Former Bulldogs international Andrew “Bobcat” Ryan has been handed the task of leading South Newcastle to back-to-back Newcastle premierships after being appointed coach of the Lions for next season.
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Ryan, who captained the Dogs to a 2004 NRL grandfinal win over the Sydney Roosters and played 11 Tests for Australia and made 12 Origin appearances, takes the reins from Ben Cross, who is stepping up into an NRL role as an assistant coach to Anthony Seibold at either the South Sydney Rabbitohs or Brisbane Broncos.
Souths president Terry Davies said the club is rapt to have someone of the calibre of Ryan to take over the coaching reins.
“We were looking at him before Todd Hurrell took over a few years back but work commitments meant that he couldn’t take the job,” Davies said
“Since he has been in Newcastle, he has always been involved in the club. He played a charity game with us three years ago and his whole family is pretty well involved at Souths so we are really happy.
“He knows a lot of the boys and a few have played under him in Country rep sides.”
Davies said Cross had done a wonderful job in his two seasons as coach.
“We are all very happy for Ben and wish him all the best,”he said.
“We’d lost seven of our grandfinal squad when he took over after we won the comp [in 2016] but he was able to mould a side together and we finished it off this year.
“He’s a real professional so we are really happy to see him progress.”
