Premiership-winning coach Seru Rogo has returned to Leeton.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Rogo, who won a Southern Inland title with Griffith in 2014, is back in the head coaching role with the Phantoms after spending last season in his native Fiji.
Rogo has previously coached Leeton in 2015 and 2016, and was an assistant to Marika Vunibaka during their drought-breaking premiership in 2017, and played a massive part in the club’s recent success.
Commitments in Fiji over recent years has limited the time available to coach, but Phantoms president Tim Allen is thrilled to have him back on board.
“I think it’s a really good outcome,” Allen said.
“We’re very lucky to have him on board again.
“He had a big role to play (in 2017) and a lot of the Fijian players have a lot of respect for him as well.”
Rogo spent last season coaching the Yasawa Marlins and was able to transform to semi-finalists following a winless season at a provincial level.
He is also a former Southern Inland co-coach.
Rogo replaces Marika Vunibaka as coach.
The former Fijian international spent two seasons in the role, after coming in to replace Rogo in 2017.
However Vunibaka’s last season with the club has marred by a suspension for his role in a dispute on the sidelines and then unavailability due to work commitments.
Allen said he had committed to playing another season.
At this stage there has been little change to the Phantoms playing roster, but Allen hopes Rogo can utilise his connections to attract some new Fijian talent to the club.
“We’ve got pretty much the same squad at the moment with hopefully some new faces,” he said.
“We’re planning some more boys over (from Fiji), but we will see how that goes.
“It is in the planning stage at the moment.”
After being knocked out in the preliminary final in 2016, the Phantoms went through undefeated in 2017 before being downed by Ag College one win short of another grand final appearance.
Former president Stuart Stout has come in as coach of the women’s side replacing Allen in the role.
READ MORE