That change came in the form of a revamped roster and an overhauled coaching staff, with Wollongong-product Phil Jaques elevated to the top job. 

Jaques acknowledges he has a hard task ahead of him to return NSW to its past glory, made no clearer by the side’s four-wicket defeat to Western Australia in their JLT Cup opener on Tuesday, but he is confident his young side has the ability to bounce back this summer. 

“Things just didn’t go to plan at back end of year,” Jaques said. “When you’re losing, it’s not always the nicest place to be. But we’ve had time to reflect, take stock and there’s been a real fresh outlook this year, which has been really good to see.”

“We have a great bunch of guys to work with, they’ve been really open to trying different things and they’re really trying to improve on their performances from last season. We’ve put a line in the sand as a squad, we’re looking forward to the future as a team and trying to create something special.”

Jaques has formed an unconventional coaching staff, with Beau Casson and former New Zealand international Andre Adams signing on as batting and bowling coaches, respectively. 

While the choice of Casson, a spin bowler without a first-class century to his name, raised a few eyebrows, Jaques backed his assistant to use his bowling expertise to develop better batsmen. 

“The coaches we’ve got on board are aligned with my philosophy. The players are trying to become good problem solvers on the run, and to do that they need to know the game. We’re trying to utilise our knowledge to impart that on the rest of the group. We’re making sure the whole group has a sound knowledge of the game.”

The winter saw the departure of veterans Ed Cowan, Nic Maddinson, Gurinder Sandhu, Jay Lenton and Doug Bollinger, with youngsters Jason Sangha, Mickey Edwards, Parram Uppal, Dan Fallins and Liam Hatcher elevated to the top squad. 

With so many inexperienced players in the side, Jaques and his coaching staff have placed a heavy emphasis on developing the players’ ability to adjust to different game situations.  

“There’s definitely been a strong focus on the tactical side of the game. Something often missed in coaching is talking about how we go about certain situations, with a young group it’s vital to have those discussions.

“In the past, most coaches assume a certain level of how we read the game, maybe those conversations were had a lot more 20 years ago than they are today. We’ve made a bit of a pact that we’ll have more cricket conversations and enjoy those conversations.”

Such a significant roster overhaul can cause disharmony in sporting teams. Jaques, however, has been impressed by the way his senior players have embraced the changes he has introduced. 

“With young players there is definitely an openness, they’re still at the start of the journey. But we’ve also seen openness from the guys who have been around a long time, wanting to improve. 

“The senior guys have helped the guys learn the game as quickly as they can, so it’s pleasing to see they’ve embraced that role of mentoring and actively leading.”