The school teacher inside him told Chris Lewis he could handle the reins of The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup squad at the Canberra Raiders for the 2025 season.
It has been a quick transition for the 32-year-old from playing NRL with Melbourne Storm earlier this year to coaching in the NSW Cup next year.
“I always wanted to have a go at (coaching). I’m a teacher by trade so when I went into footy I looked at the way new ideas came on board and how people learned things… sort of traits of a teacher,” Lewis told nswrl.com.au
“I didn’t see myself going into it straight away to be honest.
“But I broke my ankle towards the end of the season and Craig Bellamy asked me to help out with Storm’s reserve grade side who played and trained with the NRL side.
“I was helping a bit with the blokes who weren’t picked to play (NRL) that weekend.
“That little taste of it was enjoyable. Then I had the opportunity to come up to Canberra and I thought I’d give it a go.”
Lewis isn’t sure what the conversations were like between good friends, former Raiders teammates and now NRL mentors, Bellamy and Ricky Stuart. But he suspects his name might have come up.
“Not sure if they spoke in the background. Ricky just rang and asked me if I’d like to have a crack.”
Lewis played six seasons across NSW Cup and Queensland Cup before making his NRL debut with Storm in 2020.
He played 45 games over five years with Storm and in between played 35 games for their QRL feeder team, Sunshine Coast Falcons. He won the 2016 NSW Cup Grand Final with Illawarra Cutters over Mounties, but lost the 2017 Queensland Cup Grand Final to PNG Hunters with the Falcons.
From that football resume Lewis has played lock, second row, five-eighth, and halfback. He thinks the variety will help his coaching.
“I’d like to think it does. I grew up playing in the halves but got too tall so wasn’t allowed to play there much anymore.
“Being able to look and understand the game from different perspectives I’m sure will help. And I’m not someone who spent a lot of time in the top tier. I considered myself a bit of a battler having to work for everything I got.
“I was told ‘No’ many times so I’m hoping all that will give me a good handle on things.
“I also hope I’m teaching them some useful stuff as I haven’t been out of the game very long.”
Lewis takes over from Brock Shepperd, who moves up into the NRL coaching staff having helped the Raiders to third spot on NSW Cup ladder and a Preliminary Final appearance in his first season.
Lewis knows he has little control over the make-up of the team he gets each week.
“Brock has made me very aware of that – quite often not being sure what the team will look like. He’s told me of picking up players from NRL stadiums and bringing them back to Cup.
“That will be one of the more challenging sides to it. It’s not about the perfect plan but the best plan you can bring each week.
“It’s different to the Storm where you had blokes going back to Queensland Cup teams that had different programs and such. Here at the Raiders they all train together, all working off the same playbook.
“Hopefully we build those connections during this pre-season training so once the season proper starts I know who I’m dealing with.”
Already into pre-season he’s been impressed by the commitment of players like hooker Owen Pattie, Mitch Spencer and new recruit Myles Martin, who played lock for the 2023 CABE NSW Under 19s Men’s State of Origin side.
Martin now joins NSW teammates from that year Chevy Stewart, Ethan Strange, Ethan Sanders, Savelio Tamale and Jake Clydsdale at the Raiders.
“We have some very talented footballers coming through at the Raiders and they’re pushing for a NRL spot – some already have it,” Lewis said.
“So blokes who don’t get picked are going to still try hard to get in the next week. That creates a really good environment.
“They’ve been successful at NSW Cup level, reaching the finals the past two years, so that means they must be close to NRL level.
“It’s a pretty good situation to walk into as a coach.”
