Nick Gleeson and Matt Vitucci will do everything in their power to keep the Griffith Blacks at the top of the Southern Inland Rugby Union competition after they were announced as co-coaches for 2015.
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The players have been training the squad over summer, but their appointments weren’t made official until this week.
For Gleeson, who was named the Blacks’ best and fairest in their premiership season last year, the role is his first senior coaching appointment.
But the hooker isn’t daunted by the responsibility.
“They only made the appointment on Monday, but me and Matt have been running the training for a while and doing a fair bit of stuff with the group while they were looking for coaches elsewhere,” he said.
“Now it’s just been made official.
“Nothing will change.”
The Blacks’ first game under the co-coaches will be at the Leeton 15s this weekend.
At least six players are unavailable due to cricket finals, but Gleeson thinks the Blacks will prove more than competitive.
“There are a couple of (SIRU) teams going there (Leeton),” he said. “All the boys are pretty keen to go there and make an impression.
"We had 15 players on Tuesday night say they could make it and there’ll hopefully be a few more on Thursday.
“There’s about half a dozen boys playing cricket. That’ll hurt us missing them, but they’ll be right for round one.”
The Blacks have retained all but one of their premiership-winning forward pack, with Daniel Dowson and grand final man of the match Chris Latu among the players who have recommitted.
Vitucci, also a rookie coach, believes he’ll quickly settle into the role.
“I've been a senior player for the club for a while and part of the senior group,” he said.
“It's a bit more responsibility and a bit of a step up, but Nick and I have been running training the last couple of months. It's just been about adjusting things so the boys understand we’re in charge.”
The Blacks are still hunting players to fill key positions, but Vitucci is confident of putting a strong team on the park for round one against Tumut on April 11.
“We’ve got a good core group to work with that have been around a while,” he said.
“That’s the main thing.
“Then it’s just about us working together to get the best team on the paddock each week and having a good crack at defending the premiership.
“Hopefully we can have a good season.”
The Blacks committee has put in a full management structure to complement the skills of Gleeson and Vitucci for the 2015 season.
The Blacks train at Coro oval on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6.30pm.
Any players interested in registering for this season can see Rose at Cater and Blumer Solicitors or Brad at Griffith Trophy Centre (both on Yambil St).
