Group 16 Signings Tracker: Culture central to Batemans Bay rebuild as Tigers secure key recruits

Tallon Smith

The Batemans Bay Tigers will field a very different side in 2026 compared to last season after several key signings joined the club ahead of the new Group 16 season.

The Tigers have secured the return of local juniors Anthony Henry and Treigh Stewart, as well as former Woden Valley Rams player Alex Sweeney, Chris and Brodie O’Meley, and Group 16 first graders Cheyne Pike and Huxx Ngahoata from Narooma and Moruya respectively.

Batemans Bay first grade coach Jeff Cox said that the club’s recruitment strategy has been driven by an overarching cultural framework designed to create sustainable success for the club long-term.

“Obviously our recruitment was an important thing, [and] we made the decision last year that we weren’t going to go out and pay ridiculous money for out-of-town players,” he said.

“We obviously needed the cultural change at our joint, and we started that last year where all our first grade players are on the same match fee per game.

“That meant that we were going to miss out on some signings, but we were happy enough to accept that so as not to compromise what we’re trying to build at the club.

“At the end of last season we also said that we wanted to make the club an absolute majority of people that either were Batemans Bay junior players living in town or in Canberra or in striking distance of Batemans Bay, or players that were prepared to move to Batemans Bay to play, or players that had played for Batemans Bay previously, who knew the culture of the joint.”

Batemans Bay players celebrating their victory over Moruya in a local derby last season (Photo: Supplied)

Cox said this criteria was central to solidifying the club’s list of recruitment targets, with many of the players being previously involved with the Tigers.

“Once we identified the type of personnel we wanted in the joint, we then went about establishing a list of names,” he said.

“That list of names, we already had that from the year before, so it was a case of going back to the well for a second time with those guys, and trying to convince a lot of them that we are a club looking for some change, and this year we had a lot more success convincing those guys to play for us than we did this time last year.

“The thing we started on working on really hard last year was making our club a club that players and people wanted to be around, and I felt that we got some real traction in that regard.

“It’s super important, [our] number one priority to make sure that momentum continues.”

Ricky Stuart putting the Batemans Bay Tigers through their paces at a special training session (Photo: Facebook)

After a lean run which saw the club finish as wooden spooners in each of the last two seasons, the strong off-season on the signings front has raised hopes for the club this season.

Cox said that while the club is obviously looking to build on its one-win season in 2025, he is keeping the side’s goals for the upcoming campaign realistic.

“We only won one game last year, but the high we got from that one game was sensational, and we obviously want to win a few more than one this year,” he said.

“I’m not going to say that we’re going to win a premiership, because that’s a massive statement, and I’d be a fool to say that, but as long as we can put ourselves really to be in a position if we can to make the top five by the end of the season, then if we can make the top five anything can happen after that.”

Batemans Bay players tackle an Eden opponent in a Group 16 game last year (Photo: Facebook)

Another key component of the cultural change being driven at Batemans Bay is the coach himself.

Tigers secretary Michael Rowley said that Cox has been “brilliant” for the club so far in his second stint at Mackay Park.

“I doubt there’s a minute of the day that he’s not thinking about football, I truly believe that,” he said.

“I know there’s going to be times when he’s got to run his business, I reckon his brain is ticking over 24/7, and it’s footy, footy, footy.”

“He coached first grade at Batemans Bay back in the early 2000s, he was first grade coach over at Woden Valley Rams for a long time, [and] he’s been involved in the pathways for the Canberra Raiders.

“He’s an out and out footy head.”

Group 16 off-season signings by club

Batemans Bay Tigers

Coach: Jeff Cox

Gains: Anthony Henry (Shellharbour Sharks), Alex Sweeney (Woden), Huxx Ngahoata (Moruya), Treigh Stewart, Chris O’Meley, Brodie O’Meley, Cheyne Pike (Narooma),

Losses: None

Bega Roosters

Coach: Gus Smith and Zac Saddler

Gains: Zac Saddler (Mudgee), Noah Saddler (Cooma), Rhys Djerke (Tuggeranong)

Losses: None

Bombala Blue Heelers

Coaches: Korie Elton and Liam Beazley

Gains: Tuwame Turaganivalu, Jackson Standen

Losses: Harrison Baker (Merimbula-Pambula)

Cooma Stallions

Coach: Jason Kelly

Gains: Thomas Carey (Belconnen), Josh Webb (Belconnen), Jordan Eti (Gungahlin), Cooper Hassall (Bombala), James Dyball (Belconnen), Samuel Kimori-Edmond (Tuggeranong), Jack Robertson (Beerwah), John Bogana

Losses: Noah Saddler (Bega), Matthew Fellows (retired)