REGARDLESS of what side he comes up with in tomorrow’s second-round Country Championship clash with Central Coast Centurions, Greater Northern Under 18 coach Peter Stevens knows his side must start better.
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Against East Coast Dolphins last Saturday his side had a slow start at Bellevue Oval, Armidale and cannot afford to do the same at Scone Park tomorrow.
“We have to be better than we were,” Stevens said of his side that eventually beat the Dolphins 32-22.
“We’ve got to be better with the ball.
“I know it was slippery but we turned it over way too much but our defence was very good and, apart from a few lapses late in the game, was spot on.
“We have to have the same attitude in defence but improve that attack.”
He believes his prop rotation holds the key to that attacking improvement.
“Alec Cocking, Jack Cameron, Beau Hargraves and Sam Ballinger,” he said.
“They were good last week but they have to be better this week.
“They have to dominate early – rip in and set a platform for us.”
Injuries continue to plague Stevens and his Under 18 side with the likelihood captain and fullback Hayden Loughrey will miss this game.
Winger Jake Saunders was also under an injury cloud but is right to play and has been slotted in at fullback, with Elijah Rasiga moving to the wing from the bench.
“Jake is right to play,” Stevens confirmed
“I’ve slotted him at fullback. At this stage Hayden is racing the clock but I rate him a 20-80 chance to play this week but a real big chance of playing next week.
“Elijah will start on the wing after coming off the bench last week.
“He was very good for us off the bench last week.
“His first 20 minutes was big for us.”
Tom Baker (shoulder) is another under an injury cloud while Oxley Digger Jack Rumsby has been added to the squad as an 18th man.
The Greater Northern Under 16s, who kick off the day with a noon start against the Centurions, are much more settled for their coach Gary Jones and appear to have an unchanged team for tomorrow’s second round.
The Country Rugby League Under 16 and 18 Championship Grand Finals will be played as curtain raisers to this year’s AAMI Country v City Origin clash at Scully Park Regional Sporting Precinct, Tamworth on Sunday May 8.
Country Rugby League selectors will be present at each match with players to be selected for the Country Under 16 and 18 representative teams which will tour Perth (U18s) and Samoa (U16s) later in the year.