Ex NRL star Keary reveals the importance of blue shirt trainer

With the NRL cracking down on the presence of the 'blue shirt' trainer in 2026, ex-player Luke Keary has shed some light on the importance of the role they play for their clubs.

When speaking with James Graham on The Bye Round Podcast, Keary emphasised how deeply the rule change will affect clubs this year.

"As a half, it matters….it matters," Keary reiterated on the podcast.

"Every half in the comp, you have a relationship with your blue shirt.

"The communication that goes on with the blue shirt trainer, with the haves and your spine, is a lot more than people think it is. 

"They can do things with that blue shirt, and that blue shirt can do things for you that can impact a game a lot."

Keary revealed that the blue shirt trainer acts as a communication tool, not only with the coaches, but with his other teammates on the paddock.

Many see the blue trainer and assume he is barking orders from what the coaches' box is telling him to say.

However, Keary revealed during 2018 that ex-player turned blue shirt trainer, Matt King, would send messages from the halves out to the rest of the players on either side of them. 

It was an effort to reduce Keary and halves partner Cooper Cronk yelling orders and potentially letting the defending side get an idea of what they are about to do on the next offensive play. 

"I can send messages from Kingy behind me, going 'Kingy tell Coops if I take one left here, I'm coming back with this.' I don't have to yell out to them," he explained. 

"Like I said before, talking to Cooper on the other side of the ruck, without yelling out, Kingy's doing it behind me."

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Their role is so instrumental to a side's success that even in tight contests, game on the line, the blue shirt trainer is the one barking all the tactical orders to get the side to victory.

"When you watch the backends of games, I've seen it with Penrith last year, you can just worry about kicking a field goal, and your blue shirt trainer worries about moving everyone into position," Keary added.

"You won't see it, but for players, it is a thing".

In a bid to stop teams gaining a tactical advantage, the NRL has come down hard and is limiting the trainers to only very specific times during the match.

The crackdown will take place at the start of the 2026 NRL season, and will be a shake-up for most clubs who have been benefiting from it in past seasons.