Headed by long-time Cowboys staff member Anita Creenaune, the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys enter the club’s inaugural NRLW season with a newly-formed staffing unit.
Creenaune is in her 16th year at the Cowboys after joining the club’s finance department in 2007. She transitioned to the football department in 2017 as Administration Manager for Football Operations, serving apprenticeships under Peter Parr and most recently Micheal Luck.
She was announced as the club’s Head of Women’s Elite Programs last November.
Ben Jeffries will lead North Queensland’s on-field program as NRLW Head Coach.
A veteran of 28 NRL games and 256 UK Super League appearances across 13 seasons, Jeffries has compiled an extensive coaching resume in both the women’s and men’s games upon his playing retirement.
After taking his maiden coaching job as Newcastle Knights SG Ball assistant coach in 2014, Jeffries has held various coaching roles including Cowboys NYC Assistant, Queensland Academy of Sport Women’s under 18s Head Coach, NRL Indigenous All Stars Women’s Head Coach, Queensland Women’s under 19s Head Coach and PNG Orchids Head Coach along with his most recent Cowboys roles as Men’s Elite Pathways Head Coach and Coaching Director of the Gold Stars.
Jeffries will be assisted by Alicia-Kate Hawke and Annan Whittington.
Hawke has spent a number of seasons with the St George Illawarra Dragons NRLW team both as an assistant coach and welfare manager. She also has experience in the NSW Women’s Origin pathways as a coach and led the Illawarra Steelers Harvey Norman Premiership side to within a game of the grand final earlier this season.
A home-grown North Queensland product, Whittington has a long coaching resume in schoolboys football throughout the state and has coached in the Cowboys system at academy level since 2019.
Whittington spent the previous two seasons as Jeffries’ main assistant in the Cowboys Young Guns program.
Townsville construction royalty, The Mendi Group, have expanded their long-term Cowboys corporate partnership to include a new and exciting investment with the inaugural Cowboys NRLW side
The Mendi Group have signed on as the official coaching partner of head coach, Ben Jeffries and his newly appointed coaching department.
Cowboy No.122 Daniel Strickland has re-joined the club as NRLW Head of Performance.
Strickland played 62 games for the Cowboys between 2000 and 2006 before staying in Townsville to embark on an extremely successful career as a personal trainer and cross fit gym owner.
Rounding out the staff are sports scientist Larissa Di Bella, team doctor Ebony Bray, physiotherapist Maggie Dwyer, welfare manager Tammy Quirke, sports psychologist Dr Jo Lukins and elite pathways coordinator Trinity Kent.
“We are fortunate to have secured a staffing group with an extensive range of skills and experience for our pivotal first season in the NRLW,” Creenaune said.
“Ben is a coach with an impressive resume, particularly in the women’s game and he has been instrumental in constructing what we believe will be a competitive roster in the 2023 season and beyond.
“Alicia-Kate comes to our club highly regarded, while Annan has forged his own reputation throughout four years in our male pathways systems.
“We are also thrilled to have a former Cowboy in Daniel Strickland leading our performance unit.
“The first week of pre-season has been fantastic and we’re counting down the days until July 22.”
Cover photo (L to R): Daniel Strickland, Anita Creenaune, Jo Lukins, Trinity Kent, Alicia-Kate Hawke, Ben Jeffries, Annan Whittington, Larissa Di Bella, Maggie Dwyer and Tammy Quirke
