South Sydney Rabbitohs, affiliation with Townsville Blackhawks, two-year deal, feeder side, rugby league news, latest،
The South Sydney Rabbitohs have announced a two-year affiliation agreement with the Townsville Blackhawks.
The deal will provide Queensland Cup Blackhawks players with the opportunity to train full-time with the Rabbitohs NRL team, while also creating a pathway for elite juniors from Townsville and surrounding areas.
It will also provide professional opportunities for coaches and staff from both clubs.
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The Townsville Blackhawks, who previously fed the Cowboys, have been part of the Queensland Cup since 2015. They have played in six finals series, won a minor premiership and appeared in one grand final.
The deal comes just six days after the Rabbitohs announced a three-year affiliate relationship with renowned rugby league hotbed Keebra Park State High.
Rabbitohs operations director Brock Schaefer hopes Townsville’s local talent will take the opportunity to pursue their NRL dream via Souths instead of the Cowboys.
“We have great respect and admiration for the Townsville Blackhawks. Our clubs share many values and both place community at the heart of our operations,” he said.
“We look forward to launching this partnership with the Blackhawks as we believe it will provide great opportunities for the players, coaches and staff of both organizations.
“Similar to our agreement with Keebra Park State High School, we have identified in our Strategic Plan and Football Review that we need to continue to grow our footprint and increase our investment in our elite pathway programs.
“This has proven to be a marker of success at playing level in the NRL and this affiliation agreement will complement the local pathway we have in place in the NSWRL competitions.
“We understand that for many young players coming from Townsville and surrounding districts, the Cowboys may be the club they choose to continue their career with and we fully respect that, but we will work with the Blackhawks to encourage players who wish to do so. . to broaden their horizons and look elsewhere to make the Rabbitohs their choice of NRL club.
Schaefer also revealed that South Sydney “will endeavor to play pre-season second tier matches between the (two) clubs.
Souths enjoyed great success in the New South Wales-based second-tier competition, winning the premiership as well as the NRL state title.
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FORMER COWBOY JOINS THE TIGERS
Aaron Payne has reportedly signed with the Wests Tigers as an NRL assistant coach.
It depends News Corp.which reports that Payne will also take over as head coach of the club’s NSW Cup feeder team, the Western Suburbs Magpies.
Payne will assist new head coach Benji Marshall 19 years after the pair faced off in the 2005 NRL Grand Final.
The 40-year-old played 219 games for the Cowboys from 2002 to 2012 before taking on a mentoring role within the club.
In 2018 he was named head coach of the Townsville Blackhawks’ Queensland Cup team, but was fired earlier this year.
Payne will succeed the experienced Wayne Lambkin as NSW Cup coach, while he joins Robbie Farah, Chris Heighington and John Morris on the NRL coaching staff.
