CURCIO WILL COACH TO SAVE CLUB’S TOP TEAM

A DEEP love for Atherton has spurred Nathan Curcio to step up and coach the club this FNQ Rugby League season, effectively saving the side from being kicked out of A-grade.

FNQRL finalised the participation of Atherton and Southern Suburbs in this year’s competition on Thursday after a lack of registered players had both clubs on the brink.

Curcio replaced Graham Clark Snr as head coach just 10 days out from the start of the 2023 season, and in stepping up has ensured a new chapter will be written in the 100-plus year history of the club.

“I’m stepping up to the plate because of what the Roosters mean to me and what they mean to the town,” Curcio said. “It’s a new start for the Roosters, and we need to build the culture back to what it was and to what it can be. It will be a tough year but we need to get the right boys back and look after the young fellas.”

Curcio answered an SOS from the club after Roosters officials scoured the community for support.

He trained for a few weeks with the team during the off-season, but with only a handful of regular A-graders among the few who showed up, it wasn’t looking likely for the club.

When it came to the crunch, Curcio put up his hand.

“We had to make a decision, I asked around, and if I stepped up to coach they’d come back and give it a crack,” Curcio said.

“I’m doing it for the club, that’s what made me put my hand up.

“It’s a learning curve for me. I’ve played enough footy, I’ve got enough footy brains, we can make something of it, but it won’t happen overnight.”

Curcio is a Malanda junior, playing his footy there until joining the Roosters as a 17-year-old in 2012.

He made several rep sides over the years, and spent some time at Cairns Brothers as he followed the pathway, but ultimately returned to the Tablelands and the Roosters as he put his personal life first.

A small-business owner with a young family, Curcio has also been a staple at the Roosters for the past few years, and his well-respected standing in the community is evident through the way the club has been able to garner support on the eve of the season.

Curcio does not expect to perform an overnight miracle, but wants to ensure the right people are at the club to help the young guns, who won the under-18s premiership last year, who have come through the grades.

“We have a good group of 18-yearolds who are training at the moment. They are the future of the club and if we can look after them and nurture them, treat them right, the club will go in the right direction,” Curcio said.

“There’s a lot of young talent but very green … we need to get the older boys around them to look after them and build their confidence.

“It won’t happen overnight; grand finals are won over 4-5 years, building the culture. It’s about looking after them, giving them the best chance with their footy.”