Sydney Roosters chairman Nick Politis has gone back to the future to help make the foundation club a NRL force again.

The Roosters on Monday announced long-time, former chief executive Brian Canavan would return to the club, replacing the man who replaced him, Steve Noyce.

It is understood Politis is particularly concerned about how far the Roosters have fallen behind state-of-the-art clubs like Melbourne and Canterbury.

Noyce joins coach Brian Smith in being axed by the Roosters since the end of the 2012 season in which they finished 13th, missing the finals for a second consecutive season, with rookie coach Trent Robinson to take over in 2013.

Canavan, who was commissioned in 2010 by the NSWRL to review all aspects of the NSW State of Origin team, returns to the Roosters in the re-defined role of chief operating officer (COO) of football.

The decision to cut Noyce ends his four-year association with the Roosters after he spent eight seasons as the boss of Wests Tigers.

Noyce replaced Canavan, who quit the Roosters in October 2008 after a 15-year association with the club.

Politis paid credit to Noyce, who steered the Roosters through some tough times which included parting ways with stars Todd Carney and Nate Myles for off-field issues, a season after the club played in the 2010 grand final.

“Stephen is a hard working man of great integrity and honour and his work over the past four years has set our club up to move forward in a very solid position,” Politis said in a statement.

Canavan, who will start work on Monday, will among other things, manage the strategy and implementation of the high performance systems from the top grade to junior representative teams.

He will also oversee recruitment along with current recruitment manager Peter O’Sullivan while Robinson will report directly to Canavan.

“Brian is the most experienced football administrator in the country and his return to the club he loves is a major coup,” Politis said.

“He will add the knowledge and crucial systems to the football department that is required in the modern game for ultimate success.”

Politis on Monday also officially welcomed back another long-time Rooster in conditioner Craig Walker, who has been at the Warriors since 2005 after starting at the Bondi Junction club in 1993.

Walker will be the club’s physical performance manager.

In other movements, general manager Ted Helliar has been named the commercial COO.

Both Helliar and Canavan will report to Scott Bennetts, Group CEO of the Easts Group.