New coach hopes to turn Karratha around

New Karratha Kats coach Darren Rigby is hoping his coaching experience will bring success to the club.

Rigby has coached in three different top-level communitybased leagues and won a number of premierships, including one in the tough South West League.

“I hope to be able to bring together what appears to be a reasonable list,” he said.

“If I can apply some of the ideas and strategies I have had which have brought about some success previously and bring together the group then we should have some reasonable success.”

Rigby is hoping to emulate the form turnaround South Hedland Swans had last year after the Swans went from wooden-spooners to grand finalists in the space of a year.

The hope for Rigby’s first season in the top job is to at least make the finals in the North Pilbara Football League.

“That’s the aim initially and once we get to that point and achieve that goal then we reassess,” he said.

“We take the season in three parts, there is a first and a second part to the normal season and then our finals.”

Rigby spent last week observing and taking no role in the actual sessions but will take control of the group this week.

“I spent this week basically having a look at players just to see where the skill level is at (and) to see where their fitness level is at which is pretty good,” he said.

“I’ll take over with a full plan that I’ve already predominantly put together and we’ll go from there.”

The new coach was under no illusions it would be a tough year with some stiff competition in the NPFL.

“It will certainly be hard,” Rigby said.

“I’ve had four years off league coaching after a six-year stint and I’m refreshed, energised and ready to go.”

Kats president Shane Harris said Rigby was the man they had been searching for.

“Darren was the guy we sort of ear-marked (and) we were trying to go after,” Harris said.

“He hasn’t coached up here before but his record down south is pretty good.”

Rigby was involved in the Kats’ junior teams for the last year which may help young players move to the senior team.

“We had a reasonably successful year last year and obviously we want to go a little bit better and I think we can, we’ve got the people and the players in place,” Harris said.