A contingent from the Coffs Harbour Comets Rugby League Club attended Newcastle Knights training sessions last week with the aim to take back valuable coaching skills and a greater sense of professionalism to their organisation.
The relationship between the Clubs came about last year when Knights Director of Football Michael Hagan attended a Men of League event in Coffs Harbour, as well as a coaching session with the Comets.
For Comets A-grade coach, Colin Speed, the opportunity to learn from NRL coaching staff was invaluable.
The coach education field trip saw strength and conditioning coach Daniel Tempest, under 18s coach Scott Street, assistant coach and welfare officer Stephen Trewin and new recruit Douglas Prion, a Scottish import who has recently arrived in Australia for the 2015 season, spend time at Knights HQ.
“We saw the skill session on the field and had a chat with Rick (Stone) and the coaching staff,” Speed told newcastleknights.com.au.
“The game sense and conditioning drill they do we’ll take a lot of that back.
“We are always on the case to one, improve yourself as a coach and to take something back and integrate it with your Club and make it the most professional that it can be."
The Coff Harbour Comets have celebrated success in the last few seasons winning the 2013 premiership and finishing the runner up in the 2014 grand final.
“We are one of the most professional Clubs in Group 2 and we want to keep learning and progressing and developing from where we are at the moment,” Speed added.
“We had a chat to dietitian Rachel Svenson and there are some really good ideas she’s given us that we’ll not only implement with our seniors but our juniors."
Knights assistant coach Danny Buderus also spent some time with the team’s Scottish import imparting skills to improve his hooking game.
“We will take lots back and are overwhelmed with the two days that we were here," Speed said.
“The hospitality and the staff have been fantastic."
Hagan explained that the Knights have a focus on contributing to regional clubs and rugby league throughout the community and believes that assisting the Comets is a great way to expand the Knights' reach beyond the Newcastle and Hunter region.
“We see it as fairly important part of our footprint between here and the Queensland border," Hagan said.
“We will share some information and make sure we can support them with some coaching education and some and nutritional information and try to make it practical for where they are at with resources and finances."
