Harris to lead Bullsharks

Bond say Fijian assistant is just the man for coach

BOND University have appointed Brad Harris as the coach to guide their Queensland Premier Rugby outfit to a long-awaited finals berth.

The Bullsharks charged home in 2018 under Grant Anderson to go within a whisker of finals footy.

The club opened up all coaching positions for next season to applications, with Harris deemed the ideal men- tor to take the reins in a recruitment coup for the club.

Harris was previously at Bond as colts head coach and has since gathered experience as Georgian national assistant coach.

Most recently he has worked as an assistant with the Fijian Drua, who will take on Queensland Country in the National Rugby Championship grand final today.

“He was definitely the most qualified candidate,” Bullsharks director of rugby Sean Hedger said.

“He’ll be experienced technically with everything that is needed to be competitive at premier grade.

“He has coached international rugby now through Georgia.

“All three NRC teams that he has been involved with (also including NSW Country Eagles and the Canberra Vikings) have made it through to at least the grand final.

“I don’t think our style of play will change but he might improve a couple of areas.”

It’s understood Bond are eager to have Anderson stay on in an assistant role, with the club legend to meet with Harris next week.

“Grant did not do a bad job by any means, we were all really happy with how the team performed last year but we opened up all coaching positions in the club to applications,” Hedger said.

Harris is due back from Fiji on Wednesday and will start his new job the following day, with contacting players his first duty.

The Bullsharks are not expecting to lose many players from their 2018 roster outside of retiring props Salesi Manu and Eddie Aholelei.

That may make the Bond front-row a focus area for recruitment, though young gun Gavin Luka will be back on deck next season after a long injury lay-off.

Harris was uncontactable in Fiji yesterday as he prepared for the NRC decider, in which Country trio Angus Blyth, Hamish Stewart and Harry Nucifora will play against their future club coach.