Returning Cessnock coach Steve Kidd reckons the Goannas can build towards cracking the club’s premiership quest in the next few seasons.
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The former Kurri Kurri player has signed a two-year deal with Cessnock and will take charge of the squad from 2017 after current Goannas coach Dan Smailes didn’t apply for the position.
In his maiden first grade role Kidd coached Cessnock for one season in 2014, which marked the club’s fifth grand final loss in the space of seven years.
“I reckon we can build towards something in the next three or four years,” Kidd said. “There are some good young kids there and a few experienced old heads.”
The 34-year-old father-of-three, based at Heddon Greta, said he was “excited” about returning to a top job in Newcastle Rugby League after assisting at Central and coaching the Rebels under-18 representative team the past two winters.
In the meantime, Smailes will try and guide the squad towards the play-offs from fifth position.
“It’s anyone’s competition,” he said. “We need to beat Souths and Kurri at home and hopefully jag one of two games against Wests down at Harker.”
Smailes, who was the last person at the helm for Goannas grand final glory in 2003, said he wasn’t interested in going around again.
“Two years was about my time frame,” he said. “Last year doing reserves and helping out this year in firsts was about my limit.”
Other clubs have also been shoring up staff for next season with South Newcastle naming former Knights prop Ben Cross to replace Todd Hurrell as mentor.
Central are yet to make an official announcement about who will fill the void left by retiring captain-coach Rowan Kelly.
Kurri have also advertised for a coach next year as the Bulldogs turn on a mid-season four-game winning streak under Phil Williams, who took over after a George Ndaira-led grand final appearance in 2013.
Western Suburbs coach Steve Storrie has reportedly been under pressure with the unbeaten early-season front runners having won just two of their last seven encounters.
Dean Noonan is in his third year at Lakes after guiding them to a premiership last season.
The 2011 Newcastle RL coach of the year Trevor Ott may collect his second consecutive wooden spoon at Maitland after taking over from Noel Dent midway through last year.
Adam Bettridge sits on top of the table with Macquarie in 2016 after stepping up to the head coaching role for outgoing Barrie Moore.