Rabbitohs Finalise Full-time Coaching Staff for 2012

The South Sydney Rabbitohs have finalised their full-time coaching and training staff for the 2012 season with seasoned professionals Wayne Collins, Troy Thomson and Sean Edwards joining the Club for next year.

Rabbitohs management has worked very closely with future Rabbitohs Head Coach Michael Maguire to make these major structural changes to the Clubs football department for 2012 and beyond.

In 2012, Coach Maguire will have two Assistant Coaches in Collins and current Rabbitohs Assistant Coach Kurt Wrigley. They will be joined by High Performance Manager Thomson, Strength and Conditioning Coach Edwards and current Rabbitohs Physiotherapist Eddie Farah.

Wayne Collins joins the Rabbitohs after five seasons as Assistant Coach at the Penrith Panthers from 2007 to 2011 and three seasons as Assistant Coach at the Canberra Raiders from 2004 to 2006. He also led the Raiders to a Premier League premiership in 2003 following a playing career which spanned a decade in both Australia and the UK including two first grade premierships with the Raiders in 1989 and 1990.

Troy Thomson has been involved in elite Rugby League and Rugby Union Clubs and representative sides for the past 13 years, including two years as the High Performance Manager at the Melbourne Rebels Super 15 franchise, and ten seasons as the Sports Science Co-ordinator with the Melbourne Storm from 2001 to 2010. Thomson was also a part of the all-conquering Queensland State of Origin coaching staff from 2006 to 2010.

Sean Edwards has joined the Rabbitohs from the North Queensland Cowboys where he has been the Strength Coach throughout the 2011 season. Previous to his appointment with the Cowboys he worked as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach with the Canberra Raiders and Burleigh Bears over a period of four years.

Mark Ellison will continue in his role as Football Manager.

Rabbitohs CEO Shane Richardson says the Club has recruited some of the finest exponents in their respective fields.

With a new Head Coach coming to the Club, we sought a team of coaches and trainers that the Head Coach required, Mr Richardson said.

Michael was looking for people with specific skill sets and we worked with him to identify the best people to fill the Clubs full-time requirements. Well also look to complement these people with part-time options when they are required.

Wayne, Troy and Sean are all proven performers and were pleased we have been able to build a strong team around our Head Coach next season, including current members of the coaching and training staff Kurt Wrigley and Eddie Farah, Football Manager Mark Ellison, as well our other full time staff in the Football Department.

I would like to thank Errol Alcott, Gorden Tallis and Grant Duthie for their services to this Club over recent seasons and we wish them all the best in their future endeavours.

They have played a part in turning around the professionalism of this Club since the change of ownership structure in 2006 and were now looking forward to putting our best foot forward for the rest of the 2011 season and a new start in 2012.

The 2011 season is not over for us and well be doing our best to charge up the ladder in the second half of the competition.

John Lang and his team will be given every support possible to climb that ladder.

Biographies:

Name: Wayne Collins

Position: Assistant Coach
Coaching record: Assistant Coach Penrith Panthers 2007-11, Assistant Coach Canberra Raiders 2004-06, Premier League Coach Canberra Raiders 2001-03
Playing record: 106 first grade games for the Canberra Raiders 1988-90, St George Dragons 1991-94 and South Queensland Crushers 1995-96, 38 games for the Leeds Rhinos 1997, 3 games for Country Origin 1991-93

Name: Troy Thomson

Position: High Performance Manager
Coaching record: High Performance Manager Melbourne Rebels Super 15 Franchise 2010-11, Sports Science Co-ordinator Melbourne Storm 2001-10, Trainer/Sports Science Queensland State of Origin 2006-10, Rehabilitation Co-ordinator and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach French National Rugby League Team 2006-08, Strength and Conditioning Coach Brisbane Norths 2000-01, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Queensland Reds Super 12 Franchise 1999-2000

Name: Sean Edwards

Position: Strength and Conditioning Coach
Coaching Record: Strength Coach North Queensland Cowboys 2010-2011, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Burleigh Bears 2008-2010, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Canberra Raiders 2006-2008