Hunt, Campese, Te’o: Former NRL stars gunning to be NRL’s next head coach

Six ex-rugby league stars are building their cases to be the next NRL head coaching hire, while dozens of household names are developing their coaching skills in Queensland’s heartland.

Former football stars Ben Te'o, Karmichael Hunt and Terry Campese are gunning to be the NRL's next head coaches. Pictures: Getty Images / QRL

Six former NRL stars will put their coaching chops on display in the Hostplus Cup this season, and the next generation are already coming through the ranks around Queensland in local grassroots footy.

Queensland’s premier rugby league competition has long been a breeding ground for coaches hoping to one day make the step up to the biggest stage in the world.

Back in 2015, Kristian Woolf took the helm of the Townsville Blackhawks as they entered what was at the time known as the Intrust Super Cup.

A decade later – after a short but successful career coaching in the English Super League – he is tipped to take over the head coach role at the Dolphins in the NRL when mastercoach Wayne Bennett finishes up at the end of the 2024 season.

That’s a trajectory incoming Blackhawks coach and former Kangaroos and NSW Blues halfback Terry Campese would love to follow.

“My goal is to be successful up here in this comp and be consistent on the footy field, getting my players playing consistent footy as well,” Campese said.

“Then long-term, my goal is to progress through the grades and I’d like to get to the NRL, that would be the next step. That’s the dream now.

“After footy finished I’ve really loved being part of the strategy side. I was lucky enough to play in the halves so I had a couple of ideas to work on and build, so I’ve always loved that aspect and I hope to continue that on my coaching journey.”

Townsville Blackhawks coach Terry Campese. Picture: Nathan Ferguson / Blackhawks Media

Terry Campese of the Raiders during the 2014 NRL season. Picture: Getty Images

With a combined 932 NRL appearances between them as players, Campese is joined by Ben Cross (Ipswich Jets), David Penna (Tweed Seagulls), Karmichael Hunt (Souths Logan Magpies), Luke Burt (Burleigh Bears) and Ben Te’o (Redcliffe Dolphins) as ex-NRL stars taking charge of HostPlus Cup teams.

Cross, 45, (95 NRL games) was born in Wagga Wagga and had a similar playing career to Campese, also representing the PM’s XIII, NSW Blues and NSW Country.

In fact the former NSW Blues women’s coach was even teammates with Campese, winning premierships with the Queanbeyan Blues in 2002 and Canberra Raiders reserve grade side in 2003.

Cross got a taste for coaching in the NRL when he was brought in as a Brisbane Broncos assistant in 2019, but he was made redundant soon after in 2020.

Ben Cross. Broncos training at Red Hill. Pic Peter Wallis

Ben Cross tackled during the 2008 State of Origin series.

He said he harboured aspirations to return to the main stage.

“I’m here (in Ipswich) for another two years after this year but I’ll just take tomorrow at this stage – you never know in rugby league coaching,” Cross said.

“I’m doing everything in my powers from self-education and self-development to become an NRL head coach, or at least get back to becoming an NRL assistant coach.

“It’s an all-encompassing role (at Ipswich) as well, looking after a whole rugby league program – boys, girls, juniors and seniors – so it’s been fairly good insight into the whole spectrum of what rugby league coaching is at this level and hopefully that’ll hold me in good stead moving into the NRL eventually.

“I try to coach with the acronym H.E.A.R.T: Honesty, Enthusiasm, Accountability – for myself and the players – Respect, and then Team-focus.”

Ben Te’o, 37, (173 NRL games) began his coaching journey at Redcliffe in 2022 in the under-21s before taking on the senior team last year – finishing fifth.

He first got into coaching while he was still a Broncos player dealing with injuries in the back-end of his career and coach Kevin Walters invited him to help with cutting film and video for rising players including Jordan Riki, Xavier Willison and Brendan Piakura.

Ben Te'o coaching at the Dolphins. Picture: QRL

Queensland player Ben Te'o during the 2014 State of Origin series. Picture: AAP

“I started to help run the second team against the first team, and this was while I was still a player there,” Te’o said.

“I caught the bug and I really wanted to get into coaching. There wasn’t anything for me at the Broncos so I reached out to Wayne Bennett and he said if I wanted to coach then I had to come meet him first. We had a big long chat and he offered me a role to come with him and learn.

“I hadn’t had much to do with him, he’s never coached me so we have a lot of mutual friends but for me it’s purely a coach mentorship type of relationship, which has been great for me and he’s taught me so much.”

Te’o is now a full-time assistant coach with the Dolphins’ NRL side as well as head coach of Redcliffe.

He said he envisioned a different pathway to the big leagues than Bennett’s other assistant, Woolf.

“I think it’ll fall into place when the time is right. Kristian was my assistant coach when I was at the Broncos before he did Queensland Cup. So he came into the NRL then went back to Queensland Cup before coming back to the NRL.

“I want to do it a bit different where my first role was as the colts coach, then up into NRL and Queensland Cup – which I’m doing another year of now – and the goal is to step up into the NRL and stay there.”

Penna, 51, (134 NSWRL, ARL and NRL games) is another coach with experience

in NRL environments.

After retiring prematurely in 2000 due to injury, Penna launched his coaching career with Parramatta’s Jim Beam Cup side before acting understudy to Des Hasler and Geoff Toovey at Manly and the Bulldogs.

Former NRL player David Penna, now with Tweed Seagulls. Picture: Jerad Williams

Parramatta's David Penna during the 1998 NRL season. Picture: Brad Newman

He also spent a year at the Rabbitohs as assistant coach and steered Manly’s Toyota Cup under-20 side which included Daly Cherry-Evans, Kieran Foran and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.

Despite seeing first-hand the rollercoaster ride that NRL coaches endure, Penna said he wanted a ticket.

“You always have a dream as a kid and I was lucky enough that it was my dream to play NRL,” Penna said.

“Then when I started coaching, everybody dreams to be an NRL coach. Unfortunately, what I say is there’s 16 of the best jobs in the world and only 16 people can have them – and there’s a lot of people in the world.

“So it’s always a dream but it’s obviously quite difficult at times and you’ve just got to be in the right place at the right time, and do well.

“But I’m enjoying it here (at Tweed), I enjoy coaching and I just keep working hard.

“The best part about coaching is it doesn’t matter how fast you run. When you lose your speed you’re still okay.

“Everybody that’s involved in rugby league, they’re all great people. It’s a great sport and it gives you plenty of opportunities so it’s one of those things – once you’re in and you’re hooked into it, it’s hard getting out.”

2004 Dally M Rookie of the Year Hunt, 37, (127 NRL games) coached the Cook Island team in the Pacific Championships last year after steering Souths Logan to its best finish since 2010.

Burleigh Bears assistant coach Michael Witt and Souths Logan coach Karmichael Hunt. Picture: Titans Media

The Magpies finished second but were bundled out of finals in straight sets.

Burt, 42, (264 NRL games) is the one coach who already has NRL head coach credentials.

The Burleigh mentor was interim co-coach with Craig Hodges at the Titans for eight games after Garth Brennan was sacked during the 2019 season.

Burt led Burleigh to the Hostplus Cup decider in 2023.

Originally published as Hunt, Campese, Te’o: Former NRL stars gunning to be NRL’s next head coach