Luke Taylor: Ex-Raider to co-coach Cowboys with Shaun Ferguson in 2022

The duo first met when Taylor went to Farrer with Ferguson's elder brothers, Nathan and Jason, in the 1990s.

Fast forward to 2003, and Taylor coached Ferguson at Farrer, the year the side won the University Shield, with Ferguson later joining the former NSW Country representative at North Tamworth.

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In 2011, when Taylor - a former Raiders signing (he played lower-grades for a season) - had his final year for the Bears, Ferguson captain-coached the side and Taylor was also the club's president.

Four years later, Ferguson played under Taylor at Dungowan.

The 2022 season will mark the first time the great mates have coached together. Ferguson - a groomsman at Taylor's wedding - captain-coached the Cowboys this year, when the side finished last in a COVID-shortened competition.

Taylor coached Dungowan's league tag side the past four years. The Cowgirls lost the 2019 grand final to Norths and were equal on points with fellow competition pacesetters Norths and Kootingal-Moonbi when the season was halted early this year.

The side included his wife, Sarah, and his daughter, Jada, a Sydney Roosters signing and a member of NSW Rugby's sevens program. Jada attends high school in Sydney and plans to attend university there next year.

Taylor - who coached North Tamworth to the 2005 and 2006 premierships - said co-coaching with Ferguson "means a lot" to him.

He added: "It's probably no different to a lot of other years, as we've both been there [at Dungowan]. But, on the other hand, two heads are going to be better than one when looking after the team."

This year, Taylor helped Ferguson with his bench on game days. While in 2019 he ran water for a Cowboys under-18 side coached by Ferguson.

The Cowboys' first-grade side this year included Taylor's son, Trent. He expects the exciting young No 1 to be part of his squad in 2022. Trent has previously spoken about his desire to secure an NRL junior deal for next season.

Taylor - an NRL game development officer - coached Dungowan for four straight seasons when they were in the now-defunct second division. They won the 2014 competition.

Two years later, he'd had enough and ended his tenure at the end of the 2016 season.

"I probably enjoyed coaching the girls over the last four years more than I've enjoyed coaching anyone," he said. "It was a different way for me, but I sorta stepped away from the men because times were changing.

"Obviously, we're a bit out of town and had had a change in the club where they didn't want to train ... So I stepped away from the boys because I had enough."

Taylor expects things to be different this time around.

"We've got a real good crowd [player roster] out there at Dungowan, so it's a bit exciting at the moment. Hopefully we'll add a few more to the crowd we've got and we should have a good year."

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