The Queensland Tertiary team will have an experienced coach in its corner when it takes the field for the annual clash with NSW Students in May this year.

Paul Srama is already busy planning Queensland's bid to tame NSW in the interstate clash at Win Stadium, Wollongong, on May 2.

 
"There is a host of talent in the URLQ Competition alone, and I am really eager to build on the playing strength of last year's Queensland Tertiary's side," Srama said.

 

Srama, a former prop forward who made his mark on the Brisbane Rugby League competition throughout the mid-1990, possesses an impressive rugby league resume.

 

Since making his coaching debut with Ipswich in 1995, Srama has tasted premiership success five times within South East Queensland, as well as presiding over four victorious representative outfits.

 

Srama has both managed and coached the Queensland University outfit to successive victories over their New South Wales counterparts since 2006, as well as mentoring a Pacific Islands Invitational team to the plate final in the 2005 Student World Cup.

 

He has also coached the Griffith University Dragons to a hat-trick of premierships in the Universities Rugby League Queensland (URLQ) competition.

 

But perhaps his proudest moment came in the Ipswich Rugby League when he guided the Ipswich Swifts to back-to-back premierships.

 

After sustaining a serious arm injury whilst playing for the English second division team Barrow in 1995, the Millmerran junior chose to wind up his playing career as captain-coach of the Ipswich Swifts in the local IRL competition.

 

After a tough initiation into the coaching caper, success came quickly for the rookie mentor, with Srama's Swifts storming through the 1997 IRL season undefeated to claim back-to-back premiership victories.

 

Having enjoyed his initial foray into coaching, Srama's passion for the game of rugby league influenced him to embark on furthering his coaching credentials, with the strength and conditioning expert occupying assistant coaching roles with the Brisbane Valley's and Queensland Tertiary teams over the past seven years.

 

Srama puts his success down to four main ingredients - belief, communication, honesty and a strong support staff.

 

"While I have been lucky to have coached some good players in my time, I have always tried to be completely honest with them," said Srama.

 

"I find that if you communicate well with your players and that they have the willingness to learn, than they not only believe in the coach, but they also believe in themselves."