Steve Larkham’s contract extension with the Brumbies was a no-brainer

Statistically, 2024 was one of the Brumbies’ best seasons on record, with just two losses through 16 games.

The losses came against the Chiefs in the regular season before going down to the Blues in the semi-final.

The statistics are close to those achieved by the Brumbies in their glory years when the team recorded just three losses in both 2001 and 2004, although those seasons were arguably tougher as they featured South African teams.

Steve Larkham, over the past two seasons, has effectively dispelled the myth that great players don’t necessarily make great coaches.

His contract extension until the 2026 season is an indication of the role he played in developing the Brumbies into the leading Australian team in Super Rugby.

Upon his return to the Brumbies for the 2023 and 2024 seasons, the side has only lost seven out of 32 games.

They have only lost once to a rival Australian Super Rugby side in the past two seasons. The last time the Brumbies lost to another Australian team was in May 2023 when they were beaten by the Western Force 34-19.

The Brumbies have also made the semi-finals three years in a row, with the 2022 side coached by incoming Waratahs mentor Dan McKellar.

While the coaching and the program are, in large part, the reason for the success, you also need quality players.

In the test against the All Blacks in Wellington in September, the Brumbies contributed five players to the starting lineup.

But Larkham’s real challenge will be bringing through the next generation.

He has good young players who you would think will only get better with another season. These players include Charlie Cale, Luke Reimer and Corey Toole. They have the potential to go to another level.

Then there are players such as Declan Meredith, who surely deserves greater opportunities in 2025. Meredith was a standout player in the John I Dent Cup over the past two seasons.

This is why rugby at the community level is so important. The emergence of players from the premier competition into Super Rugby not only provides a pathway but it establishes a connection between the grassroots and the professional team.

Canberra, with only six clubs playing at the top level, probably provides the Brumbies with an advantage as it gives visibility to all players in a confined competition.

And Larkham, a local junior himself, knows this all too well. He was plucked from obscurity to become one of the greatest Brumbies of all time.

He is now on course to become one of their most successful coaches. A title in 2025 would convince plenty that he is in that class.