Reserve grade for the Mittagong Lions will now have ears and eyes on and off the field.
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Signing on as co-coaches for the 2020 season, Simon Reid and Nathan Phillips will work together to bring their team to the promise land.
With his presence on the field, reserve grade player and co-coach Simon Reid will be the eyes and ears on the ground whilst Phillips is overlooking from the box.
It's a new dynamic that both have been looking forward to implementing for some time.
"Nathan and I have known each other for several years now," Reid said.
"It's going to work really well between us. I'll be on the field and Nathan will the eyes off the field."
The Lion's reserve grade team has had success in the past couple of seasons and they think this new double trouble duo of coaching will take them even further.
"We've had a good, successful last three seasons," Reid said.
"We won the grand final three years ago. We did have distractions on and off the field last season, but this year is all about how we get the team back on track for this season.
We're getting to training, set times, no chit-chat, no mucking around. It's a solid hour and a half training session.
- Coach Nathan Phillips
"We've got a few players returning this year and we want to get the team back in the finals."
Last season wasn't up to scratch for the coaches. This season they've seen the way the team struggled last season and will make sure not to repeat history.
"We need to be fitter this season," Reid said.
"We were lacking last season. We also need to be more physical.
"We have been the benchmark the last couple of years and the teams have got better and better in reserve grade.
"We need to have a really good pre-season to start the year off well. We also need to limit some of the distractions we had last year."
Coach Phillips can already see his team making strides in where they need to improve and believes this season will be a good one due to the seriousness players are taking this pre-season.
"After last season, the guys have been in the gym," Phillips said.
"A few of them are looking pretty mint at the moment. We're really putting in this year.
"We're getting to training, set times, no chit-chat, no mucking around.
"It's a solid hour and a half training session. We're getting that club culture up and about."
