Sport
5 December, 2025
Bears coaching team locked in for 2026
Online ‘rugbyleaguecoach’ Lee Addison and Reserve Grade coaches Aaron Burgess and Laurie Stewart have joined Ash Taylor’s Oakey Bears team for the 2026 season.
English-born Addison has been an assistant coach with NRL clubs Penrith and Manly, at World Cups with Ireland and the USA, and has headed the nationally regarded school programs at St. Gregory’s Campbelltown, and Ipswich High.
Addison had been the catalyst for an initially reluctant Ash Taylor to coach last year, and will be back on board to mentor him in the 2026 season.
“We’re thrilled to announce that Lee Addison is coming back on board to support our coaching team!” a club spokesperson said.
“We’re excited to have him back and can’t wait for the impact he’ll make!”
Taylor has been joined by two assistant coaches, Aaron Brothers, who coached Brothers Reserve Grade in 2025, and Laurie Stewart, who coached the Bears Reserve Grade sides in 2023 and 2024.
“Aaron Burgess brings passion, experience, and a strong work ethic to help drive player development this season,” a Bears spokesperson said.
“Laurie Stewart is a proud former Oakey Bears player and now the backbone behind the scenes, keeping everything running smoothly and supporting our squad every step of the way.
'We’re excited for a huge season ahead with this outstanding team guiding our A Grade squad.
“Go the Bears!”
This season, the Bears are looking to field an Under 19s side, with an acknowledgment that junior retention has been an issue over the past few years.
It’s hoped that the current crop of Under 16s and Under 17s will find a place to call home in senior football, and that juniors who have left (some still live in the district) return to the Bears.
There has been criticism in some quarters towards new President Ben Schweitzer for making so many signings in a time when cash is tight, but it’s understood the executive’s view is that signings are cheaper the earlier you make them, and success brings more fans through the gates.
Oakey has one of the strongest followings in local Queensland rugby league, with an average crowd of just under 200 at The Den last year (a figure on par with the state cricket team, for example).
That figure is expected to rise should the Bears start winning regular games.
Lack of depth was another problem for the Bears in 2025, with Oakey’s Reserve Grade side failing to record a win and conceding an average of 40 points a game.
Indeed, part of the rationale for the high-profile signings of Dwayne Duncan, Brandon McGrady and Alex Hinch was to increase the quality of the player pool.
If the new players bond with the existing squad members quickly, and the Bears have some luck with injury, the team has the talent to compete every week and challenge for finals.
