After joining the club from Eastwood, first grade coach Ben Batger delivered Eastern Suburbs’ the club’s first Shute Shield title since 1969.

Capitalising on the strength of the club’s lower grade and colts programs, Batger added some key pieces to the puzzle and finished a controversial season with the biggest smile of any Shute Shield coach.

Overview with Ben Batger: 

“It was a dream season to be honest and I didn’t expect it to go as well as it did,” Batger told Rugby News. 

“Six of our seven men’s teams were minor premiers and we went on to win four premierships including that elusive first grade title. It was an amazing year for the club.

“In regards to first grade, I always thought I could get the club into a better position and realistically, the top four was the goal at the start of the year, but to have the season end up the way it did probably exceeded expectations.

“We started the season with a heap of new players, there was a new coaching staff and there were new structures. So we were virtually starting from scratch. 

“The club had come 10th the year before, so we scrapped a lot of what was in place and knew that if we started again, it was going to take a bit of time to come together. 

“Everyone understood that and I think that helped us build into the season. 

“By the time we got to the grand final, we were good. Really good. But even if you look at the grand final, we weren’t perfect. 

“It was a good microcosm of our season. When we were on, like we were in the first half, we were close to unbeatable. 

“But when we slipped into bad habits, like we did in the second half, we were vulnerable and Norths took full advantage of that, like good sides should. 

“It was a really proud moment getting first grade across the line. I said in my interview with Rugby News at the start of the year, that the club was in a really good position when I arrived. They just hadn’t worked out the first grade part yet. 

“So it was really pleasing that we could continue the success of the lower grades and the colts and also get that first grade success. 

“The club and the people that did most of the work before I arrived deserve most of the credit.”

What’s the focus between now and round one next year?

“I’m definitely going to give the boys a good break. They worked really hard this year so they’ll get two months off at the very least.  

“I’ve tried to leave them alone as much as possible, but I know they are already talking about going back-to-back, so I don’t think I’ll need to re-motivate them.

“From a first grade perspective, we want to prove that 2024 wasn’t a fluke and at the same time, we want to continue the momentum we’ve built through our lower grades and colts. 

“We’ve got an opportunity to develop into one of the powerhouse clubs in Sydney rugby. 

“We’ve got the infrastructure in place but we can’t afford to let our standards slip and we can’t afford to expect things just to happen because they worked out well this year.  

“We’re going to have to work probably harder than we did this year because once you get to the top of the mountain, it’s easy to fall down and everyone will be coming after us next year. I reckon next year will be even tougher for us.”

Which of your players do you think will push on next year?

“We’ve got a lot of guys who are already in systems and I’d like to see some of those guys push on to become good Super Rugby players and potentially Wallabies. 

“Darby Lancaster and Teddy Wilson are the obvious ones. I thought they were a class above Shute Shield level when they were playing with us this year. 

“I don’t think I’ll see them again to be perfectly honest, which is a great outcome.

“I think Jack Bowen will play a lot more Super Rugby next year as well. 

“In terms of guys looking to push into systems, Jamie Adams was our No.6 from the UK. He came to Australia to live, more so than to pursue footy and after the season he had, he picked up a Waratahs training contract. 

“In an all-star forward pack, he was almost our best player.  

“Archie Gavin got injured towards the end of the year and missed the finals but I thought he was brilliant and will be knocking on the door with another big season.

“Sid Harvey was fullback in our first colts side that won the premiership. He’s a tremendous young player from Narrabri. 

“He’s the full package and can kick, run and pass as a fullback. He’s got a big future and has another year of colts next year, but I think he’ll push into grade.”

What can we expect in 2025?

“You can expect an improved Easts’ team and an improved Easts’ club,” Batger said. 

“I know that probably sounds a little bit arrogant after the year we had, but we’re aiming to be better across the board.  

“When you think about it, we had a massive turnover of players and coaches before last season so I think there is still scope for improvement and our players will be more used to the way I coach and the structures we’ve put in place.  

“We’ll need to evolve but I’m hoping we can evolve into an even better rugby side.

“That’s the plan, anyway.”