RECENTLY-appointed Rosewood Roosters head coach Paul Hassett hopes to help the country club grow its senior teams having been associated with Ipswich sides for two decades.
Hassett was previously involved with the Goodna Eagles and West End Bulldogs clubs after playing his junior and senior football with Souths in Brisbane.
The former centre has returned to coaching having missed the camaraderie and with his son Josh playing for the Roosters last season.
He is also building stronger country ties having moved to the area and working at Karalee Primary School.
Hassett hopes the Roosters can field Reserve and C-Grade sides in next year’s Rugby League Ipswich (RLI) competition.
He said an appeal of country rugby league was being able to “fly under the radar out there”.
Hassett acknowledged the work of people like Rosewood club president Shane Brandley as the club looks to build a new senior structure.
“There is a very strong volunteer base,” he said.
“We really want to get two sides going.
“The club has got to grow.
“You can’t just be stuck with a C-Grade side forever.”
Brandley welcomed Hassett knowing how much coaching he has done around the Ipswich region.
Brandley took over the club’s C-Grade side in the second half of the 2023 season.
He was waiting to see what teams Rosewood established before seeing if he will coach again next season.
“We’re definitely hoping to get a Reggies (Reserve Grade) team on the paddock this year, even it’s over C-Grade,” Brandley said.
“We’re trying for an under 19’s [team] as well.
“At the moment we’ve just named the head coach.”
Brandley said other coaches would be appointed after seeing what teams were finalised in January.
“We’ve just got to see what sort of talent we can get,” Brandley said.
“Unfortunately, there is money involved again.
“We are not in a financial situation to be throwing money around.”
The RLI is allowing clubs to pay players after last year shutting down that option.
The club president said the Roosters would also try to field as many junior teams as possible across the grades from under 13 upwards.
Senior pre-season training has been disrupted due to the recent wet weather.
However, Hassett stepped up preparations with Tuesday and Thursday night training sessions at Anzac Park after a club “meet and greet”.
“There’s quite a few blokes that you won’t see pre-season,” he said, having played with former Australian players like Gary Belcher at Souths.
However, the new Roosters coach said having a number of under-19 players expressing interest in playing was a positive heading into the Christmas break.
