Scott Blanch is the latest North Tamworth player to join Tamworth - and he may be rushed straight into the starting side, at inside centre, against Armidale at Moran Oval on Saturday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Group 4's best player, a former Manly signing, has only had two training runs with Tamworth and only signed with the club on Friday.
Read more:
The 30-year-old rugby league No 6 - who captained-coached Norths to back-to-back premierships the past two seasons - grew up playing league and union.
In his mid-teens, he chose to focus on league.
With the Group 4 season cancelled due to COVID-19, a host of Bears have joined Tamworth - including Richard Clegg, Jeremy York and several Fijians.
Blanch said: "I'll see how I go. I might pull on the boots tomorrow [Saturday].
"I pulled up a little bit sore after last night [at training] ... so we'll see how the body feels in the morning [on Saturday] - and we'll go from there."
Blanch said he had kept in shape in the hope the Group 4 season would go ahead, but had been "a little bit slack" with his training over the past month or so.
He said he could handle playing five-eighth for the Magpies.
The former Sea Eagles reserve-grader - who was part of Manly's NRL squad for two years and then played in France's top competition - believes his professionalism will benefit Tamworth.
"I'm just happy to be part of the club and maybe share a bit of my knowledge about the team atmosphere and stuff like that," he said.
"I think there's a lot of potential at the Magies - there's a lot of young fellas there."
In fact, it was that talent that "spurred" Blanch's interest in joining the club. He said he spoke to Tamworth coach Peter Burke about "bringing that new side together".
Burke is "tempted" to play Blanch at inside centre against Armidale.
The veteran mentor said: "There wouldn't be many rugby league or rugby union teams that I know of in NSW country that wouldn't have Scott Blanch [in their run-on side]."
