Ipswich Jets' captain of their 2015 premiership-winning Intrust Super Cup side, Keiron Lander, who also lifted the NRL State Championship trophy, will take the reins of head coach in 2020.
Lander will be assisted by Mark Bishop, who himself, coached the winning BRL side of the same year.
Lander comes with fine pedigree; in 2005 he started playing in the Intrust Super Cup for the Toowoomba Clydesdales (Brisbane Broncos system) before being part of the North Queensland Young Guns in 2007 and then came to the Jets in 2010.
He was named captain in 2011 and remained so all the way through to his retirement in 2015, after his grand final victory.
In that time, he was in the Queensland Representative side and has always been more about enhancing the skills of the players outside of football and very much believes in leading by example.
Lander was instrumental in setting up the Jets Assistance Group; a program that allows players to help their peers during hard times.
“With the departure of Ben and Shane Walker at the same time, we wanted to ensure we maintained the culture and high standards that they had built over the last 11 years," Jets CEO Richard Hughes said.
"We didn’t have to look far to get the perfect solution for that problem.
“Keiron ’s first job was to recruit a team around him and the fact he has chosen Mark Bishop to support him, has us very excited for 2020. We couldn’t be happier, to give one of our own the shot at the top job.”
Lander has spent the last four years working under the Walker brothers across the coaching spectrum, as well as successfully coaching the Queensland Murri Under 16 team to victory in 2019.
Lander also does a lot for the Indigenous community throughout Queensland (urban, regional and remote communities), delivering the Deadly Choices program.
"We are who we are because of Keiron Lander, so it was never a question of whether he is the best person to lead us forward it was simply a question for Keiron, did he have time in his busy life of selflessly helping others," Jets chairman Steve Johnson said.
“The Ipswich Jets are about opportunity in our game and like Kevin Walters going on to coach Queensland, I am excited for Keiron’s journey as a coach.
"If I could have picked one person to continue the Walker brothers' legacy it would always be Keiron Lander and if I could pick one person to coach our great club with him, it would always be Mark Bishop.”
The Jets will shortly announce the rest of their coaching structure for 2020.
