The Wee Waa Panthers hit the ground running at Cook Oval on Wednesday ahead of what the club and community are hoping will be a successful season in 2025.
How they bounce back from their first campaign in Group 4 since 2018 and their first crack at first grade since 2017 is anyone’s guess, but one thing that is certain is there will be plenty of Panther pride around the club after two former local juniors were named first grade co-coaches last week.
Those two familiar faces are Trindall brothers Lachlan, 23, and Kyle, 25.
For Lachlan, while he would love to still be out on the field playing as he sits out for two years with a shoulder injury that required surgery, it is a dream come true to coach the side he grew up idolizing. To do so alongside his brother is the icing on the cake.
“I knew in my mind I’d be able to do it if I had the right team around me, and I do, which is good,” Lachlan told The Courier.
“My brother and I will co-coach the men’s teams. Kyle was a major reason why I decided to do it. It’s a dream come true to coach with Kyle. I had the chance to play with him back in 2017 and that is something I’ll never forget. Now to coach our hometown team with him is just crazy.
“I wanted to be a part of something special to help our town and our club, and to help usher the new generation through.
“We have Tom Mason doing the 18s, which is massive. He will be able to help us out a lot.
“Logan Chown is our ladies’ coach, and that will be really good for them. I think he’ll bring a new outlook.
“We’re all excited to be part of the Panthers’ resurgence. Wee Waa is a footy town, and seeing us juniors be able to come up and take on leadership roles in the senior club I think is amazing.”
Lachlan is a talented footballer who can play anywhere from jersey one to seven, and has the heart to have a crack in any jersey from eight to 13.
The Panthers junior played three years of senior footy for the Narrabri Blues, breaking into the first grade side as a teenage winger in 2021 when they won the minor premiership.
Lachlan and his great mate Harry Pattison were named joint winners of the John Boy Davis rookie of the year award at the presentation night that year, and he went on to play for the Blues for two more years.
But when the chance came to join the Panthers in 2024, he jumped at it.
He was only able to play a handful of games due to his shoulder injury that will rule him out of playing in 2025 but he was a trainer for the club throughout the 2024 campaign.
He is now looking forward to the challenge of being the head coach.
“We’ll have a system where we all train together, so we’ll have that next man up mentality,” Lachlan said.
“We’re really pushing for reserve grade this year, and we want guys to be ready when they get called up to first grade.
“Coaching is going to be different. I’ve been coached by a few decent coaches over in Narrabri like Pickles (Michael Gleeson) and Jake (Rumsby), and I’d like to adapt some things I’ve learned off them into my coaching.
“I’m really excited for the challenge.
“Jacob and Freaky (2024 co-coaches Jacob Haynes and Matt Freeman) did their job. They’ve decided to step away to focus on playing, but they will still play an active role in helping me and Kyle.
“Our goal is to be way better than we were last year and make a statement.
“We’re not going to lay down and die like people might think. Last year was a stepping stone, and this year we are looking to make a leap.
“Even though last season we were getting beat, the feeling around the club was so upbeat. We were excited to keep pushing ourselves and try to get better.
“Just the feeling of playing for Wee Waa, especially at Wee Waa, it was so poetic after not being in the comp for so many years.
“We got some massive crowds. The support we got from the town was amazing. They were all behind us.
“We’re looking forward to that again this year.”
Lachlan said that anyone who is keen to join the Panthers and play rugby league for a family-friendly club is welcome to come along to training sessions on Wednesday and Friday evenings during the pre-season.
The club will host a sign-up session at this evening’s session where players will be assisted in registering for the 2025 season.
