Josh Trindall leads first pre-season session after being named Narrabri Blues coach

When a game is on the line there are only a handful of players in the Group 4 Rugby League competition who are able to deliver time and time again.

One of those is Josh Trindall, so the Narrabri rugby league community was thrilled last week when the Blues announced that Trindall would not only be returning to the club in 2023 but he would also be coaching its first grade side.

The 35-year-old last lined up for the Narrabri Blues in 2019 before joining Boggabri, where he played in 2021 and 2022.

He was a significant addition to the Kangaroos, which he helped transform from wooden spooners to missing out on a playoff berth by one spot on the table in two seasons.

The Narrabri local is now excited to make his return to Collins Park in 2023 for what will be his fourth season with the Blues. He is relishing the new challenge of coaching the club and is excited to help develop the town’s young up-and-coming players.

“Coaching is something I’ve wanted to do as I’ve gotten older. It’s a path that I’ve been looking towards going down,” Trindall told The Courier.

“I’ve got a lot of experience playing, and I’m not getting any younger, so I thought maybe now was the right time to have a go at it.

“There’s a core group of young fellas here coming through, from between 19 to 24, and their skills look pretty good. It’s an exciting chance for the fellas to create their own little legacy, and that’s really what drew me to the job.

“I’m pumped to return to Narrabri too, and I’ve been thinking about it for some time now.

“I live in the community and I have a family in the community, so you may as well represent your community. That also drew me to the Blues.”

Trindall will play for Narrabri in the 2023 Group 4 Rugby League season but said he had not appointed himself as captain-coach, declaring he would observe his players’ leadership skills throughout the pre-season before he makes his decision on a captain.

He was pleased with the club’s first pre-season session at Collins Park on Tuesday evening, and he encouraged any keen players to come along and join in.

“It was a good little turnout. There was about 20 there,” Trindall said.

“I didn’t really know what to expect but I was happy with the turnout.

“We had a fair few boys away too that had to work. There’s a few more still to come down.

“Anyone out there that wants to come down, they are quite welcome to. We are happy to have anyone.

“We have good numbers, but anyone wanting to come and have a game is welcome.”

The Blues will continue to train on Tuesdays and Thursdays during January before switching to Wednesdays and Fridays from February moving forward.

The club’s new first grade coach has previously coached junior league teams and an under-14s-16s team in Wagga Wagga during his time there as a youth mentor.

He has also been playing first grade rugby league since he was 17 and has played under many quality coaches, including Daniel Fitzhenry, who won the 2005 NRL premiership as a player with the Wests Tigers, as well as Matt Hogan, Lee Stanford, Brenton Cochrane and Shane Rampling.

Rampling was his most recent coach at the Boggabri Kangaroos, a club that Trindall said he would miss.

“I’ve got nothing but respect for them, it’s a good little club,” Trindall said.

“Shane is a good coach and an even better bloke.

“My time there under him was very enjoyable.”

The Narrabri and Boggabri coaches have already organised a trial game that is expected to be played on Saturday, April 1. That was announced today, but the match is pending Group 4 Rugby League’s approval.

Meanwhile, the Blues have appointed Ashley Hynch as the club’s 2023 reserve grade coach. He last coached the side in 2019 and was the club’s league tag coach in 2021.

Club president Kristie Toomey will coach the ladies league tag team again this year, and the club is still searching for an under-18s coach.