FOUR Central North and four New England players have been named in a 46-man NSW Country Cockatoos rugby union squad to play the NSW Waratahs in Wollongong early next month.
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Moree trio – John Jeffries, Liam McCormick and Jason Webb – are joined by Inverell’s Matt Ellis for the February 2 trial.
The New England quartet is David Schmude, Kefu Moeaki, Jason Lincoln and Doug Andrews.
Central West, Newcastle and Illawarra players dominate the Cockatoo squad under new coach Alan Barker.
Central West has seven representatives, Illawarra 10 and Newcastle 11. Five Southern Inland players have made the squad as well as two from Far North Coast, two from Central Coast and one from Monaro.
The Cockatoos go into camp on Thursday, January 31 for a coaching camp before playing NSW Waratahs and a Waratah B side in trial games at WIN Stadium, Barker said yesterday.
“We’ll have a fairly intensive coaching camp in preparation for the two games,” Barker said.
“It will be the first time I’ve had the chance to meet most of the players. I’m looking forward to it.”
Barker said the Cockatoos could have as many as 12 games this season.
Following the Waratah trials they may have another game against the Waratah B side as a main preliminary to a NSW Super 12 match at the SFS.
NSW Country also plays Canada on May 25 at a venue to be decided while there may also be a game against a France A side.
“Then in mid June we start the Australian Rugby Shield (ARS),” Barker said.
“So it’s a big season.
“We’re trying to make it a full program and a program of interest as well as a program that gets somewhere.
“NSW Country is considered the fourth strongest provincial side in Australia.”
He said there was now a path for players to go straight from NSW Country to the Waratahs.
The success of the ARS is also making the players better known to rugby fans across the nation.
COCKATOO SQUAD: Adam Beavis, David Van Kotz (Central Coast), Matt Ellis, John Jeffries, Liam McCormick, Jason Webb (Central North), Simon Armitage, Tim Birch, Michael Brownlee, Mark Daley, Andrew Webb, Sam Webster, Ben Wright (Central West), Kane Scott, Luke Sullivan (Far North Coast), Steve Brennan, Wayne Dejong, Steve Harrison, Glen Hodgson, Daniel Lawson, Brad Newton, Vouli Tailasa, Jason Thompson, Nick Tyson, Josh Woodford (Illawarra), James McCormack (Monaro), Doug Andrews, Kefu Moeaki, David Schmude, Jason Lincoln (New England), Nicholas Crosskill, Brett Dale, Darren Dimmock, Geordie Estatheo, Todd Henderson, Andrew Kilgour, Ryan McDougall, Julian Morton, Tim Shaw (Newcastle), Rick Dummigan, Paul Roche, Craig Taylor, Joe Tora, Anthony Gowing (Southern Inland).
