Ty Williams hits 100 games as Northern Pride coach
Ty Williams becomes the first man to coach the Northern Pride in 100 games on Saturday. He spoke to the Cairns Post about what he’s achieved, the highs and lows, and what the future holds.
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TY Williams will become the first man to coach the Northern Pride in 100 games when the club welcomes Hostplus Cup leaders Burleigh Bears to Barlow Park on Saturday.
But the former Cowboys flyer has a clear goal of where he wants to go, and what that timeline will look like.
Williams spoke to Cairns Post sports editor Matthew McInerney about his coaching career to date, what he’s learned, highs and lows, and what the future will look like.
THE MILESTONE
“It’s a big honour,” Williams said.
“I played for the club, captained the club then to coach it to a high level, it’s an honour and privilege.”
Williams was first announced as the Pride’s coach in August, 2016, when Rod Jensen was the CEO and Tony Williamson was chairman, and to say it’s been a journey in the hot seat is an understatement.
But Williams is proud of what he’s been able to learn and achieve in the role, and now has a clear goal of where he wants to go.
“I’m still an aspiring high performance coach, I want to go to the NRL or somewhere like that,” he said.
“That’s in the back of my mind. I need to do my hard work here with the club. It’s something I never thought of, that I’d coach 100 games, it’s been an interesting journey but definitely enjoyable.”
A NEW BALL GAME
With a playing resume which boasts 151 NRL games for the North Queensland Cowboys, three Origins for the Maroons, and one appearance each for the Dreamtime Team (2008) and Indigenous All Stars, and three years captaining the Pride, Williams walked into the coaching role after two years of applying what he learned throughout his career.
But the transition from high performance player to coach was not quite the simple transition a young Williams expected at the time.
“Because I’ve been fortunate enough to play at the highest level of the game, you think when you come into the coaching domain that you can transfer the stuff you’ve learned along the way straight into a coaching capacity, but that takes time,” he said.
“You need to be understanding of the environment you surround the players you’re surrounded with and the personnel.
“I’ve learned to adjust a long way to delivering to different types of player. I probably didn’t pick that up playing but I can see why my coaches did it that way.
“I learned a fair bit about that and how to include everybody. Everyone’s different in themselves, and making sure I have my head around them and their strengths and weaknesses.”
That went equally for both players and his coaching staff, with Williams taking on far more than he had to when he kicked off as Pride coach at the start of the 2017 season
“When I first started coaching, the thought that I had to do everything was probably a downfall of mine. I’ve surrounded myself with some really good assistants - Sam (Obst), Jono (Zangrande) and Bevo (Bevan Walker) - who take a fair bit of workload off me, understanding that but also allowing them to do that.
“It’s something I struggled to let go of at the start but when you get into the depths of your career, it’s an area you have to so you can cover all aspects of the game.”
Williams was thrown in the deep end in his first few weeks with the departure of the CEO who signed him, Rod Jensen, and no players signed.
There’s been high turnover in the front office, with current CEO Garreth Smith the fifth chief executive in Williams’ few years.
The lack of stability hasn’t made anything easier, but that’s an area that Williams is confident the ship has been righted.
“The transition wasn’t the most comfortable,” Williams said.
“You’re trying to manage a roster but coach a high performance team which is rated on results.
“But it was also making sure we had the right personnel upstairs and in front office. Chuck Covid in the middle and it was a snowball effect.
“At the moment, we’re starting to find some stability there and understanding why we get the opportunity to represent the Northern Pride. That’s something I think we lost over a period of time and we want to transfer back into players.”
HIGHS AND LOWS
The club has brought in numerous young players and given plenty of players an opportunity to play in the Hostplus Cup over the years, but they have generally lacked the senior, experienced and successful leaders enshrined in the Pride’s history.
It led the Pride to some dark areas, and forced Williams to question himself at times over the years.
That experience is already informing the future of the club.
“Seeing the disappointment of some of the boys and the efforts they put in,” he said when asked of the lowest points. “As a coach, the first thing you do is reflect upon yourself so that drags you to those depths.
“You need to understand how to get out of them. Several years ago … coming off the back of losing a fair few experienced players like Brett Anderson, Ryan Ghietti, and the likes who came through successful times we hadn’t reconnected with them.
“We have to head in a direction where our balance of youth is spot on but get some older heads in. there’s always ups and owns and lows in the game, but also highs.”
And more stability off the field is what might be what gets them there.
“Stability of front office is a big thing for us,” Williams said.
“It’s openly published that I’ve had something like four CEOs and two interims in 5-6 years – every successful business knows that’s a red flag.
“The gentleman we have there at the moment is a doer, hands on and he’s working pretty hard to get the club back to the place it needs to be.”
BIGGEST SUPPORTERS
There is no success without support, and biggest people in Williams’ corner are undoubtedly his family.
Wife Kristy has been there alongside Williams for almost two decades - they were married just weeks after Williams took on the Pride role - and with sons Kyan and Bodhi finding their feet in their own passions, it makes for a sports-driven household.
“I’ve got a very understanding wife as to how the football circle works, but there is going to be a time when I need to make sure I pursue what I need to get a NRL gig,” he said.
“I’ve got two young boys at the moment, one is academically pretty switched on, 14 and 6 foot four so I know where that’s going, and a pretty good rugby league player in the 10-year-old coming through.
“I’ll keep grinding away for the next few years and then make sure they’re set up.
“Without their support I couldn’t get to where I am. Coach 100 games at the club, play at a high level, and have them around. It’s not just them, it’s the in-laws, brothers and sisters and my mum. Their continued support and love is pretty cool.
“I get emotionally wound up in it because without them I don’t have this chance. That’s something people need to understand; without their support I wouldn’t be the person I am.
“She’s been massive for me, my wife. There’s not many women hang around and come through the football circles, she’s definitely a keeper.”
THE FUTURE
Williams wants to see the Pride become a genuine Hostplus Cup threat before he rides off into the sunset.
Having made the finals once in four seasons, missing by the narrowest of margins in 2021, has only made Williams more hungry for success.
“I want us to be a threat again in the competition, and that’s building the right pillars moving forward,” Williams said.
“We didn’t start the season well, but we’ve got a bit of a run happening at the moment and the next four weeks is massive for us.
“But for 2023, we want to be a genuine threat in the competition.
“We know where our shortfalls are in a couple of key areas in the depth of the playing squad, so we’ll activate a few recruitment tools there and make sure we are providing an opportunity for our locals but also with the opportunity when the Cowboys players come back they’re in a good, successful team.”
There is one goal Williams is determined to see through, and it directly relates to the future.
“When I finish here I’m going to make sure it’s in a better place than when I found it, and making sure that the next person who takes the reins will have a platform that’s ready to go and not starting from scratch again.
“That’s something I’m going to pride myself on doing.”
matthew.mcinerney1@news.com.au
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