Northern Sharks new coaching lineup ready to lift the club to bigger and better results in 2021

WITH their 2021 senior coaches on board and player numbers on the rise, Northern Sharks vice president Aaron Tilley feels his club can achieve bigger and better results in the NRL NT season to come.

Northern Sharks coaches, from left: Grant Chong (reserve grade), Richard Hill (senior women), PD Downes (A-grade), Anthony Smith (A-grade assistant) and Kelsey Bussenschutt (senior women). Picture: Katrina Bridgeford

WITH their 2021 senior coaches on board and player numbers on the rise, Northern Sharks vice president Aaron Tilley feels his club can achieve bigger and better results in the NRL NT season to come.

The club will meet on Saturday for its sign-on day at Palmerston Tavern from 12pm, which will give returning and interested players a chance to meet up and get to know people at the club.

“Last year was a pretty tough year for us with only one senior grade side,” Tilley told the NT News.

“The results didn’t come our way but with the squads we managed to put out we did manage to put it to a couple of the stronger sides.

“This year we’ve knuckled on the recruitment side and it helps to have rugby union in the wet season now with some of our players at Casuarina and Palmerston.

“The club is building for a bigger and better 2021 and we’re looking to field a team in every grade.”

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PD Downes will return to the helm in the senior side for his third year and will look to build on his experience to deliver the results Sharks are after.

Downes was appointed the 2020 Pacifica All Stars coach for the Deadly Cup and is no stranger to success in the NRL NT, having co-coached the under-18s to a championship in 2017.

Sharks also welcome Grant Chong to the club as coach of reserve grade, with the newcomer bringing plenty of experience from Queensland both as a coach and player.

He represented Mt Isa and Townsville in the A-grade Foley Shield and represented North Queensland in the under-19s, later playing under-21s and reserves for Manly Sea Eagles.

Coaching wise he had plenty of experience in junior grade and also coached Cloncurry A-grade, who made a grand final in 1999.

Northern Sharks coaches, from left: Grant Chong (reserve grade), Richard Hill (women’s team), PD Downes, (A-grade), Anthony Smith (assistant senior coach) and Kelsey Bussenschutt (women’s team). Picture Katrina Bridgeford

Another major positive for the club is the return of its senior women’s outfit which, despite winning the premiership in 2019, was unable to make an appearance in 2020.

Coaching the women is Richard Hill, who is the coaching coordinator at Sharks and also the current head coach for the Royal Australian Navy side.

“PD has done a commendable job with all the setbacks we’ve had numbers wise. Every side he’s coached has been competitive and we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do this year,” Tilley told the NT News.

“This is Grant’s first year coaching here but he has family ties with the club, brings plenty of experience and sees the club as heading in the right direction.

“And Richard has been trying to get an opportunity for a while missing out last year with us not fielding a women’s side. He’s heavily recruiting now and there’s a fair bit of buzz around the side as a result.

“Having a women’s side back takes a lot of weight off the club as those players help so much around the club and provide a pathway for our young girls coming through.”

Cooper Segeyaro will once again be one to look out for at Sharks after making the NT team of the year for his efforts on the wing in 2020.

Captain Jacob Collie is back to lead the side again from hooker, while Lachie Wright will once again come in at lock.

But with a continued focus on their juniors, Tilley is also interested in how Mark Williams and Robertson Franklin kick on in the A-grade side in 2021.

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And in a show of how strong the Sharks junior system has been in recent years, their contingent playing under-21s for Northern Pride in the Queensland Cup includes Jacob McCarthy, Matti Moyle, Borex Misob and Darcy Simpson.