How legendary RLTD hard man Todd Cockburn will make Herbert River great again
Herbert River legend Todd Cockburn has been tasked with returning the Crushers to greatness by taking over as coach of the proud RLTD club. Read how he plans to do it.
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Herbert River legend Todd Cockburn has been tasked with restoring the Crushers to greatness by taking over as coach of the proud Rugby League Townsville and District club.
The five-time premiership-winning enforcer was the first prop selected in the Bulletin’s Team of the 2010.
He pledged to bring back the ruthless defensive edge that had powered the Crushers to 10 grand finals over his 17 years in A Grade, including two titles as team captain.
“I want to lean on what has been successful for us in the past,” Cockburn said.
“We built on our game on winning the arm wrestle for 15 years and once we got good at that we were able to sustain our success. That was our foundation so we’ve got to get back to a defensive mindset and start from ground zero.
“We’ve got a fair turnover of players from my era that haven’t been exposed to the success that we had in those times. We’ll be starting from zero to try and bring it back.”
Cockburn has already approached former teammate Mitchell Seri to serve as a director of coaching with ambitions to work closely with the young talent blooded throughout a mixed 2023 campaign.
It was the first year of a new era for Herbert River rugby league with the custodians of the club’s culture stepping away on a high with the 2022 premiership.
Those tough times, losing more games than they won, will serve a greater purpose, Cockburn said.
“I feel for the coach last year (Michael Whiting) who walked into a tough situation with all those departures,” he said.
“There were a couple boys in there who probably didn’t expect to play A Grade so early, or maybe ever, so that will hopefully give them a boost coming into this year. They will have a head start on where they probably would have been.”
The Crushers shape to be active players on the recruitment market, with former players sounded out for returns to the club and, for some, out of rugby league retirement.
Cockburn said his ambition was to bring back 2022 title-winning five-eighth Aaron Solari to wear the No.7 jersey made famous by Seri.
Potential recruits from France and the Pacific Islands will bolster a group that will lean heavily on local talent.
This will be Cockburn’s first season coaching seniors but a strong brains trust of former players will be around to lend their support.
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Originally published as How legendary RLTD hard man Todd Cockburn will make Herbert River great again
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