NEWLY appointed coach Ben Jeffries is confident he can make Newcastle's reigning NRLW champions even better and extend their premiership-winning dynasty.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Jeffries clocked on for his first shift on Tuesday after accepting a three-year deal at the helm of the Knights, who won the past two grand finals under his predecessor, Ron Griffiths.
"I wouldn't have taken the role on if I didn't think I could make them better," Jeffries said.
"Obviously that is my challenge and the staff's challenge.
"But I think it's the players' challenge, too, to embrace that they need to get better as well.
"Because what's going to happen is that this game [NRLW] is going to get better and better as the years go on.
"My role is to challenge the players individually."
Jeffries, who coached North Queensland's NRLW team last season, said the opportunity with the Knights came about "by chance" when he heard that Griffiths was stepping aside to take charge of Newcastle's NSW Cup men's team.
He said it was exciting, but "in some ways" daunting, to be coaching the team everyone will want to beat next season.
"Ronny, to his credit, had two years of success, and I've got to learn from that," he said. "Obviously my role is to evolve this group as well and challenge them again, and that's one thing that's going to happen, is challenge the individuals to be better.
"As we all know, when you're at the top of the pile, everyone is gunning for you.
"So that's an exciting part.
"We should just embrace it."
Griffiths and Jeffries are already on good terms after previously coaching the First Nations Gems women's representative team together.
"I've caught up with him this morning," Jeffries said of his predecessor, whom he described as an "open book".
"He was one of the first ports of call to talk with him about staff and players and that sort of thing. And obviously I'll grasp that knowledge over time as well."
A Forster junior, Jeffries played lower grades for the Knights before appearing in 28 NRL games for St George Illawarra and Wests Tigers. He then headed to England for a 10-season, 255-game stint in Super League.
The halfback finished his playing days with Kurri Bulldogs in the district competition, and then kicked off his coaching career as an assistant with Newcastle's SG Ball (under-18) team.
From there he headed to North Queensland, first with the Northern Pride and then at the Cowboys, where he held a variety of roles over the course of eight years.
The Cowboys announced in December he had resigned "effective immediately" after speculation first surfaced that he was interested in the Newcastle job.
"Anyone who knows elite sport, elite sport is a business," Jeffries said of his departure from Townsville.
"This decision I've made was the best thing for my family and myself, and it was a business decision.
"Everyone parts ways at some point in time, and that's how it goes.
"But who I am today is partly because of the Cowboys, and I truly value everything that transpired at that club.
"I loved every minute of it. Lived and breathed that club.
"But now it's time to become a Newcastle Knight again and live and breathe this place."
He said Newcastle felt like home. "which is partly the reason why the decision was easy in some respects".