Ex-Gold Coast Titans coach Garth Brennan will take up a new head coaching role in 2024 with the Newcastle Rebels, who play in the NSW Country Championships.
The Championships, which provide an opportunity for the best country-based players in New South Wales to go up against each other, saw the Newcastle-based side take out the championship last year, flogging the Western Rams in a Wollongong-held semi-final before downing the Riverina Bulls 49 points to 16 in the final.
Now, according to The Daily Liberal, Brennan will take over the coaching of the Newcastle side, replacing Adam Bettridge who has stepped down to pursue a club coaching role locally.
Brennan told the publication that he has already had interest from a number of players in the Newcastle competition that didn't play last year, with it believed Brock Lamb will once again be the leader of the side in the halves.
"I've had interest from high-profile players who haven't wanted to play in the past and also people reaching out to me who want to be considered to be part of it," Brennan told the publication.
"And that's what you want, you want it to be a prestigious team and not just pick and choose if you play or not.
"I won't pick players who don't want to play, but I'd like to think the majority of players want to be part of it. We want the best squad we can and we want to represent Newcastle the best we can."
Brennan spent almost two seasons in charge of the Titans in his only NRL role, winning 12 out of 40 games with the club in 2018 and 2019.
The now 51-year-old, who was born in Newcastle, has since spent time in development roles at the Knights, while prior to his stint at the Titans he worked across youth and reserve grade rugby league at both the Knights and Penrith Panthers.
Brennan's latest stint saw him move into pathways at the Knights, but last just a few months before heading for the exit gates, with reports at the time (mid-2023) suggesting he didn't see eye-to-eye with other members of Newcastle's coaching staff and decided it would be better for everyone to make his departure from the club.
