New Cup coaches of 2023: Alchin at Clydesdales
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Nine clubs will go into this season's Hostplus Cup with a new coach at the helm, in one of the biggest turnovers in recent years.
With the addition of the Western Clydesdales - and kick-off to season 2023 right around the corner - the Queensland Rugby League is profiling our 10 new coaches, whether they're coming from a different club or are completely new to the Cup arena.
In this edition we talk to inaugural Western Clydesdales coach Jason Alchin about the history of rugby league in the southwest region and how he is helping to write a new chapter.
Coaching history
During the past 27 years, Alchin has coached at various levels within the game. He started with Western Suburbs Magpies in NSW in 1996, shortly after retiring due to injury. The former Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and St George Illawarra Dragons player became the reserve grade coach under Tommy Raudonikis.
After holding this role for several years, he moved into junior development, offering his services to a few NRL clubs. He stepped back from coaching for a period of time before helping the Brisbane Broncos with recruitment and then becoming Auswide Bank Mal Meninga Cup coach for Souths Logan in 2016.
Alchin again stepped away from rugby league for a while before Phil Gould tracked him down and asked him to join Canterbury in 2021 to help with recruitment and development.
Last year, Alchin took over as Western Clydesdales Hastings Deering Colts coach in preparation to become Hostplus Cup coach this season.
Q&A with Jason Alchin
How does it feel to be the inaugural Western Clydesdales head coach?
It’s great. I’m loving it. It’s an honour to be up here with the rich history of rugby league in the area. When you look at the history of this place up here, the amount of players that come from here - I’m talking over the long history of the Clydesdales - it’s an honour to be here. I respect the past and I want to create our own little future up here.
What is your coaching philosophy?
Just bash and kick. No, me in a nutshell, its all about the team. If you develop, you become better. I’m big on team and pathways and trying to get the young men to their best ability. If their absolute best is in Hostplus Cup, fantastic. If it’s in the NRL, then I’ll do everything I possibly can to actually get them to that. That’s who I am as a coach. I worry about winning but I worry more about developing the young man. I’m sure most coaches are saying the same things in their own little way but that’s where I see myself as a coach. They’re a good bunch of young men and they’re trying.
Who would you say is your mentor or strongest influence in coaching?
In my career as a player, I was very, very lucky to be coached by some very great coaches in the Warren Ryans and Phil Goulds of the world. I had Brian Smith when I was at St George for a while and David Waite when I was a young bloke. As players, if you have the right coaches, they can help you along the way. I don’t forget what they’ve done for me. I’m very lucky to still have Phil Gould around here. He’s a phone call away at any time and he’s always there to help me. If something is on my mind, nothing is a problem for him. I’m very lucky to have that.
What were your first impressions of the club?
We’re very lucky to be allowed in the competition, which has come through a lot of hard work from our chairman and directors. They’ve spent seven or eight years of their time trying to get a team in this competition. Without their efforts we wouldn’t be here. You have to appreciate that. Now we have a CEO, Shane Sullivan, who's been fantastic since he arrived just before Christmas. Now we’re building a club. The club is going forward because we have people doing their jobs and doing amazing work for us. This squad, it took a lot of hard work to get here and I have fine young men, fine young players. I’m very, very big on what they do off the field, who they are and what they do as blokes. Everyone talks about the history and DNA of a club and all that but I’m very big on who we are and showing respect. At the end of the day, it’s just a game.
What are your goals for season 2023?
Our goals are to be competitive and hopefully I can develop young men to get to the best of their ability. I expect that we turn up every week and give our best performance for the community and region of the Western Clydesdales. We’re not painting some big picture or say we’re making the semis. I’m not saying we’re going to come last either. What I am saying is we will bring our best every week. I can promise everyone that.
Who within your squad will make their mark in 2023?
We’re very lucky with our squad and some of the names we've been able to recruit like Bessie (Toomaga), Jayden Corrigan, Blake Lenehan, Melino (Fineanganofo), Nofoasa Malutoa and Darryn Schonig, to name a few. I’m fortunate. They’re good men. I’m sure every coach can name at least a few players but at the end of the day, we’re just a team. You have to work hard as a team to show their ability. If we don’t work as a team, it’s going to be hard for everyone.
