in 2019 - resulted in at least three players leaving the club: the skipper, Callum Hayne, his younger brother Marcus and Sam Lumby, who publicly expressed his disillusionment over the decision to replace Hayne.

Hickey blamed Gunnedah's failure this year on shift work badly affecting the side's continuity. However, he expects most of this year's squad to return in 2020, and "they'll be much keener in the pre-season than they even were this year".

He predicted the side would benefit next year by having introduced a number of reserve graders to regular first-grade action this year.

McCann did not respond to a request for comment by deadline.