DIEHARD
10-11-10, 09:30 PM
Retired Bear in to Jets
The Bilambil Jets president never fails to attract some of Queensland?s most high-profile coaches to his Gold Coast Rugby League franchise.
In 2009 Rigney secured the services of Queensland Cup premiership winning (2005, 2007) coach Troy McCarthy from the Tweed Heads Seagulls.
Having led the Seagulls to five consecutive grand finals in the state?s top-flight competition, McCarthy steered a fledgling Jets outfit to back-to-back Bycroft Cup finals.
It was only a matter of time before the champion mentor moved on to bigger and better things and his phenomenal record saw him recalled to the Q-Cup for 2011, this time at the helm of Easts Tigers.
The void left by the son of big Bob, who was named in Australia?s top 100 players of the century (from 1908-2007), left a massive void at Bilambil headquarters; one that would take some filling.
But have no fear, Rigney?s here, and he?s not going to leave the Jets grounded.
Enter former Burleigh Bear Jim Lenihan.
A talented centre and part-time fullback, Lenihan moved from Ipswich to team up with the Gold Coast Seagulls in 1995, before signing with St George from 1996-98, venturing to England for a stint with Huddersfield Giants in 1999, and returning to the Coast to play out his career with Burleigh in the Q-Cup.
From 2006-09 Lenihan was the boss-man at Pizzey Park, having served a two-year apprenticeship with the FOGS side under now Gold Coast Titans under-18 coach Jamie O?Connor from 2004-05.
He took a year sabbatical during the 2010 season and genuinely believed he wouldn?t return to the coaching ranks for some time.
That was until Rigney got in his ear a couple of Thursdays ago.
?I really wasn?t thinking a great deal about coaching after Burleigh, I wanted to freshen up a little after many years in the game,? Lenihan said.
?I was going to step aside for a while, because the job as a senior coach is very demanding; work the full-time job all day and then coach all night and travel at the weekends.
?But Peter gave me a call out of the blue, asked to catch up and have a chat, and obviously put the proposition of working with Bilambil to me.
?I went down to the club to see what they were all about, and I have to say it made me think.
?I was already a little anxious towards the end of this season and considering my options a bit, so yeah I rang him back a couple of days later and agreed terms.
?It?s amazing, I?m really quite looking forward to getting back into it now and working with this young, very successful, and importantly, very local side.?
The 37-year-old father of three ? wife Hayley, stepson Jamie, and children Jacob and McKenzie ? commended McCarthy on the stellar job he?d done with the Jets, and is excited to get a first look at his new charges at pre-season training on December 7.
?I saw them in action a few times last year, and I don?t think they need a great deal; Troy did a wonderful job with them,? he said.
?I?ll feel my through the first off-season period (pre-Christmas) and see what needs to be done from there.
?One thing that is apparent is the great camaraderie and friendship between the guys, and that always goes a long way.?
Tweed Daily News
The Bilambil Jets president never fails to attract some of Queensland?s most high-profile coaches to his Gold Coast Rugby League franchise.
In 2009 Rigney secured the services of Queensland Cup premiership winning (2005, 2007) coach Troy McCarthy from the Tweed Heads Seagulls.
Having led the Seagulls to five consecutive grand finals in the state?s top-flight competition, McCarthy steered a fledgling Jets outfit to back-to-back Bycroft Cup finals.
It was only a matter of time before the champion mentor moved on to bigger and better things and his phenomenal record saw him recalled to the Q-Cup for 2011, this time at the helm of Easts Tigers.
The void left by the son of big Bob, who was named in Australia?s top 100 players of the century (from 1908-2007), left a massive void at Bilambil headquarters; one that would take some filling.
But have no fear, Rigney?s here, and he?s not going to leave the Jets grounded.
Enter former Burleigh Bear Jim Lenihan.
A talented centre and part-time fullback, Lenihan moved from Ipswich to team up with the Gold Coast Seagulls in 1995, before signing with St George from 1996-98, venturing to England for a stint with Huddersfield Giants in 1999, and returning to the Coast to play out his career with Burleigh in the Q-Cup.
From 2006-09 Lenihan was the boss-man at Pizzey Park, having served a two-year apprenticeship with the FOGS side under now Gold Coast Titans under-18 coach Jamie O?Connor from 2004-05.
He took a year sabbatical during the 2010 season and genuinely believed he wouldn?t return to the coaching ranks for some time.
That was until Rigney got in his ear a couple of Thursdays ago.
?I really wasn?t thinking a great deal about coaching after Burleigh, I wanted to freshen up a little after many years in the game,? Lenihan said.
?I was going to step aside for a while, because the job as a senior coach is very demanding; work the full-time job all day and then coach all night and travel at the weekends.
?But Peter gave me a call out of the blue, asked to catch up and have a chat, and obviously put the proposition of working with Bilambil to me.
?I went down to the club to see what they were all about, and I have to say it made me think.
?I was already a little anxious towards the end of this season and considering my options a bit, so yeah I rang him back a couple of days later and agreed terms.
?It?s amazing, I?m really quite looking forward to getting back into it now and working with this young, very successful, and importantly, very local side.?
The 37-year-old father of three ? wife Hayley, stepson Jamie, and children Jacob and McKenzie ? commended McCarthy on the stellar job he?d done with the Jets, and is excited to get a first look at his new charges at pre-season training on December 7.
?I saw them in action a few times last year, and I don?t think they need a great deal; Troy did a wonderful job with them,? he said.
?I?ll feel my through the first off-season period (pre-Christmas) and see what needs to be done from there.
?One thing that is apparent is the great camaraderie and friendship between the guys, and that always goes a long way.?
Tweed Daily News