Bowd has assembled an experienced group of former players to steer the Blacks in the 2015 Newcastle and Hunter Rugby Union competition, each given a specific coaching role.

The 47-year-old former club ­president will be the head coach and work with the backs, but the 263-game veteran has called on two-time Anderson Medal winner Adam Perkins to focus on conditioning, NSW Country’s most capped representative Darren Dimmock to assist with line-outs, first grade premiership winner Ash Steinerts to target defence and former top grade player and coach Nick Wickham to concentrate on scrums.

“There are 900-plus games for the club in that group, so we have done a few laps around the oval,” Bowd said.

“We are all passionate Maitland rugby people and hopefully we will be able to pass on a bit of that experience to the younger players.”

Bowd said he hoped this approach would help the Blacks improve as players and steer Maitland to its first premiership in the top grade since he was ­president during club championship years of 1998 and 1999. 

“Our major objective is to create better footballers,” he said.

“That is why we have a wide variety of people there to work on specific skills in the game.”

David Johnson, former NSW cricketer and father of Blacks first grader James, will be Bowd’s manager.

The draw has yet to be released for next season, but the competition will kick-off April 11 with the grand final set down for September 19.

In other Newcastle and Hunter Rugby Union news, Paul Coles was elected unopposed as the man to take over from outgoing general manager of 14 years Phil Payne.

The club announced Bowd’s appointment this week after Bobby Tynan said he would step down from the role at the end of this season.