After being a key part of the Tigers 2025 Grand Final campaign, Hayden Ahscroft will be at the helm in 2026 for the reigning premiers, hoping to go back-to-back.
Reigning Group Nine premiers Gundagai have acted swiftly to secure their coaching succession, appointing forward Hayden Ashcroft as head coach for 2026 following Aaron Gorrell’s departure to St George Illawarra’s Jersey Flegg under-21s program.
Gorrell, who master-minded the Tigers’ fifth title in 10 years with a gritty 10-6 grand final win over the Wagga Kangaroos at Equex Centre on September 21, had been set to lead the club’s bid for back-to-back Grand Finals, the first since Southcity in 2016-17.
Club officials, led by president David Tout, encouraged Gorrell to seize the full-time NRL opportunity, praising the “welcoming culture” that underpinned their 2025 success. Ashcroft, a Gundagai junior who returned as a player in 2025 after five years away, steps into the breach with a blend of on-field experience and prior coaching nous.
The 30-year-old front-rower/second-rower was a linchpin in Gorrell’s pack—earning the Players’ Player award at the September 29 presentation night alongside best-and-fairest Derek Hay and best forward Wilson Hamblin. His seamless integration addressed a pre-season forward shortage, delivering high tackle efficiency (averaging 45+ per game), crucial go-forward (85+ meters), and timely tries while missing just one match for NSW Police representative duties.
Gorrell frequently lauded Ashcroft’s impact, calling him “our best by far” after a pivotal 22-10 upset over the undefeated Kangaroos in round 11, where his work rate set the tone for an 18-0 halftime lead.
In a Gundagai Times preview ahead of the Cootamundra clash, Gorrell noted Ashcroft’s “big minutes every week,” crediting him and Hamblin for building the depth that fueled the finals surge.
From Sydney Pathways to Country Grit: Ashcroft’s Playing Pedigree
Ashcroft’s elevation is no surprise to those familiar with his trajectory. A Wagga Wagga junior, he progressed through the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs’ system, featuring in 24 NYC (Under-20s) games in 2018 and one NSW Cup outing in 2019 as a durable second-rower or lock known for aggressive tackling and offloading.
Post-Sydney, he returned home as captain-coach of the Wagga Kangaroos in 2020—a COVID-truncated season yielding one win in 10 rounds amid border closures and relocations. Despite the struggles, Ashcroft mentored standouts like best-and-fairest Jordan Coleman and winger Hamish Starr, emphasising youth integration in a campaign that laid the groundwork for future growth.
He departed post-season for the NSW Police Force, where his rep career flourished: earning ‘Player of the Carnival’ at the 2022 State Championships in Tamworth as a dominant lock, the Peter Nissen Shield for Country Player of the Year, and spots in the 2022 Australian Police team and ongoing NSWRL Pioneers selections.
NSWRL vice president Rod Sheraton hailed his “wealth of experience” in subduing forwards during the 2022 Interstate Challenge win over Queensland at Accor Stadium.
Ashcroft’s 2025 Tigers season was a revelation, blending that pro polish with country heart. He debuted in round 1’s 24-18 comeback over Temora, making an immediate “big impact” per Gorrell despite linking up just days prior. Key moments included a game-sealing try in the 74th minute of a 14-10 thriller against archrivals Tumut in round 16, a hat-trick-enabling powerhouse try in a 70-12 rout of Brothers in the regular-season finale, and anchoring the middle with 52 tackles in the grand final’s defensive masterclass after prop Zac Graham’s injury.
Gorrell, reflecting on the awards night, called Ashcroft’s engine “huge,” noting how shedding coaching duties allowed him to “unleash that edge” across the campaign.
In the Gundagai Times, Gorrell praised his spine’s consistency—including Ashcroft’s forward drive—heading into finals.
A Philosophy Rooted in Depth and Unity
The late timing of Gorrell’s exit caught Ashcroft off guard, but the Gundagai old boy was quick to commit. “It was a bit of a late decision with Goz making a late call, but it’s probably come at a good time,” Ashcroft said.
Balancing a police role with family, he weighed the shift but drew from his 2020 Kangaroos stint: “I had some time away from Group Nine, and I enjoyed my time coaching in 2020 at Kangaroos.”
Conversations with Tout sealed it—the club’s “great group of blokes” and mates like Hay mirrored the culture Ashcroft craves. Ashcroft’s blueprint echoes Gorrell’s: prioritise reserve-grade strength to fuel first-grade success.
“First-grade success is only ever built from a strong reserve grade… if reserve grade is winning and enjoying their footy, it flows into the top side,” he said, vowing to pick the best 17 weekly on merit while treating the club as “one team.”
No sky-high targets for now—”If we can just be competitive again next year, we’ll put ourselves in the picture”—but with proven leaders like Hay and a squad that topped completion (88%) and defence (14.2 points conceded per game) in 2025, the pieces are there.
The support network runs deep at a club that has won eight titles since 1923, including 2020, 2022, and now 2025.
“There’s plenty of senior players and people around who’ve been part of multiple premierships… that support was another big factor,” Ashcroft added, easing his transition.
As pre-season ramps up in the new year, Ashcroft—fresh off tasting glory as a player—aims to end the near-decade back-to-back drought. For Gundagai’s faithful, it’s a homegrown story primed for another chapter.
– Tully Potts
