Willis has been playing first grade rugby league for 12 years and despite a couple of injuries has led the Diesels to several good results against top-rated Group Nine teams including Young and Albury.

Diesels president Lloyd Nicoll said it meant the club had two-and-half months to find a replacement captain-coach for next year and has started looking for an ex-NRL player looking to head to the country.

Nicoll said Willis had been extremely good for the club and said he hoped to see the dynamic centre playing again for the Diesels in 2013.

Willis’s playing future is still uncertain, but Nicoll said the first grade team was 100 per cent behind their coach who explained his decision early last week.

Nicoll denied any rumours of a falling out between the club and coach and said Willis was doing the right thing by the club in letting the committee know his plans early.

“We’ve got a young team and we’ve been very competitive,” Nicoll said.

“We’re only going to improve.”

This weekend the Diesels will take on the Temora Dragons at Nixon Park in Temora and will be looking to avenge their first season draw.

“There are no easy games,” Nicoll said.