A relationship built 11 years ago playing rep footy with Benji Marshall, has led former North Queensland Cowboys hooker Aaron Payne to the Western Suburbs Magpies.
Payne, 41, will take over as head coach of The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup team, which means he’ll be working closely with Marshall and the Wests Tigers.
The pair were hooker and five-eighth for the NRL All Stars in 2012 winning 36-28 against the Indigenous All Stars at Cbus Stadium on the Gold Coast.
That’s how a Brisbane-born footballer who played all his NRL career with the Cowboys ended up coaching in Sydney.
“I guess limited opportunities in the (coaching) industry in Townsville,” Payne told nswrl.com.au
When he retired from playing at the end of the 2012 season, he went into the Cowboys’ pathways before coaching four years with the Townsville Blackhawks in Queensland’s Hostplus Cup.
The Blackhawks are now a feeder team for the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
“My contract was up with the Blackhawks and they didn’t renew it so I looked around for something else,” Payne said.
“Benji called me and I’ve always been in my comfort zone so this was too good an opportunity to pass up in pushing myself a little more.
“Me and Benj didn’t know each other well until we played with the NRL All Stars. We’d played against each other quite a bit and had a lot of respect for one another.
“But in the All Stars along with players like Gal (Paul Gallen) and Cooper (Cronk), Benj and me, we older guys gravitated towards each other and got along very well. That built a nice connection which has lasted through the years. Certainly Benji is a very genuine person and it’s great to have that input with him again.”
Payne arrives at the Magpies after two below-par seasons finishing 11th with eight wins in 2023 and 11th again with just five wins in 2022. The club finished second on the NSW Cup ladder in 2021.
“It’s a bit hard for me to comment on the past but certainly what I’ve made of things so far is that there’s some really, really talented kids coming through,” Payne said.
“That’s exciting for the Magpies and the Wests Tigers. That’s my role to be the transition coach to get these guys to the position where Benji can utilise them.”
“My deal was done pretty late in the piece. By the time I’d agreed to terms the squad and the budget was sorted. I haven’t had too much input into the squad.
“We’ve got some Jersey Flegg kids on train-and-trial deals with us, and I’ve been able to also reward some of our Ron Massey Cup players at Ryde-Eastwood Hawks giving them a chance to upskill themselves.”
Payne said his style of coaching followed a simple philosophy.
“The way I coach is to try to get the best out of individuals, and collectively as a group.
“I’ll be judged on results rather than how I’m progressing kids, but I’m big on driving positives as well as trying to get results.
“A lot of these guys are part-time but I’m all about getting quality rather than quantity when we’re at training. So far I’ve been really pleased with the guys’ attitude.
There’s a really good bond already and that’s great for a coach – you can want it but can’t always manufacture it. The players within my group seem to have cohesion already, alongside real talent.”
