GREATER Northern Rugby League Academy held its first training camp of the year in sweltering conditions yesterday.
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Due to Country Music Week, the training was shifted from Scully Park to David Taylor Oval in Werris Creek, where the mercury was up around the 40 degree mark.
GNA manager Scott Bone said that the weather was unfortunate although the training day was important.
“We are using this session to revise everything we learnt last year and get the core skills going again,” Bone said.
“It is a big revision day and the boys need to switch on and get in footy mode again after the break.
“That is a big challenge in this heat.
Both the U15s and U17s squad will have to get into “footy mode” fairly quickly as the academy prepares to take on the Knights in three weeks.
The 15s will take on the Knights Chargers, whilst the older kids will play the Hunter Academy.
Both games will be played in Cessnock on February 22.
“We have been looking at individual and core skills but will now start putting them together as a team,” Bone said.
“We will start working on structure and game play today and continue at the next session.”
The squad will have one more session at Jack Woolaston Oval on February 2 before the clashes.
Following the game against Newcastle, Greater Northern will host Northern Rivers and North Coast academies for a weekend of games.
The games will all be played at Jack Woolaston Oval and will conclude the program for the year.
“Everyone will be getting back into club footy by then and looking to make regional rep sides and group sides,” Bone said.
For the U17s, this will be the last game they have for the academy after two years in the program.
“The young blokes get the opportunity to come back and play in the 17s next year,” Bone said.
“We are hoping to retain most of them.
“They do the basics in the U15s so it is good to see them step up into the older groups.”