Ryan McGoldrick will resume as coach of the Darlington Point-Coleambally Roosters after a year out of the role.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
McGoldrick left the club in 2016 to link up with Lower Clarence in the Northern Rivers competition after coaching the Roosters to the Group 20 grand final in 2015.
However, Lower Clarence didn’t end up fielding a seniors side and McGoldrick was back in the red, white and blue midway through the season.
The former Cronulla Shark said he would be playing for the Roosters regardless if he was coaching or not this year but was happy to step into the role vacated by Clinton Green.
“When me and my partner decided to move back, being involved with the footy club was always going to happen,” McGoldrick said.
“I’m pretty good mates with most of the board and it was just one of those things.
“Clinton Green decided he had a couple things to take care of and probably didn't have time to coach.”
President Steve Hogan said McGoldrick’s previous record with the club made him the logical choice to fill the role of coach as the side looks to build on last year’s effort.
DPC made it to the first week of finals in 2016 before being bundled out by a red hot West Wyalong side.
Hogan said the club was still waiting to see what Green would do in 2017.
The president also said Jack Robb and Drew Hopwood would return to the DPC fold in 2017.
While McGoldrick was in contact with a few out of town players, the side would mainly look to promote its local junior talent.
“We had a strong ressies side full of young fellas and it was good for a lot of them to develop,” Hogan said.
“There’s Sam Bartter along with Jesse Forrester, Tom Young, Luke Hogan, Trey Eldridge – all those boys only 19-20.
“Matt Kelly from the 18s, he played a few games last year and he’ll come up. Kane Simpson and Josh Fattore – he had one game last year – will step up into seniors.”
Speaking of reserve grade, Roosters stalwart Jack Mitchell will coach the side in 2017.
The workhorse backrower has big shoes to fill after 2016 mentor Tom Coe led the side to a grand final berth.
“He’s [Coe] done a great job for us,” Hogan said.
“He got them to the grand final last year but he’s got a young family and Jack wanted to give coaching a crack.”
DPC are in no hurry to start pre-season with a start date in mid to late January slated to kick things off.
“It’s a long time until the season starts in the first or second week of April,” McGoldrick said.
“There’s plenty of time to get everyone involved.”
