Wakeling has gone full circle and returned as head coach of the club in 2024.

It's been 10 years since Wakeling was last in the role however after stepping in to help the club last year he feels they are well placed to start turning things around.

Wakeling joined part of their large co-coaching structure last season after Danny Williams stepped down during the season.

With some of their best performances coming at the back end of the season, Wakeling felt like he had more to contribute.

"Last year I was coaching seconds and when Danny left I took over basically coaching both grades and I thought by the end of the season we had showed some improvement and just thought it wasn't finished," Wakeling said.

"I want to continue with the improvement and see how it goes."

Wakeling will be joined by Tyson Morgan, his son Justin Wakeling and Fetongi Tuinauvai in assistant coaching roles.

Reddies president Isaac Erbacher believes Wakeling's experience is a big benefit to the club.

"It's very powerful having our longest playing player come on as head first grade coach as that's the kind of experience you can't buy," Erbacher said.

"He is a little bit old school but sometimes that's what you need.

"It complements Tyson Morgan's current knowledge of the game and the ties he has to the Brumbies."

Wakeling first joined the club during some tough times in 1991.

He's seen things swing around quickly before and hopes he can help do the same again with being competitive each week his real focus.

"I want to have our supporters come out to the rugby at Beres Ellwood and know there's a chance we will win," Wakeling said.

"It's not like last year when there was a pretty fair chance we weren't going to win.

"If they come out there and it's a 50-50 ball game, you win some and you lose some, that's what I want as if you win slightly more than you lose that puts you in finals contention.

"We just want to get back to being competitive and then things tend to build from there."

However he hopes it will only be in a coaching role this time around.

Wakeling played five games last year, including three on one day after an old boys appearance.

He feels the club's numbers won't see him required on the field ever again.

"I've hit 60 and drawn a line at 60," he said.

"My knee's not like it used to be, I'm extremely slow and the numbers are better this year."