A former Bears coach and a former NRL premiership winner will join Burleighs coaching staff in 2014.
2003 NRL premiership winning Penrith Panther Scott Sattler and former Bears player and coach Jim Lenihan will both be assistants to head coach Carl Briggs next season.
Sattler, who also works as a commentator for Channel 9s coverage of the Intrust Super Cup, will assist with defensive patterns and strategies while Lenihan will be Briggs main assistant.
For Sattler, his decision to join the Bears came as a result of mutual respect for coach Carl Briggs.
I like Carl Briggs. I like the way that he operates and the discussions that weve had over time just about general rugby league showed that we mesh well together, Sattler said.
He offered me the opportunity to be involved in some sort of capacity as part of his team and I jumped at it.
Its a club that has gone through a couple of lean years but there is plenty of potential there and being part of the improvement excites me.
Sattlers main role in 2014 will be to help construct and implement defensive structures and patterns but he is also excited about the prospect of ushering young talent to the next level.
The thing about the Intrust Super Cup players is that the next step for players is the NRL, he said.
So its the job of myself, Jimmy Lenihan and Carl Briggs collectively to prepare them for one day being there.
For Jim Lenihan it is a welcome return to a club he is extremely familiar with.
Lenihan was head coach of the Bears' top grade side from 2006-09 and was a player with the club before that.
Im there to support Carl with whatever he wants. He steers the ship and works out what direction were taking and whatever I can do to fit in and assist the best way I possibly can, thats what Ill do.
During the last three seasons Jim was coach of the Bilambil Jets in the Bycroft Cup, taking the Jets to three consecutive finals campaigns and claiming one premiership.
Lenihan also picked up Bycroft Cup Coach of the Year in 2011 but said he's always learning and improving as a coach.
There is no price on experience, Lenihan said.
Youre always learning as a coach. I dont think youre ever at a point where you think youre on top of it all.
Im probably a little bit more confident than I was when I left and I have seen some different things, but football is football, its a fairly simple game.
Its probably more the man management and how you relate to people that is the biggest thing Ive learnt in all of my time coaching. Thats something Im always still learning.
Lenihan said hard work, a focus on good defence and having a tightly bonded playing group would be the keys to success in 2014.
Were still quite a young side. You never know whats going to happen in the next twelve months but as long as were steadily improving and making progress and moving up the ladder I think thats what we need to do in the near future before we get back to the days where we were a bit of a powerhouse, he said.
Wayne Forbes will coach A Grade and Robert Campbell will continue as coach of the FOGS Colts team in 2014.
