RUGBY LEAGUE
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AT just 23-years-of-age, Wade Judd may well be one of the youngest coaches in the 2010 Group 10 competition, but it is not going to hinder the St Pat’s prop’s aim of capturing the club’s second premiership in three years.
After the retirement of 2008 premiership winning coach Kevin Grimshaw at the end of last season, Judd, a former Orange CYMS player and junior coach, has stepped into the role promising to bring a style of football he hopes will be good enough to take out the competition.
“I’ve grown up playing football and as a Country Rugby League development coach I am around the sport all the time,” he said.
“I know at the club we have got the players to win the competition and I think with the right work ethic we can do just that next season.”
Judd said one of the biggest things he would be looking to do at the club would be to create a style of play that utilises the strengths of the entire team.
“I think if you look back on the 2009 season a lot of the tries we scored came through individual brilliance, players doing something that left you wondering, ‘how did he do that’,” he said.
“I’ll be looking to engage the team in a new attacking style.”
Having made the move from Group 20 to Group 10, Judd played for CYMS and Bathurst Panthers before moving to Pat’s in 2008.
At just 21 it proved to be the right decision as he starred in Pat’s 19-12 grand final victory over the Mudgee Dragons at Carrington Park.
Despite being almost overcome with nerves before the match, Judd made 26 hit-ups during the game and for good measure, threw in three off-loads including a freak pass to Nathan Corliss for the custodian’s second try of the match.
Beside his efforts playing a major role in the seven-point victory, Wudd’s determination also earned him the inaugural Dave Scott medal for the best on ground.
Now, two years on, Judd said he was still full of the passion and drive that was need to win the Group 10 competition.
“Well, I’m certainly too young to retire,” he joked.
“I’ll be looking to get the guys nice and fit for the start of the 2010 season and hopefully we won’t stumble when we face hurdles throughout the season.”
Judd said at this stage Trent Hemsworth would again be the first grade captain for the 2010 season, adding the hooker still had plenty to offer on the football field.
“He is a great leader at the club and has done so much over the years and has the opportunity to do it again,” he said.