Griffith Uni Knights unveil world-class coaching set-up for 2020; Johnny Ngauamo, Richard Kingi, Matt Petersen
Three former international players will guide the Ashmore club as the Knights seek to avenge their stunning Grand Final loss to Helensvale in 2020.
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Griffith Uni Colleges Knights will field another star-studded coaching line-up in 2020 to guide their quest to win the First Grade title that slipped through their grasp last year.
Former Tongan International Johnny Ngauamo, who cut his teeth coaching Tonga and Georgia in World Cup qualification campaigns in 2007 and 2011, will return as head coach.
Former Australian Sevens and Melbourne Rebels halfback Richard Kingi will transition away from the player-coach role he filled last year to focus on coaching the Knights’ backs.
Veteran Knights coach Matt Petersen, who played 94 NRL games for the Cowboys, Eels and Titans and eight international matches for USA will continue as skills coach.
The Knights have assembled one of Gold Coast rugby’s most acclaimed coaching staffs but erasing the pain of last year’s stunning Grand Final defeat – losing 31-24 having led 24-0 - will come down to the players, coach Ngauamo said.
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“It’s always great having experience to call upon but it’s up to the players if they go away and use what they learn,” he said.
“They’re all willing to learn and have shown great enthusiasm at training.
“Winning is always the goal but for us it’s more important to improve on things like our basic skills to get better at how we want to play the game.”
Kingi, 30, retired from professional rugby last year after a season with Russia’s Enisei-STM Krasnoyarsk club in Siberia.
“I came to the conclusion I had finished up professional rugby but I wanted to give back to the game that has given me so much,” he said.
“As a coach I value creativity and the ability to play what’s on, not just what’s in front of you.
“None of the coaches I’ve played under ever actually said that to me, so I think it’s a selfish mindset to tell players just to play what is in front of them.”
Mika Tufuga will serve as the Knights’ Under-19s coach in the inaugural James O’Connor Cup.
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