Former Broncos coach makes switch to rival Queensland team after leaving Brisbane in 2024
The North Queensland Cowboys have clearly identified a weakness that needs fixing.
A former Brisbane Broncos coach who was a key part of their run to the NRL grand final in 2023 has been spotted at North Queensland's pre-season training. Brett O’Farrell had previously worked under Kevin Walters as Brisbane's specialist tackle and defence coach, but left the role in the lead-up to the 2024 season.
He said in February: “The most time-intensive period in my role is during the pre-season. Now that’s concluded, it’s time to take on another challenge. I wish the team all the best in going one better in 2024.” The Broncos said in a statement: "The Broncos would like to thank O’Farrell for his contribution to the club over the past three seasons and wish him all the best for the future."
And it appears as though O'Farrell's new challenge is helping the Cowboys fix their defence. According to the Courier Mail, the former Melbourne Storm player was spotted in Townsville this week at pre-season training with the Cowboys.
O'Farrell played 20 NRL games for the Storm from 1999 to 2001, but never really made it as a first-grade footballer. He's since established himself as a gun defensive coach, and his move to North Queensland shows Cowboys coach Todd Payten clearly rates him.
Brett O’Farrell leading the way in contact and tackle techniques
O'Farrell's LinkedIn page describes him as an "expert contact coach". It says: "Having played professional rugby league, becoming a champion Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Freestyle Wrestling competitor with years of experience coaching, he is the edge teams need to protect players and win more games.
"Most competitive contact sports have tackling programs to teach the players the most effective techniques allowed under the rules of the code. However these programs are generally taught by former players turned coaches who haven't had the necessary cross training required to understand the most effective techniques. The real difference is his experience in wrestling which adds to his thorough understanding of the game."
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O'Farrell won six-straight Queensland state championships in wrestling and invented the 'Tackletec' system in 2012. Described as "specialised coaching of defensive and offensive contact techniques, targeting athletes from schoolboys to elite professional representatives in rugby league, rugby union and AFL," the system "has been successfully implemented at a variety of clubs to improve speed, control and technique. In turn creating efficient, confident, dominant, physically and mentally stronger athletes in all areas of contact."
Cowboys address defensive issues with Brett O’Farrell move
With wrestling and ruck speed such core components of the modern game, the Cowboys clearly see O'Farrell as a vital asset. Of the eight teams that made the finals in 2024, the Cowboys had the worst defensive record by far.
Payten's side conceded 568 points in 2024 at an average of nearly 24 per game. Their defensive frailties were hidden somewhat by their attacking weapons, which helped them achieve a 15-9 record overall before they lost in the second week of the finals - 26-18 to Cronulla.
Payten has clearly identified defence as an area of priority to fix this off-season, in the hope it can help them make a deeper run in 2025. As for the Broncos, new coach Michael Maguire also needs to address their leaky defence after they conceded a whopping 607 points in 2024 (25.3 per game).
O'Farrell's exit from the Broncos was the first of many departures in 2024, with Walters getting the sack after they finished 12th on the ladder. Assistant coaches Lee Briers and Darius Boyd have also left, while long-time trainer and club legend Allan Langer has moved into a corporate role. Trent Barrett and Ben Te'o will act as Maguire's main assistants in 2025.
