Orange Emus head coach Paul Ringland was impressed with his side’s execution and attitude in the club’s first trial last week, but admitted the greens’ fitness left plenty to be desired.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A number of Emus will play in this weekend’s Royal Hotel Invitational Tens before the following weekend’s final trial against Warringah, which Ringland says will help a perceived lack of conditioning.
“We’ve got five training sessions, the [Royal Hotel Invitational] Tens and then another trial against Warringah to address that fitness issue, but everything was pretty good against Briars. It was a good way to see where we are a few weeks out from the season proper,” Ringland said.
Emus fielded two separate sides in Saturday’s four-quarter trial against Sydney Suburban Rugby club Briars, sharing the spoils.
A mixture of Emus’ first and second graders won the first and third quarters of the game, while a mixture of the club’s lower graders went down to Burwood in the second and fourth quarters.
“We had a good turn-out and it was a good hit-out, it’s encouraging to have those sort of numbers putting their hands up to play a trial,” Ringland said.
Andrew Selwood was phenomenal in Emus’ top side while Sam Greatbatch and Sam Mac-Smith were two to stand-out in the side which played in the second and fourth quarters.
One massive advantage Ringland highlighted was the sheer amount of front-rowers he and co-coach Jeremy Wallace had at their disposal in the trial, there was no less than seven big boppers to choose from.
The Blowes Clothing Cup season kicks off on April 1, when Emus head to Dubbo to take on the Rhinos at Caltex Park.