Brisbane Bronco Tom Dearden is looking to add another string to his bow, taking on Brisbane Lion Daniel Rich as a kicking coach.
Rich, who is known for his raking left boot, visited Red Hill to offer tips to Dearden and Broncos playmakers Brodie Croft and Tyson Gamble.
SEN’s Pat Welsh explained how it wasn’t a one-off visit for the Lions defender.
“As it turns out, according to the press he has been working with Tom Dearden for some time now, for a few weeks,” Welsh said on SEN's Pat and Heals.
“He was in there yesterday and the cameras happened to catch him working with the halves.”
Rich was reportedly taking Dearden through hand-to-foot kicking drills, and Welsh explained how an AFL and NRL star combined in a similar situation last year.
“Trent Cotchin did some work with Nathan Cleary last year," Welsh said.
“And his kicking game was one of the highlights of the NRL season.”
Cleary’s kicking ability vastly improved throughout the 2020 season, with Andrew Johns describing the halfback’s Game 2 Origin kicking performance as the best he’d seen from a New South Wales half.
While Dearden is yet to reach Cleary’s level, drastically improving his kicking game may elevate the 19-year-old’s play to new heights in 2021.