Narrabri stalwart Ashley Hynch has unexpectedly found himself in a position he says is "probably the biggest challenge" of his rugby league career.
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Hynch is keeping his powder dry as he waits for the season to hopefully begin after being elevated from reserve-grade to first-grade coach when Daniel Jobson stood down from the role because of personal reasons, in the corona-halted preseason.
As blue as the sky over the town of his birth, Hynch had coached Narrabri's reserve-graders every year since 2012, except for 2017 and 2018, while also playing in those sides as mainly a lock and a second-row.
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The 41-year-old's playing days came to end last season, with him making only a handful of appearances in steering the Blues to a preliminary final loss to Kootingal-Moonbi. He had again been appointed reserve-grade coach for this season, before getting promoted.
He feels that his laidback nature is probably better suited to mentoring reserve grade, but he is honoured to coach the top team of the club he has been devoted to since childhood, apart from his season at Wee Waa in 2004, when part of their second-grade premiership team. The Panthers also won the top-grade title that year.
"Narrabri through and through ... love the Blues," he said, in reference to his return to Narrabri after "probably the best experience" of his footy life.
Premiership glory has eluded him at the Blues. He was in charge of second grade when they lost grand finals in 2013, 2015 and 2016. "It would be a nice thing to do," he said of winning a premiership at Narrabri.
Coaching the top grade is a "pretty tough gig", he said, adding: "I never thought I really wanted to coach first grade. I'm a pretty laidback sort of lad.
I never thought I really wanted to coach first grade ...It's a challenge I'll accept, anyway.
- Ashley Hynch
"It's something I never really thought about. But with what's gone on ... I got put in there. It's a challenge I'll accept, anyway."
Hynch's partner and the mother of their three children is Antoinette Wenner, who played tackle for the Greater Northern Tigers in the Country Championships this year.
While the first-grade job is a mountain to climb for him, "it's always good to test yourself out, see how you go".
In the preseason, the Blues issued an SOS via their Facebook after a player shortage. Hynch said a "few players" responded but the numbers were still not ideal, although a side would be fielded if the comp commenced.
