The Boggabri Kangaroos are set to bound into the 2019 season.
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Kangaroos coach Shane Rampling started preparations for the new season with a training session at Jubilee Oval on Monday night.
“I was hoping for about 20 but we ended up getting 31,” Rampling said.
“That’s brilliant. It blew me away actually. I had to change the coaching session to cope with the numbers.”
The turnout was heartening for Rampling and the Boggabri committee who worked hard to keep the club competitive last season after a late start to the year.
It also means the club expects to have a reserve grade side in 2019.
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The failure to field a second grade side last year affected the Roos’ performances and forced the club to use a number of under-18 players in the senior grade.
“This year we will have a bridge for the juniors,” Rampling said. “And we do have some good kids.
“We still have to appoint a reserve grade coach yet. We’re in the process of doing that and should be organised to have one in the next couple of weeks.
“But the club is way ahead of where we were last season. “
He said a recent sign-on day at the Railway Hotel in Gunnedah had proved beneficial and had enabled the club to sign a few former second graders from Gunnedah who had not played for a few years.
“They were at training too,” he said. “There were a few big boppers there too. We pretty much had this year’s squad there too, plus a couple of the new signings.
“We’ve also signed Nathan Miller’s younger brother, Nick. He played for Bathurst last year after playing in the under-20s at Souths. He also played in the Western Division under-23s too, so we are looking good.
“With half a dozen of those under-18s coming up too, we are looking a lot stronger.”
He said the club will train each Monday night until February and he has laid the welcome mat out to anyone interested in joining the club.
“The more the merrier,” he said, adding: “It’s all good here.”
As part of their pre-season, the Kangaroos will take part in the Hoey Moey 9s at Coffs Harbour.