Football Staff Profiles
Ben Rauter – Football Operations Manager
Ben brings a wealth of experience to the role of Head of Football Operations, having been involved in rugby league for over two decades. A former North Queensland Cowboys player, Ben transitioned into coaching and has held key roles at elite levels, including Assistant Coach for the Cowboys, where he worked closely with NRL squad members and emerging talent.
Ben’s coaching career includes teams in the Intrust Super Cup and contributing to high-performance programmes. His involvement in these programmes has strengthened his understanding of player pathways and recruitment strategies. Prior to joining the Mendi Blackhawks, Ben played a pivotal role in building development systems and mentoring within the Cowboys’ organisation. His leadership style focuses on creating strong team culture, fostering resilience, and driving excellence both on and off the field.
In addition to his rugby league career, Ben spent time in elite law enforcement, which enhanced his skills in discipline, risk management, and organisational leadership qualities that complement his football expertise. His experience positions him to guide the Blackhawks’ football operations with professionalism and a commitment to success.
Ben is deeply community-aligned and understands the importance of players and the Blackhawks leaving a positive footprint with every step – on and off the field. His vision is to ensure the club not only achieves on-field success but also makes a lasting impact within the community.
Terry Campese – Head Coach
Terry Campese is Head Coach of the Mendi Blackhawks. Terry spent 12 years playing for the Canberra Raiders including 5 years as Captain. During these years he also represented NSW and Australia. After the Raiders Terry spent 2 years in England playing for Hull Kingston Rovers also as Captain.
Since retiring from professional Rugby League in 2017 he has coached the Queanbeyan Blues, Monaro Colts and Senior Men’s Country NSW teams. 2026 will be Campese’ s third year as head coach of the Mendi Blackhawks, just missing out on a top 8 finish in 2024 and securing a top 4 spot in 2025 of the Hostplus Cup.
Terry is passionate about helping young people achieve their dreams and is looking forward to a big season in 2026 for the Mendi Blackhawks.
Scott Evans – Head Strength & Conditioning Coach
Scott Evans holds a Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) from James Cook University and a Master of Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy from La Trobe University. In addition, he is a Level 2 ASCA Strength and Conditioning Coach, combining advanced clinical expertise with performance-focused training principles.
Originally from Kingaroy, QLD, he’s dedicated his career to rugby league — blending his passion for the game with a commitment to helping athletes perform at their best and recover stronger.
Scott has worked with the Mendi Blackhawks in the junior grades and looks forward to sharing his experience with our Hostplus Cup team and other S&C coaches.
James Tamou – Community Engagement
As a former professional Rugby Leagues player James hopes to bring a wealth of experience, showcasing leadership and motivational abilities to the Mendi Blackhawks. With a career that spanned over 15 years in the NRL, James has achieved some highly notable milestones that he will continue to use to embody the values of discipline, teamwork and adaptability he has learned over the years with the current players.
Off the field, James’ passion is helping in community based work with youth, leveraging the skills he has obtained from the world of sports. A goal in this field for James is also to continue pushing boundaries and helping others to reach their full potentials on and off the field.
Jaelen Feeney – Pathways & Recruitment Manager
Jaelen Feeney is a former Townsville Mendi Blackhawks player who made 74 appearances in the black and green. Before joining the Blackhawks, Jaelen spent five years with the Newcastle Knights, where he was part of a NSW Cup Premiership-winning side. He made his NRL debut for the Knights in 2016 and played 26 games across the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
During his time with the Blackhawks, Jaelen was recognized for his outstanding performances, being named “Back of the Year” in both 2018 and 2020. In 2018, he also received the Councillor Cook Community Award, a testament to his deep commitment to community involvement.
“Working in the community is something that I have always been passionate about,” Jaelen says. “I love working with kids, and I continue to stay involved as a Residential Youth Worker under the Child Safety banner outside of football.”
Following his retirement from rugby league in 2024, Jaelen transitioned into a key leadership role with the Townsville Mendi Blackhawks as the Pathways and Recruitment Manager. In this role, he is responsible for coordinating and overseeing all junior development programs, including our Harvey Norman Under 17s and 19s, as well as the Cyril Connell Challenge (CCC) and Mal Meninga Cup (MMC) competitions.
Jaelen also manages the RISE program, and plays a crucial role in scouting and recruiting emerging talent from the Townsville & District Rugby League (TDRL) competitions to join the Blackhawks representative teams.
