Macarthur Conference: Picton Magpies’ new head coach Jake Tonitto plans for 2022

A rising coach has been tasked with reversing the fortunes of the proud Picton Magpies, a club which has dominated the Group 6 premiership for the past decade. Find out his plans for the year ahead:

As Picton Magpies dominated a decade of Group 6 rugby league, including six grand final appearances and four first grade premierships, the club’s 2022 first grade coach was completing his own coaching apprenticeship across Sydney.

Jake Tonitto, 28, won a premiership as head coach with Narellan Jets juniors and a minor premiership with Minchinbury Jets A-Grade, worked in a range of roles in Penrith Panthers, Wests Magpies and Wests Tigers pathway systems, was head coach of the Brazil national men’s team for 12 months and most recently was North Sydney Bears’ general manager of football. He was also appointed Windsor Wolves Ron Massey Cup assistant coach in 2020.

Picton Magpies new coach Jake Tonitto.

Now, the young leader has won the race for Picton Magpies’ prized head coach position where success isn’t desired, but expected.

For the past two years the Magpies have arguably lost their way after not fielding a team in the 2020 Covid-affected season and being positioned second-last when this year’s premiership was abandoned.

Luckily, Tonitto says he likes a challenge.

“Picton was always a club I admired from the outside looking in, as an opposition coach and opposition player,” he said. “It was always an organisation that you knew, without being a part of the club, what they stood for and what their values were.

“The coaching opportunity presented itself and I thought it was a good time. I’m not one to run from a challenge and obviously Picton, albeit they’ve had success over a long period, weren’t travelling great this year so it’s a challenge to get them back to where they were.”

The club has signed former captain-coach Michael Lett for the 2022 season.

It wasn’t so long ago that the Magpies were premiership contenders - with the club grand final losers in 2019 and premiers in 2018. Now, a number of familiar faces and premiership winners have returned to club after a brief hiatus including former NRL player and Picton captain-coach Michael Lett, Anthony Provost and Tim Dengate.

“We want good people and those guys are good people and have proven that for many years,” Tonitto said. “They are also good footballers and are part of the black and white DNA.”

James Tautaiolefua, Oscah Chong-Nee and Diamond Chong-Nee have also been recruited to the club for next season.

Tonitto said he was focused on building the club’s depth and resilience, creating an environment where any player can “do a job” on the field if injuries hit.

And, he has one eye on lifting the silverware at season’s end.

“I think everyone worth their lollies would say their aim is to hold the trophy,” he said.

Club president Gary Dowse said he was impressed with Tonitto’s coaching resume and philosophies, which led him to win the head coach role.

Dowse also watered down any suggestion the senior club would follow the junior club’s bid to shift to the Illawarra competition.

“We are committed to Group 6 and Macarthur Conference for the foreseeable future … there has been no discussion from a senior point of view,” he said.

‘Survival of the club’: Magpies’ juniors bid to leave Group 6

- November 22, 2021

One of the proudest junior footy clubs in the Macarthur region has made a bid to cut ties with Group 6 and join the Illawarra competition as soon as next season.

After 18 months of discussions, Picton Magpies junior rugby league club has made an application to NSW Rugby League to shift competitions in a decision they say is vital for the club’s future.

Picton Magpies' junior rugby league club want to join the Illawarra competition. Picture: Facebook

Club president Ken Catford-Potter said the decision was made in the best interests of rugby league with the changing demographics of Picton leaving the club with little choice.

“We’ve been doing some strategic direction across the last 18 months and our base of kids is changing dramatically,” he said.

“We don’t get any registrations from Razorback anymore. Picton is becoming more popular to an older demographic with more people moving to the area later in life due to the relaxed lifestyle.

“We are looking down the barrel at the moment of a number of kids wanting to head down to that Illawarra region whether we go or not.

“It became quite apparent for the survival of the club that we needed to make this application.”

About 50 per cent of the club’s players aged nine and under are from Wilton, an area located 30 minutes from Wollongong and expected to welcome 15,000 new homes in coming years.

Discussions are taking place with Wollondilly Council for Wilton to host training sessions for Magpies’ teams in light of the new player base.

Mr Catford-Potter said the club doesn’t want to lose their Picton heritage but are concerned if the move to Illawarra doesn’t take place, a number of junior teams would collapse in coming years which would see up to 50 young players lost to the sport. He said the senior club supported the junior club’s wishes.

The junior club currently has 228 players registered for tackle rugby league.

NSW Rugby League has received the 41-page application and is expected to consider it in coming weeks.