If early planning is the key, Western is streets ahead of the rest of its 2017 Country Championship competition.
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In the scorching heat at Jack Huxley Oval on Saturday, Rams coach Darren Jackson put 35 of the region’s best under 23s players through their paces in an effort to identify enough talent to take the green and white back to the top of Country Rugby League.
Following the CRL’s representative football shake-up – the championship format was cut from opens to under 23s – just three players from last year’s Rams squad are eligible again in 2017.
Effectively a line change, Jackson says the chance to start anew is both a little daunting and exciting.
“I don’t think we approach it differently, but we are going back to the drawing board,” Jackson said.
“Last year we tried to create a bit of a core group of guys to build a team around but out of last year’s squad there’s only two or three.
“It’s exciting though. The enthusiasm is going to be there.”
It had to be too. The Rams first session was run in 39-degree heat at Manildra.
It’s a bit of early planning but hopefully it’ll pay off.
- Western head coach Darren Jackson
Still, Jackson said getting the group together now, in January, was crucial to ensuring Western produces on the big stage.
“And I’d be lying if I said I knew everyone in (the under 23s) age bracket, and all the talent,” he daid.
“It’s good to see the guys with the good attitudes and who is in condition. It’s a bit of early planning but hopefully it’ll pay off.”
Jackson’s lone survivors from last year’s campaign – Western lost to Southern Stars in the opening round - include Parkes’ Sam Dwyer, Bathurst’s Blake Lawson and Forbes’ Ben Maguire.
Dwyer was the benchmark for intensity throughout Saturday’s session, Jackson noticing as his young guns from last year now transform into the side’s most senior players.
“Sammy, he’s been really strong at club level and he was our best player against Italy. Those guys are now our senior guys … it’s funny saying that, they’re only 23 years old,” Jackson added.
“We’ve put them through their paces (on Saturday) and we involved a bit of contact as well to see where they’re at.”
Jackson and assistant coach Tim Ryan will take a squad of 34 to Newcastle for a trial with the Knights’ under 20s on February 11.