View source for Jon Sharp

{{short description|English RL coach and former rugby league footballer}}
{{more footnotes needed|date=March 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name           = Jon Sharp
|fullname       = Jonathan Sharp<ref>[https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/hdNejZOUV1J-0tE2fwOrkSz0VuQ/appointments Companies House]</ref>
|image          = Jon Sharp.jpg
|image_size     = 285
|caption        =
|position       = {{rlp|LF}}
|currentclub    = 
|birth_date     = {{Birth date and age|1967|3|8|df=y}}
|birth_place    = [[Pontefract]], [[West Riding of Yorkshire]], England
|height         = 
|weight         = 
| club1        = [[Hull FC]]
| year1start   = 1985
| year1end     = 95
| appearances1 = 242
| tries1       = 31
| goals1       = 0
| fieldgoals1  = 1
| points1      = 195
| club2        = {{nowrap|[[Featherstone Rovers]]}}
| year2start   = 1995
| year2end     = 
| appearances2 = 10
| tries2       = 0
| goals2       = 0
| fieldgoals2  = 0
| points2      = 0
| coachteam1         = [[Batley Bulldogs]]
| coachyear1start    = 2000
| coachyear1end      = 01
| coachgames1        = 0
| coachwins1         = 0
| coachdraws1        = 0
| coachlosses1       = 0
|coachteam2          = [[Huddersfield Giants]]
|coachyear2start     = 2005
|coachyear2end       = 08
|coachgames2         = 84
|coachwins2          = 35 
|coachdraws2         = 2 
|coachlosses2        = 47
|coachteam3          = {{nowrap|[[Featherstone Rovers]]}}
|coachyear3start     = 2015
|coachyear3end       = 17
|coachgames3         = 70
|coachwins3          = 42 
|coachdraws3         = 0
|coachlosses3        = 28
|updated             = 
|source              = <ref>[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/jon-sharp/summary.html Rugby League Project]</ref><ref>[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/coaches/jon-sharp/summary.html Rugby League Project Coaching]</ref> 
|new                 = yes
}}

'''Jon Sharp''' (born 8 March 1967) was the head coach of [[Featherstone Rovers]] from 2015 to 2017. Between 2004 and 2008 he was head coach of the [[Huddersfield Giants]],<ref name="Huddersfield boss Sharp is sacked">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/super_league/huddersfield/7431139.stm|title=Huddersfield boss Sharp is sacked|publisher=BBC|date=2008-06-02|accessdate=2008-06-02}}</ref> having been appointed in 2003 when Tony Smith left the club for the [[Leeds Rhinos]]. He was also part of the [[Great Britain national rugby league team|Great Britain]] coaching set-up under head coach [[Brian Noble (rugby league)|Brian Noble]]. As a player, he played for [[Hull FC]], and he has also worked as a member of the backroom staff there.

==Playing career==
===Hull===
Jon Sharp played {{rlp|lf}} in [[Hull FC]]'s 24-31 defeat by [[Castleford Tigers|Castleford]] in the [[1986 Yorkshire Cup]] Final during the [[1986–87 Rugby Football League season|1986–87 season]] at [[Headingley Rugby Stadium|Headingley]], [[Leeds]] on Saturday 11 October 1986.

Jon Sharp's [[Testimonial match]] at [[Hull FC]] took place in 1994.

==Coaching career==
===2004-2005===
In 2004, Sharp's début season as coach of [[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield]] the club finished 7th in Super League and made an appearance in the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup for the first time since 1971. The team lost to [[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]]. In 2005 the club signed Michael De Vere from Brisbane Broncoes, the highest profile Australian signing since the 1950s. The team finished in 8th place.

===2006===
In 2006, Sharp led Huddersfield to their first Challenge Cup final in over 40 years, including a 30-12 win over [[Leeds Rhinos|Leeds]] in the semi-finals held at [[Odsal Stadium|Odsal]]. Huddersfield lost in the final 42-12 against favourites St Helens.

===2007===
After a nightmare start to 2007's [[Super League XII]] in which Huddersfield lost all of their opening 7 games, some might have expected Sharp's job to be under threat. However, Huddersfield's faith was repaid when Sharp led the team from 5 points adrift at the bottom to being 4th in Super League after, winning a club record 7 along the way including a first win over [[Bradford Bulls]] in 35 years. Sharp won consecutive Coach of the Month awards in April and May as a result. The club made their first appearance in the Play Off competition losing to Hull at the [[KC Stadium]], 22-16.

===2008===
The opening 2 matches in 2008 were lost, to [[Leeds Rhinos|Leeds]], and to [[Bradford Bulls]]. However the 3rd match saw Sharp's team beat [[Castleford Tigers|Castleford]] 64-12. After a 48-0 loss to [[Catalans Dragons]], and a run of disappointing results, Sharp's contract was terminated by Huddersfield and for the 2009 season, [[Nathan Brown (rugby league born 1973)|Nathan Brown]], former coach at [[St. George Illawarra Dragons]], took over the helm. He then moved to [[Featherstone Rovers]] in a voluntary advisory role to caretaker coach Danny Evans.

===2009===
In 2009, Sharp joined his former club [[Hull F.C.]] as 'football operations manager', working alongside head coach [[Richard Agar]]. However, the partnership didn't work out as Hull slipped to a disappointing 12th-place finish, and Sharp left the club at the end of the year.

===2010===
In October 2009, Sharp was appointed as first team coach for [[Crusaders Rugby League]], where he will link up with former Great Britain colleague [[Brian Noble (rugby league)|Brian Noble]] (Head coach) and assistant coach [[Iestyn Harris]].

===2011===
In February 2011, it was confirmed that Sharp had joined the [[Rugby Football League]] on a consultancy basis as a technical adviser. As a Technical Adviser he will offer a coach's perspective of playing trends to match officials, as well as serving on the [[Rugby Football League]] disciplinary panel.

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Navboxes
|title= Coaching positions
|list1=  
{{Batley Bulldogs coaches}}
{{Featherstone Rovers coaches}}
{{Huddersfield Giants coaches}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharp, Jon}}
[[Category:1977 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Batley Bulldogs coaches]]
[[Category:English rugby league coaches]]
[[Category:English rugby league players]]
[[Category:Featherstone Rovers coaches]]
[[Category:Featherstone Rovers players]]
[[Category:Huddersfield Giants coaches]]
[[Category:Hull F.C. players]]
[[Category:Rugby league locks]]
[[Category:Rugby league players from Pontefract]]