Blayney’s Aiden Nunn has been confirmed as one of the 18 Western Rams players that will be taking part in the under 16’s championship starting this Saturday in Mudgee.
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Rams under 16s coach Kurt Hancock has had his “socks knocked off” in the lead-up to the opening round of the Andrew Johns Cup at Mudgee.
The Bathurst-based Western mentor believes the Rams junior representative program continues to go from strength to strength and says there’s little reason why this group of players can’t achieve the same sort of success as the 2017 team did during the country championship.
Western won last year’s under 16s championship after the 2016 group made the final in Tamworth, falling agonisingly short of the crown that year.
Hancock confirmed his squad on Monday ahead of the seven week championship tilt, with players from Bourke to Oberon, making up the 18-strong line-up skippered by Bathurst Panthers prodigy Noah Griffiths, last year’s Australian Schoolboys under 15s halfback currently linked with the Melbourne Storm.
The 2018 under 16s Rams heads into Saturday’s opener on the back of a bumper, two-day camp at Lake Burrendong and Hancock says this outfit has the potential to continue Western’s recent purple patch at the championship, starting with the Penrith Panthers development squad at Glen Willow.
“If we keep improving on it, everybody knows the Western Rams are a force now with our junior program,” Hancock said.
“It’s already getting recognition with Charlie Staines, Riley Cheshire, Joey Hobby … we did a count on the weekend, there’s close to 20 players down in the Sydney system.
“It’s a great pathway for bush kids. It’s really pleasing.”
Hancock said his side will be without Wellington five-eighth Rylee Blackhall and Forbes gun Jack Hartwig for round one, with both selected to play for the NSW under 16s Koori side in the lead-up to Saturday’s Charity Shield at Mudgee.
No players from last year’s under 16s championship winning Rams side were eligible for selection this year.