Central North Rugby 2022: Pirates ready to set sail for another shot at history

Thirteen years after captaining the club to their first Central North premiership in over two decades, and the start of their first four-peat, the backrower is back to help them hopefully rewrite the history books again. Albeit with a clipboard in his hands this time after taking on a co-coaching role with Doug Biffin and returning coach Mick Squires.

On Saturday he will be sideline at Ken Chillingworth Oval as Pirates begin their quest to do what no other side has been able to - win five straight - against Quirindi.

The lead-in has been a bit of a baptism of fire with COVID, injuries and suspension throwing their plans into disarray.

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"It's definitely not the team we started with at the start of the week," Kellow said.

"But it's a sign of the depth of the club that we can pull these guys up and not lose too much."

One of the club's favourite sons, the now father-of-two "aspiring backrowers" - Will is seven and Hamish six - admits coaching wasn't something he had really "thought a lot about" until the opportunity arose.

"Where I am in my career now it's about giving back a bit," he said.

"I had 20 years of being looked after in a Pirates jersey."

Last year he helped out with second grade while also lacing up the boots for one final hurrah with the club he first played for back in the late 90s as a teenager.

"I wanted to make sure I finished my career where it started," the now 41-year old said.

He had been intending to play in 2020, after moving back from Dubbo, but COVID knocked that on the head.

"I had one of most enjoyable years I've had playing footy," he said.

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"With no colts a lot of younger guys that would have played in the 19s were playing second grade."

He said he "got as much" out of playing with them, and "running off their enthusiasm" as he had at any other time in his association with the club

He hasn't ruled out pulling on the boots again this season. He'll be taking them with him just in case.

But his "first and foremost commitment" is to "making sure the pack performs" to their potential.

The club will be celebrating Old Boys Day on Saturday and are expecting a big crowd.

Kellow too is expecting to cop plenty.

"I'm expecting plenty of heckling coming from the tent where ever I am," he joked.

The club's third attempt to stage the day, on a more serious note he said it is "a great opportunity to come back and celebrate the club and everything that's been put into it."

Kellow recalled back in his early days, they had a garden shed as a beer tent and that was it.

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There's also a lot more premierships to house these days.

Reflecting on the 2009 triumph, Kellow believes making the grand final the year before, even though they ended up losing it, was a turning point. It gave them the belief that they could win it, which they came out the next season and did.

"The work we put in that year that was the result we needed," he said.

He left the following year after a job opportunity opened up with WesTrac in Dubbo.

The plan was to spend 12 months there and then move back, but one year ended up turning into 10.

There will be only three first grade games today with Barraba/Gwydir only playing second grade this season.

In the other games Inverell host Moree and Walcha are at home to Scone.

PIRATES TEAM: 1. Tyson Waters 2. Jioji Cakacaka 3. Andrew Collins 4. Mitch Mack 5. Ratu Vuibau 6. Jye Taggart 7. Nick McCrohon 8. Conrad Starr (c ) 9. Jackson Sharpe 10. Andrew Moodie 11. Sam Bowden 12. Josh Dransfield 13. Brendan Rixon 14. Josevata Ranuve 15. Simon Trappel

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