The newly appointed coach will be without star first-grade player Troy Hearfield, who recently announced he would be stepping away from the game for family reasons.

The news comes after former Premier League-winning coach Greg Bartlett decided not to continue in the role this season.

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"Troy will be a big loss, but we are fairly confident we will be able to cover him," May said.

"We have got some pretty talented young guys coming through the ranks, who I'm sure would jump at the chance to play Premier League regularly.

"I'm sure as the pre-season rolls on we will have a bit more of an idea who those guys will be."

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Serving the club as reserve-grade coach in 2019, May said the club's depth was one of its greatest strengths.

"Given the success the club has enjoyed over the past few years, I don't think we will be changing too much," he said.

"How we will approach every game this season will depend on the personnel we have available.

"We will be playing a trial match down in Newcastle, as well as the Johnson Cup, so we should have a pretty good idea of who can play what role come round one."

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May said he was confident Bartlett would play an active role in the club this year.

"Greg will still be coaching our under-14 team this year, so I'm sure he'll be around," he said.

"It will be a tough job and I have got some big shoes to fill, but I'm confident we can be successful.

"Robert Jefferies will be working alongside me, so the team will be in very good hands."

The new Premier League season will begin on May 5.

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