Shute Shield Coaching Ranks: Five new faces to take charge around the competition
After the tightest Shute Shield season in history, just seven first grade coaches remain in charge at their club ahead of the 2023 season.
Five new faces will take the reins at Manly, Randwick, Southern Districts, Sydney Uni and West Harbour while a number or returning coaches head into 2023 with a point to prove.
Eastern Suburbs
Former Crusaders Academy coach Simon Kneebone will return to Woollahra for his second crack at the Shute Shield after leading the Beasties to the finals in his first year in charge.
While some would say Easts underperformed in 2022, considering their talented roster, the club did win five lower grade and colts premierships.
Eastwood
Eastwood legend Ben Batger tasted plenty of premiership success in a Woodies jersey as a player, but he’s fallen agonisingly close on a number of occasions as a coach.
Since taking charge in 2019, Batger’s sides have finished in the top four every season but are still chasing premiership glory with the former fullback as coach.
Gordon
Billy Melrose is back for his second season as head coach at Chatswood Oval after leading the Stags to the grand final in 2022. A veteran of the Shute Shield coaching scene, few know how to get a team humming at the right time of the season quite like Melrose, who will be desperate to go one better in 2023.
Hunter
Scott Coleman will lead the Wildfires for the third straight season next year but perhaps more importantly, he’ll put his players through a full pre-season for just the second time.
The Newcastle side were given next to no notice before joining the competition in 2020. After their first full preseason last summer, the Wildfires were one of the big improvers this year and could move further up the ladder in 2023 as continuity and professionalism grows in the Hunter.
Manly
Former Sydney Uni and Munster scrumhalf Chris Delooze has taken the reigns at Manly from Phil Blake, after Blake was appointed assistant coach at the Queensland Reds.
Delooze followed Blake from Uni to Manly, was assistant coach at the Marlins in 2022 and responsible for plenty of Manly’s impressive attack last season.
He began coaching in Ireland, held several development coaching roles at the Waratahs and coached a Sydney Uni 2nd grade side to a premiership before heading to the Northern Beaches.
Northern Suburbs
One of the competition’s most promising young coaches, Zak Beer will lead the Shoreman for his third season in 2023. Norths went on an eight game winning streak in Beer’s first season in charge in 2021 and won the minor premiership in 2022.
But the 34-year old and his side fell short against Gordon in this year’s preliminary final and were robbed of a chance to play for a premiership in 2021 when the season was cancelled.
There will be no shortage of hunger at North Sydney Oval next season.
Randwick
Former Wallaby and club great Stephen Hoiles returns to Sydney to coach a Randwick side that now hasn’t tasted first grade premiership success in 18 seasons. Randwick last won the Shute Shield in 2004, with a young Hoiles in the backrow.
After a stint in the media post rugby, Hoiles was assistant coach with the Aussie 7s before heading to Hollywood to spend a season as assistant coach and a season as head coach at the LA Gilitinis.
Southern Districts
Southern Districts have appointed Jayson Brewer to spearhead the club’s revival after finishing last in a tough season on and off the park at Forshaw.
Brewer worked in coach development at Rugby Australia, before spending time as assistant coach of the Sydney Rays and Fiji’s national side. He’s spent the past four seasons as head coach and Director of Rugby at Japanese club Kurita Water Gush.
Sydney University
Three time Shute Shield premiership winning coach Damien Hill has stepped into the head coach role vacated by Sean Hedger, after working as an assistant in this year’s premiership campaign.
Hill led the Students to three straight Shute Shield titles from 2007 to 2009. He was later appointed assistant and then head coach of the Melbourne Rebels and most recently coached Japanese club Ricoh Black Rams on either side of a two year stint at the Brumbies.
Warringah
Mike Ruthven returns for his fourth season in charge at Rat Park. After inheriting a squad arguably at the beginning of a rebuilding process in 2020, Ruthven has developed a number of younger players into quality first graders in recent seasons and led the Rats to back to back top six finishes.
Ruthven and Warringah appear ready to take the next step in the years ahead.
West Harbour
Former Warringah veteran Cam Treloar has been appointed to replace retiring coach Joe Barakat at West Harbour. The former towering red headed lock and assistant coach at Rat Park won a Shute Shield title with Warringah in 2005. He also played Super Rugby with NSW and QLD and spent eight seasons playing professionally in Italy and France before returning to Australia to help Warringah win another title in 2017.
Treloar is a set piece specialist and will bring plenty of knowledge and enthusiasm to West Harbour’s brand new playing facilities.
Western Sydney
Sailosi Tagicakibau spearheaded the Two Blues Shute Shield revival in 2022, right across the four grades. While his first grade side fell just short of playing finals footy, the club took a massive leap in the right direction this year.
Tagicakibau will now be responsible for consolidating the Two Blues improvement and turning his first grade outfit into genuine finals’ contender. He’s clearly on to something at Merrylands and it will be intriguing to watch the club’s progress in the months and years ahead.