Page 60 - Rugby League World (February 2020)

Economidis who took the role of head coach at Red
Star in 2018 explains that very scenario was how he People don’t realise
landed the position at the powerful Serbian club.
“It was a case of using the services of Srama
recruitment who are excellent in placing players and how good these
coaches into jobs around the world.
“Founder Luke Srama knew who I was having been
around Rugby League in Queensland himself and knew Serbian players are. For
that Red Star were on the lookout for a new coach.
“From there, Luke got in contact with Chairman
Colin Kleyweg who on the recommendation of
Luke, spoke with me and said I came with the right athleticism, strength and
credentials and was given the job then and there.”
Economidis however, will always be remembered
by Rugby League fans as the man who guided the power, they are just as
Chargers to finals glory in 1997.
The Gold Coast outfit defeated the Illawarra
Steelers 25-14 in front of just 8,197 dedicated fans at
Parramatta Stadium, believed to be the lowest ever good as some Australians
finals series attendance for the ARL/NRL.
Throughout his ARL career with the Chargers,
starts, a percentage of 29%, the highest of any Gold I’ve coached.”
Economidis guided the club to 20 victories from 69

Coast coach pre-Gold Coast Titans.
“Those Chargers days were probably some of the
best of my coaching career. difficult time running an ARL club as a lot of players
“We basically had 6 weeks to assemble a side with were jumping ship to take the big dollars on offer by
the Super League/ARL war and I was scratching Super League clubs.
around for players left right and centre to get a side “How we survived that first year and made the
on the paddock. finals is unbelievable.
“After the demise of the South Queensland “I mean in all honesty, we were up against some
Crushers, we managed to pick up a few of those pretty formidable opposition that year with the
blokes without clubs such as former Australian likes of Parramatta and Newcastle, but we just kept
winger Graham Mackay, but most of the players I believing in ourselves.”
had where virtual unknowns. After his tenure ended at the Chargers, he then
“I started as the reserve grade coach at the Gold lost his way, but eventually found his mojo again
Coast and having some success with that side in ‘96, wandering the world (literally) for success.
was elevated to the top job in ‘97. “I suppose leaving the Chargers was probably the
“At the height of the Super League war, it was a saddest day of my entire coaching career.

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