'Dedicated and respected' team rebuilt ahead of Group 16 rugby league season

The team walked away with zero wins across 14 rounds, with one game against Eden having a 60-point difference.

Club secretary Rowley said that for 2025, the Batemans Bay Tigers were heading in a new direction.

They would be steering clear of the captain-coach option and focusing on "local" South Coast players and a dedicated new coaching staff.

"We've gone away from the captain-coach role because of the relationship he'd have with some players, and there's the thought of 'whoever drinks with the coach, has a spot in the team'," Rowley said.

"[Instead[ we've got a very, very experienced head coach, Jeff Cox, who has been with the junior system at our club for a long time.

"He's been in the Canberra Raiders system, been a representative coach, heavily involved with Woden Valley Rams back in the day, highly credentialed.

"But more importantly, he's extremely well respected not only within Batemans Bay but in the whole Group 16 competition."

Cox will bring two assistant coaches along: Jason Funnel will focus on junior development, while Grant 'Grumbles' Roberts, a "feared player and taskmaster," will take on strength and conditioning and the forwards.

The club also recently secured a former professional rugby league footballer and coach to act as a coaching assistant and player mentor.

Ivan Henjack was a NSW Country representative halfback, and former player with St George Dragons, Canberra Raiders, and Western Suburbs Magpies.

"Ivan Henjak played in the '87 grand final against Manly, and played with Mal Meninga, Laurie Daley, Ricky Stuart, and all those guys, and been in the football game all his life," Rowley said excitedly.

"He moved to Batemans Bay and has got involved with our club, and we've secured his services for the year, so he's been a fantastic bonus for us.

"Our head coach calls him the 'wise owl' because he's so knowledgable."

Rowley said, along with the new coaching staff and mentors, the Tigers had managed to persuade five of the club's most senior players back to play in the black and gold for the 2025 season.

"Those five fellas are Sean Connell, Tom Bollard, Baden Payne, Mitch Freeman and Alex Baumann," Rowley said.

"They're vitally important for us because they'll be our senior leadership crew, and they'll instil a whole new culture change at our club."