Phil Pese has credited his time with the Werribee Bears as a launching pad for a potential career in coaching.
Pese was player-coach for the Bears’ first ever NRL Victoria first-grade premiership last season.
He also led the Bears to the double, securing the NRL nines title.
This season, Pese has decided to step away from the Bears to focus on an assistant coaching position with the Victorian state team.
The 29-year-old has not ruled out a return to playing, or even a return to the Bears, but wants to give coaching his best shot.
“I’m privileged to be in the coaching crew for the state team,” he said. “Coaching-wise, it’s a foot in the door and I want to give this gig my all to see where it leads to. If it progresses to better things, then my playing career is done.”
Even as coach of Werribee, Pese assessed players from an on-field perspective.
In the early rounds of first grade this season, he has enjoyed the chance to watch Victoria’s best talent from the sidelines. He has been impressed by what he has seen.
“I’m evaluating these players from a coaching perspective instead of playing against them,” Pese said. “With the right coaching and the right guidance, they’ll turn out to be really good players.”
Pese will always reflect fondly on what he achieved at Haines Drive Reserve.
The Tarneit resident believes that the club was good to him and he was good to the club.
“Werribee gave me an opportunity to coach,” Pese said. “They gave me the grounding to get a good kick start. It worked out both ways, for the club and for me as well.
“With the short-term coaching and the amount of success the club I had in the time I was coach, it’s a bonus.
“It was is pretty special to me to win the nines and the first-grade grand final in the same year.
“As a club, we’ve set the benchmark pretty high.”
Werribee has picked up where it left off last season under new coach Josh Makiri.
The Bears crushed Doveton Steelers 48-6 at Betula Reserve on Saturday to make it three straight wins.
Next up for the Bears will be the highly anticipated western derby against the improving Altona Roosters at Haines Drive on Saturday.
Lance Jenkinson
