Hannay regains hunger for NRL
TOWARDS the end of his elite playing career, Josh Hannay contemplated giving away rugby league altogether.
The 150-game Cowboys player endured an inglorious end to his professional career in the English Super League and returned to his hometown of Moranbah, 150km west of Mackay.
“I was a bit disillusioned and intended to get away from it all,” Hannay said in 2018.
“I started a menswear business … and over time I started feeling part of the community again.
“The opportunity came up to do some coaching with the local team the Moranbah Miners and, from there, I guess my passion reignited.
“It was back to the things I loved about rugby league. Everyone that was there wanted to be there just because they enjoyed the game.
“Going back to Moranbah was probably the best thing that could have happened to me. It’s led to me being where I am now.”
Hannay played in Cowboys colours from 1998 to 2006 and was part of the club’s 2005 grand final team, becoming a cult figure alongside the likes of Matt Bowen, Travis Norton, Aaron Payne and a young Johnathan Thurston.
He played three games for Cronulla before linking with the Celtic Crusaders in 2007, playing 40 games in the Super League before leaving in 2009 and returning to North
Queensland, where he struggled to reignite his passion for the game.
Fast-forward a decade and Hannay is now the interim coach of the North Queensland Cowboys.
Hannay is taking the head coaching reins for the Cowboys’ final 10 games of the season, and possibly finals should the team rally under his leadership.
He has been an assistant coach at the Cowboys for the past four years, but Hannay has plenty of experience as a head coach, having coached Queensland Cup side Souths Logan for three seasons.
One player who is adamant Hannay has the goods to be a head NRL coach is Souths Logan great Phil Dennis, who is the holder for most games ever played in the Q-cup.
“We were in a tough spot and Josh was the right choice for us at the time,” said Dennis, who was born and raised in Ayr and attended Kirwan State High School.
“He’s good with players and he knows his stuff. At one point I had a few injuries and I was overweight, and we had a quick chat and he helped put me back in the right direction.
“He knows what to do with a footy club, and it will help that he’s a former Cowboys player.
“He knows the culture and the systems, and he has the opportunity to add his own twist on things.”
Hannay left Souths Logan in 2016 to take up his assistant coaching role at the Cowboys.