Defence and discipline the new focus for Randwick as Hoiles takes charge at Coogee
Newly appointed coach and club legend Stephen Hoiles believes defence and discipline is the key to transforming Randwick’s first grade side into a genuine Shute Shield premiership threat again.
Randwick last claimed the Shute Shield all the way back in 2004, with Hoiles then playing as a young backrower.
They also haven’t contested a first grade grand final since 2010.
“The club has been left in a really good place and they’ve been really competitive over a number of years, but in first grade, they haven’t been able to win enough of the big moments over the past 15 or so years now,” Hoiles told Rugby News.
“While they were only a little bit off last year, there’s a lot of work to do to take that next step.
“I think they’ve definitely got to work harder and there needs to be a changed approach to defence and discipline.
“They probably aren’t two words that get used a lot when you talk about Randwick Rugby but I think we need to change our focus a little bit.
“Everyone wants to play a good brand of rugby, but more importantly, we’ve got to be a side that is defensively a bit tougher.
“To do that you’ve got to be a bit fitter and a bit more resilient. It’s not rocket silence but it requires plenty of hard work.”
Hoiles has spent the past few seasons coaching the LA Gilitinis in America’s Major League Rugby competition, first as an assistant to Darren Coleman, then as head coach, but jumped at the opportunity to take charge of his beloved Galloping Greens.
“It wasn’t that tough a decision really, considering the role the club has played in my family’s lives,” the 16-cap Wallaby said.
“Randwick is the only constant I’ve had in rugby since I was a kid. I was lucky enough to play for other teams over the years but Randwick was where I learnt to love and care about rugby.
“Growing up, there wasn’t Super Rugby yet and the Wallabies only played a few Tests a year in Sydney so you spent most of your time watching Randwick.
“A lot of my good mates, most of their fathers and now a lot of their kids are all in the same boat. Our community has always supported Randwick so it’s pretty special to be back involved.”
While Hoiles said he’s been impressed with the club’s consistency over recent years, he thinks Randwick need to be aiming higher.
“Every grade made the finals last year and while some might deem that as success, I think that’s got to be the minimum and from there we strive for premierships.”
The former backrower said the competition has changed a lot since his time in the Myrtle Green.
“The last few years have been extremely close and they’ve done a good job in balancing out the competition,” he said.
“There are still quite a few Super Rugby players playing most weeks and I think in a World Cup year there will probably be a few more.
“Once the Wallabies pick their squad, anyone outside of that will most likely be back playing club footy.
“The competition is definitely younger than it was when I was playing but that’s probably a reflection on rugby around the world and the cash and different opportunities that are now available.
“The average age at most clubs is younger but the quality and the competitiveness is still extremely high.”
Hoiles returned to Australia several times at the back end of 2022 to begin the club’s preparations for the season ahead, before moving his family back to Australia full time in recent weeks.
He said he’s been impressed with what he has seen so far.
“We’ve trained as a club as a whole over summer and that was intentional because we wanted to take a good look at everyone.
“I’ve been really impressed with our club captain Nick Wilkinson. He’s done a great job in building a really strong culture at the club and the numbers through preseason reflect that. Most nights we’ve got more than 100 players across grade and colts, which is fantastic to see.
“Initially we’ve worked on skills and fitness because fundamentally, defence has a lot to do with fitness and toughness. As we split into a top squad, we’ll start to tidy up the detail around that.
“You definitely notice that there are a lot of guys who have been at the club for a while now and they want success, so there’s no shortage of hunger at this point.”
Hoiles’ side face a difficult start to 2023.
Randwick open their campaign away against Warringah, then travel to Newcastle to play Hunter.
In round three, they host Norths, before the traditional Anzac weekend local derby against Eastern Suburbs at Coogee Oval, a fixture Hoiles has plenty of fond memories of.
“I think I’ll probably be just as pumped as I used to be when I was playing leading into that one,” the coach said.
“It’s an unusual emotion coaching and that’s something I’ve worked a lot on. Obviously the game against Easts is a big one, but I think we need to go away from getting up for one-off games and try to be more consistent every week.
“Like we play 18 local derbies every season.
“They’re always big games though and I know how much the players love it, with all the community getting right behind them.
“Usually half the club are camping on Wedding Cake Island over the Anzac Day long weekend and the other half are down at Coogee to watch Randwick play, so I guess I’ll have to leave the Surf Club boys to it this year and focus on coaching.”