Newly appointed North Sydney Bears coach Tony Barnes has been with The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup team for more than a month now and likes what he sees.
Bringing 31 years coaching experience, Barnes walked into the Bears fully aware of the highs and lows the club has had recently, being Minor Premiers two years running (2023-2024) but losing consecutive NSW Cup Grand Finals to South Sydney Rabbitohs in 2023 then Newtown Jets last September.
But Barnes can feel the enthusiasm and passion everywhere at North Sydney.
“We’ve got a club training session next week for all the Bears grades in men’s and women’s and there’s 180 going to that,” he told nswrl.com.au
“I went to the girls training last week in Lisa Fiaola (Under 17s) and Tarsha Gale (Under 19s) and there were 80 players there. So the club is looking very impressive.”
Barnes has worked at St George Illawarra, spent 13 years with the Sydney Roosters (2010-2023), and most recently was assistant NSW Cup coach at the Jets.
“I just felt I wanted to head coach again. I made that decision late in the season and it was pretty-much Semi-finals time and then we (Jets) were up against the Bears.
“I put things on pause then because obviously my thinking then was winning with Newtown.
“But it’s a good opportunity for me to get back into the head coaching role at another great club.
“I know Norths have had their disappointments the last couple of years. Everyone says ‘We just have to win one more game and we’ll be right’ but it’s not as easy as that,” Barnes said.
“It’s about starting again, handling the expectation, putting in a lot of hard work, and winning 16 games or whatever is needed to get into the finals again.
“I always look to win but I also go in reverse in the sense I do everything I can not to lose. If you do that then winning comes off the back of it.”
It seems like he has a good platform in that regard already as the Bears were the third-best defensive team last year, and held their own in attack with just seven losses from 24 games.
“It’s just back to the basics by me, step by step, building again… it’s the only way I know how to bring that expectation to fruition,” Barnes said.
He has been able to keep most of the 2024 NSW Cup personnel together for 2025.
“We’ve lost a couple but we’ve kept the bulk of them. Players like Regan Hughes, Harradyn Wilson, Tuipulotu Katoa, Israel Ogden and Jayden Yates are all here again.
“So we’re pretty happy because that’s the first thing you want to do – retain some key and experienced players.”
It’s a baptism of fire in some respects with The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup draw confirmed this week showing Barnes will be up against his son, Tait, in Round One next year before facing Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at Belmore Sports Ground in Round Two.
“Tait is assistant coach to Brett Morris with the Roosters NSW Cup,” he said.
“We play them first up and we’ve got Newtown in Round 16, a bye, and then play them again – playing the premiers twice in the space of three weeks.
“That will be an interesting time… bit going on there.”
Barnes is also keen to observe the Melbourne Storm a little closer as North Sydney is one of their feeder teams.
Several Bears players are currently in Melbourne training with the squad.
“If you want to stay current in the game you’ve got to be getting advice from NRL people, listening and looking at what they do,” Barnes said.
“When I was at the Dragons and Roosters I did that, and last year with the Jets we had the link with Cronulla and I was down at the Sharks a fair bit. You always pick something up.”
