RUGBY LEAGUE
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ST PAT’S have gotten on the front foot in their bid to return to the top of Group 10 premier league in 2014 after the announcement this week that they have signed Kurt Hancock to take over as coach for next season.
Hancock enjoyed a strong stint with the club in 2003-04 as a non-playing coach initially and as a player-coach in his second season, a tenure that saw them make the grand final in 2004 where they lost to Mudgee.
Since then he has gone from strength to strength as a mentor.
In 2005, Hancock had a stint in the second-row with the Newcastle Knights. He then headed to his home town of Kempsey where he took a side who had won twice in two seasons to second spot in the minor premiership, an assignment he still rates as one of his toughest.
From there, he went to Wests Newcastle for three years which included a competition win in 2008. He also operated as the Harold Matthews Cup coach with the Knights and an assistant to the under 20s team in 2011.
This season he was in charge of the club’s SG Ball side but with other work commitments that made his role difficult, he and the club agreed to part ways.
St Pat’s had advertised for a new coach, and Hancock, by sheer coincidence, had made his own inquiries about their status in terms of a coach.
“Mick Armstrong said at the end of 2013 that if we wanted to try and do something a bit different and maybe see if we could find a non-playing coach or a specialist, then he would be happy for us to do it, being the club-man that he is,” Saints official Graham Ward explained.
“We advertised around here and in places like Parramatta and Wollongong, and around that time Kurt got in touch with Liz Scott to see what was going on out this way, and as it turned out that came the day before applications closed.
“Mick was happy enough to do it again if we couldn’t get anyone, but Kurt has been there and done it and I think he’ll be great for the side.”
Hancock was in town yesterday to speak with his new club, one which still boasts a number of players and officials from his last season nearly 10 years ago, including stars Trent Hemsworth and Brent Dennis.
“Hopefully we can keep everyone onboard that played this season. I think there is a good chance Trent will play again,” said the new coach, who himself could line up in the second-row depending on off-season recruitment.
“Overall my goal is just to try and restore a real club feel to the place, get everyone socialising together a bit more. That’s probably fallen away just a little bit in the last few years, so I want to see everyone enjoying their footy and enjoying themselves away from football as well.”