Sunnybank has turned to club legend Rex Tapui as head coach, hoping the appointment can arrest a barren period and spark a revival in the Hospital Cup.

Entering his 16th season at the Dragons, Tapui was hand-picked by newly appointed director of rugby Brad Harrington, a high-performance specialist brought in to help reset standards at the Dragons.

Tapui replaces Rob Roiri, who oversaw a challenging stretch for Sunnybank. After finishing second-last in 2023, Roiri’s side claimed the wooden spoon in both 2024 and 2025.

Speaking to Rugby News, Tapui said the squad had laid important foundations before Christmas, completing a six-week off-season block focused heavily on conditioning and strength.

“We had a great turnout,” Tapui said.

“Everyone’s working hard and just trying to get ready for the year.”

A Sunnybank stalwart with 135 Hospital Cup games to his name, Tapui also played Super Rugby with the NSW Waratahs and Melbourne Rebels, before transitioning into coaching within the club.

He took charge of Sunnybank’s colts program in 2024 and 2025, a pathway Harrington identified as the foundation for his promotion to Premier Grade head coach.

“I think part of it was knowing the club really well, and Brad liking what we were doing with colts,” Tapui said.

“He wanted to see if I could bring some of that into the first grade side.”

Tapui said lifting standards and improving Sunnybank’s ability to close out matches would be central to the rebuild, with strong starts followed by second-half fade-outs a recurring theme in recent seasons.

“There were probably five or six games last year where we lost it in the last 10 or 15 minutes,” he said.

“If we finish some of those games off, the ladder looks very different. You’ve got to play for 80 minutes.”

A member of Sunnybank’s 2011 premiership side and grand final teams in 2012 and 2014, Tapui said he wanted to reintroduce the belief, mental preparation and cultural alignment that defined that era.

“I was lucky enough to be around the club when we were really successful,” he said.

“I want to bring some of that back into the group now.”

Harrington’s arrival, Tapui added, had already raised expectations around preparation and accountability.

“He’s not telling us how to play footy,” Tapui said.

“He’s just making sure we’re prepared and holding high standards. And that’s been massive for us.”