He retired as a player in April 2007 after his 400th career appearance,[9] and joined the coaching staff at Leigh Centurions.

Rowley won caps for England while at Halifax in 1996 against France (sub), and in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup against Australia, Russia, and Ireland.

[12] In Rowley's first season in charge of Salford, the club started poorly and at one stage were sitting second last on the table before they went on to win eleven games which saw them qualify for the playoffs.

After upsetting Huddersfield 28–0 in week one of the playoffs, the club played against St Helens in the semi-final in which they lost 19–12.

In the 2023 Super League season, Rowley guided Salford to a 7th-placed finish as the club missed the playoffs by two points.