Former Huddersfield Giants head coach Rick Stone has retuned to coaching, in the Australian women’s game.
The 51-year-old was sacked by the Giants in March last year, after winning only two games in the first seven of the 2018 season, and was subsequently replaced by Newcastle’s Intrust Super Premiership NSW coach Simon Woolford.
Stone had previously coached the Newcastle Knights in two separate spells between 2009-2015, where his son Sam has just broken into the side, and he has now taken the reigns at Country Rugby League Newcastle, who compete in the NSW Women’s Premiership, primarily to be around his family.
“I’ve been back since the middle of last year and haven’t really done anything football-wise,” Stone said.
“I’ve been looked after with a few jobs at Country Rugby League. Coaching the women’s side, it was a good fit. I’ve got a young bloke who’s 11 and I wanted to stay around home for the next couple of years.
“They’ve got some decent players and train locally. It wasn’t a massive amount of travel apart from games in Sydney. We got down to what the program would look like and how we were going to do it. I’ve only been with the girls for a couple of weeks but I’ve enjoyed it.
“We’re getting some professionalism brought in with some people I’ve worked with before at the Knights. Their attitude and commitment is second to none. You see and appreciate more the sacrifices in their normal lives to get to training and play.”
