Beloved junior coach on mission to set up youngsters for life

It takes a special kind of coach to keep young players coming back year after year, regardless of the result.

But when you hear a spine-tingling half-time team talk from Ormeau Shearers' Will Tafengatoto, who earned Rugby League Gold Coast coach of the year honours in the International age groups, it goes a long way to understanding why.

But it's just scratching the surface of what he does to support his teams, of which this year he had three - under 6s, under 12s and the under 13 girls.

"I guess I have become known for my half-time talks," Will said.

"It's nothing special. To be honest, it just flows. 

"I've got seven kids, so I've probably had good practice, to be honest. 

"Whenever I coach a team, I look at them like they're my sons or my daughters, and I'm just telling them the truth. The truth is, they put in the hard work.

"The under 13 team probably had the most intense half-time talks, because for most of the girls in the team it was their first year playing and it was just a confidence thing, so they usually just needed reminding they've already done the hard work, they just need to have faith in themselves.

"At a younger age, they don't really know what they're capable of until they do it, and I guess I was lucky enough to see that trigger in some of the players I coached this year.

"There's nothing like it, to be honest. Probably the only thing that could beat it is when you see your own kid realise their own potential.

"Being able to witness that is a pretty powerful thing and it's really awesome to see that kind of growth in someone.

"I love sport and what it teaches you, but I just try to use it... for what I can get out of it, and it's not a contract or a career, it's more so the things it can teach us.

"It strengthens us mentally, it teaches us lessons we might not otherwise learn if weren't doing sport, like overcoming trials, being stronger, having a bit of grit, thick skin, being able to just carry on when you get smashed, because life smashes you, man, it smashes you and if you can get smashed and carry on and know on the other side there's a light, the trials and challenges make you, rather than break you, and it sort of primes up our young people to be stronger people when they grow up."

From Monday to Thursday, for several hours each night, Will is doing his thing on and off the field with the support of his wife Mary, while Lucas in the under 12s often lends a hand with dad's other teams.

It seems the only times he's not at the Shearers is when he's supporting son Noah, who ended up scoring the grand final-winning try for the Helensvale Hornets under 16 Div 1 side this year.

"I probably wouldn't be able to do any of it without my wife, who is the manager of all the teams I coach. She looks after me," Will said.

If Will is the self-professed "yes man", Mary is the behind-the-scenes orchestrator supporting everything he does to make junior sport the greatest experience for the kids.

It extends far from the training paddock and game days. Will's teams, including the players and their families, have the odd impromptu session at the local pool, barbecues, pizza parties - and they band together when someone is doing it tough.

A sister of one of his under 12 players this year was diagnosed with leukaemia, so Will and Mary organised a 'pink round' fundraiser to support the family, raising around $2000.

The togetherness, the camaraderie, is the backbone of the 'success' of every Tafengatoto team.

"That (under 12) team I've coached with a guy named Sam and every single one of our boys came back this year for under 12 except for one boy, because he moved away from the area," Auckland-born Will said.

"The year before it was seven or eight losses, 50-50 but the same boys came back and picked themselves up and the improvement they had was exponential.

"That's how I measure success in the team, that retention, culture and they all wanted to play together. If I told my team we were going over to play netball, they would probably all move together to play netball.

"I always make it clear with all my teams, especially the parents so they know where the expectations are.

"I'm not trying to get anyone signed by a team or anything, but if the guys and girls finish the year smarter, stronger and faster than they started, that's the main goal.

"We're not trying to create NRL players, we're just trying to make these kids better human beings.

If they can go through the trials that sport can teach them, then they're better for it and they're better people

"I don't want to sound like I've got a big head, but I've had parents offering me money to come back and coach them next year and I say the same thing: 'You guys might think that I'm doing something amazing, but it's not even that hard, to be honest'.

"I like to think if I had a guy like me with a lot of my peers when I was growing up, if there was a guy like me there teaching them these things, maybe a lot of my friends wouldn't have had to do it so tough, you know.

"I went to school with people who could have went so far, but they ended up taking another route. I was pretty lucky, really."

Ormeau Shearers president Shane Robertson described Will and Mary as "the heart and soul of the club" - but there's one problem.

"The biggest problem we have with Will is everyone wants to be in his team, which makes it hard at the start of the year," Robertson said.

"He's just very giving, selfless, his team talks are famous in our club, just inspirational. I feel like putting my boots on myself sometimes.

"It's real positive. He doesn't blow up or anything, just real inspirational, motivational. His quote he always likes to say is: 'We're here to build humans, not NRL players'.

"He's the nicest guy I've ever met. I can honestly say I've never heard a bad word about him. Him and Mary are the heart and soul of the club.

"He didn't even have a daughter in the under 13 girls, we just needed a coach and no one else would put their hand out. Half the team had never played football, ever, and they ended up making the grand final and only just lost."

Having people the quality of the Tafengatotos and a great committee around him is something Robertson has relished taking on the role of president for the first time - and he was ultimately recognised as the Rugby League Gold Coast 2024 Volunteer of the Year.

"It's the people that make it," Robertson said. "The majority of people are so good, and I get to hang out with Will all day. Who wouldn't want to do that?"

"I love footy, I love the kids. It's funny, you go from having your own team, and you care about your team, and now I have 30-something teams that you care about, and I just love it, it's awesome.

"We just want to develop a culture at Ormeau of striving to win and develop without taking away your integrity and humility.

"You want to win, but it's got to be the right way."