GROUP 4 Bushrangers finalised their preparations for Saturday’s Greater Northern Championships at Scully Park with a sharp session in the morning heat at Jack Woolaston Oval, North Tamworth on Sunday.
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The 20-man squad finished off a series of training days over the past six weeks with a 90 minute session from 10.30am.
It helped Group 4 coach Paul Hyson finalise his run-on side with the help of his assistants Craig Power, Nathan Blacklock and Will Jerrard. They have named a small but mobile side to tackle Group 21 in their first game at 10.30am Saturday and then play Group 19 later in the day.
The team assembles in Tamworth Friday evening for a team dinner at the Southgate Hotel prior to the championship kick off.
“We had a good session,” Hyson said Sunday.
“Group 21 beat us last year,” which he described as something of a “mugging”.
“We expect them to be big and mobile again. I imagine they will play similar but we were also our own worst enemies last year.”
He has named Narrabri backrower Jock Small as his captain with Mitch Doring (7) and Mitch Sheridan (6) in the halves and Scott Berry at fullback. Young Gunnedah prop Lincon Smith adds size to the Bushranger pack and strips lighter and fitter for the new season.
Hyson originally started with 27 after an initial trial day at Ken Chillingworth Oval in Tamworth before that was cut back to 20.
Training sessions were held every Wednesday after Christmas.
“It’s been real good,” Hyson said of the attendance.
“We’ve had players coming from Narrabri, Boggabri and Gunnedah, coming from long distances but hardly missed a session. And they are a good bunch of young men.”
He said the commitment from players such as Small and Boggabri pair Matt Gillham and Isaac Harris has been impressive along with Smith and fellow Bulldog Hayden Smith.
“You won’t recognise Lincon,” he said before Sunday’s final session.
“He’s been training hard and dropped a heap of weight. But we have a good mixture of players. We are pretty happy with the side we’ve got and all of them have trained hard.”
The coaching staff also addressed the squad after Sunday’s final session.
Power, a former first grader with West (at 16) and North Tamworth said the preparation for Saturday’s championships has been good.
“Probably better than any Group 4 side has prepared in the last 10 years,” he said.
“We just want you (players) to be as good as you can,” he told the massed players.
“Try to be better than the player (opposition) opposite you. And play as a team. That’s all I ask.”
Blacklock, a former NRL try-scoring star with St George, gave the side a “wrap”.
“You are all talented players,” he told them.
“You all looked good out there today. The opportunity is there for you to go up and above but you have got to have each other’s backs. Got to work for each other.”
Hyson’s final chat was short.
“Last year we got worked over by Group 21 on the ground (in the tackle and play the ball). This year you all have to work on the ground and work on getting up off the ground,” he said.
That specific had been worked on earlier in the day with a defensive drill using pads and Blacklock yelling instructions for the young players to go to ground in the tackle landing on “knees and elbows” something he had been taught at the Saints in order to quicken the speed of the play the ball.
A simple but extremely profitable tactic to make the play the ball faster and enhance the attacking chances, Blacklock said during the training session.
GROUP BUSHRANGERS: 1 Scott Berry (Werris Creek), 2 Jermaine Walford (Werris Creek), 3 Ryley Taylor (Kootingal), 4 Jamarley Jerrard, 5 Brayden Jerrard, 6 Mitch Sheridan (North Tamworth), 7 Mitch Doring (Manilla), 8 Lincon Smith (Gunnedah), 9 Ryan Ingram (North Tamworth), 10 Isaac Harris (Boggabri), 11 Jack Patterson (North Tamworth), 12 Zac Leonard (Werris Creek), 13 Jock Small captain (Narrabri), 14 Matt Gillham (Boggabri), 15 Nick Pascoe (Kootingal), 16 Pat Ferguson (Manilla), 17 Jack Rumsby (Kootingal), 18 Hayden Smith (Gunnedah), 19 Leroy Livermore, 20 Miles Kerney (Werris Creek). Coach – Paul Hyson Assistant Coaches – Craig Power, Nathan Blacklock, Will Jerrard.
