GARY Chambers defiantly insisted Warrington Wolves will perform better this week as a matter of “personal pride.”

A horrific performance at Wakefield Trinity on Sunday led to a 42-6 defeat – their sixth in a row – and in the hours after full time, the club confirmed it had parted company with head coach Daryl Powell.

Chambers – the club’s head of youth who made more than 200 Wire appearances as a player – has been put in temporary charge while the search for Powell’s permanent successor continues.

His first task is a daunting one as he leads the team into a clash with league leaders Catalans Dragons at The Halliwell Jones Stadium on Friday.

However, it is a task Chambers insists the players will meet head-on.

“These blokes will be better this week. They will perform better,” he said.

“By losing a coach and everything that goes with that, their pride is dented and they’re hurting. They’re competitors and they want to compete.

“It’s not about me – what can I really do with them in a couple of days? – it’s about personal pride and they will bounce back.

“We’ll go after them like they’re going to come after us.

“We’re a big tough team – we’ve hit a bump in the road but that happens. They’ve been challenged and they’re ready for it.

“We won’t be backing down – we’re going in head-first and we’re going to go toe-to-toe with them.

“There’s not that much technical stuff we can put in there but we’ve got to win that ruck area, execute well and kick well.

“This is a simple game. It’s not too often that you win games off fancy set plays – it’s about effort and if there’s effort there, they won’t go far wrong. It doesn’t matter whether it’s against Catalans or anyone else.”

It came as somewhat of a surprise to many that Chambers, whose only previous experience of a first-team head coaching was a spell at Swinton Lions in 2014, was turned to as the man to lead the team in the interim.

He will be supported by Richard Marshall, the man who was his academy head coach last year before Powell brought him onto the first-team staff.

Chambers admits the call came as a shock and while he is enjoying what the role brings currently, he ruled out taking it longer-term.

“I had no idea what was going on – I got a call on Sunday evening and everything stemmed from there, but it was straight out of the blue. There was nothing pre-planned or anything like that,” he said.

“Role-wise, the board will have a plan but I’m in this role until that comes to fruition.

“There’s been no timescale on that – if and when things come right then I’ll move to one side but there’s no sort of time on that.

“I love coaching and I’m loving this at the moment.

“What I’ve probably not done in a couple of years is the “attention to detail” sort of stuff, but that comes as second nature from my time teaching.

“That isn’t an issue, but I don’t know enough to take it on full time. There’s better people than me that will be able to take this forward.”

Chambers first addressed the players on Monday – a day he says was difficult for everyone involved as the dust settled on Powell’s departure.

He confirmed the outgoing head coach also spoke with the squad on the day before leaving for the last time.

“Monday was a tough day for everyone,” he said.

“Given how it was going and what the lads had come in to, it was more about just getting them through the day.

“First and foremost, they had just played a game. They were sore, stiff and tired.

“We had meetings early on, Daryl came back and spoke to them and it was an emotional rollercoaster.

“It was a tough day and the first thing I said to them is that it was important they were alright, because they are human beings before we start looking to move on.”