Wattles impress new coach ahead of TRL season openers
RUGBY LEAGUE: Wattles will start the new season with home games today at Platz Oval against Goondiwindi.
The first game will start at 3.30pm, with A grade from 6.30pm.
This season Wattles has made a big play, recruiting former NRL player Travis Burns as a player-coach.
Burns said coming in fresh this season was a good start.
"It's good to come in without much of an idea,” he said.
"I know they came home with a wet sail after losing a few games early in 2017. We want to start the year well.”
Burns said he recognised the TRL wasn't a walk in the park, and knew the importance of coming out of the blocks.
"It's a tough competition,” he said.
"If you can stay injury-free and win early games, you have a good shot at making finals.
"We have a strong squad but so do a lot of others.
"If you don't turn up on the day, you're going to get beaten.”
Looking at players to watch, the Duggan brothers, Matt and Ryan, are the usual suspects. "Jake Hargreaves is a centre who has had a good pre-season,” Burns said.
"Will O'Grady played for the Mustangs and I think he can go to the next level so, hopefully, we can develop him and he can move further with his footy,” Burns said.
Wattles has a pack that can work through the middle and lay a platform for the likes of Matt Duggan and Burns to run rampant.
It's important for them to gel as a side early in the season, and if they do, they are going to be awfully hard to beat in the finals.
