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 Under 16s coach says team has what it takes to win final 

Under 16s coach says team has what it takes to win final

17 Jun, 2010 10:17 AM
GROUP 10 under 16s coach Nick Lander knows his team has what it takes to claim the Country Championships second-tier final against Group 2 in Wyong on Saturday.

The side, boasting the likes of rising Bathurst talents Kurt Toole, Joshua Lander, Jake Bright, Blake Lawson, Ben Whitley and Matt Giliver will line up against a team of players from Coffs Harbour, Belligen, Macksville, Maclay Valley, Nambucca Heads, Orana Valley, Port Macquarie and Woolgoola.

After going undefeated through the southern conference of the championships in Wagga Wagga earlier in June, only an 8-all draw with Group 9 in their semi-final kept Group 10 out of the top competition.

Lander said against a somewhat unknown Group 2 outfit, he expects his young team to play well and come away with the victory.

“I know that Group 2 are a reasonably-sized team but I don’t really care who we come up against as long as we play well,” he said.

“Certainly we will be going there to win and, just going off how we trained this week I think all of the boys are focused on coming away with the cash.

“We’ve got boys in this team from Oberon, Bathurst, Mudgee, Orange and Blayney, but the way they have gelled together has been fantastic.”

In Wagga Wagga, Group 10 opened their title push with a strong 26-10 win over Group 14 on Saturday, dominating in a six-tries-to-one performance.

After their tough 8-all draw with Group 9, they met Group 16 and defeated them 24-12 in a strong showing to secure a place in Saturday’s final.

A thoroughly impressed Lander said his team had done all that he asked of them, something he expects them to do again in the final.

“We just need to execute what we have been doing at training and that should convert into a strong performance on the field,” he said.

“We also need to be sensible. Sure we can find the boundaries with the referee but I don’t want to see us getting the same penalty twice.”

While Group 10 players Ben Whitley and Blake Lawson will back up on Sunday for Southern looking to secure a NSW Country jersey, Lander hinted there could me more on offer than just a win for the rest of the players in his team.

“The NSW selectors will be there watching the game just in case any of the players they’ve picked get injured,” he said.

“If that happens they’ll be looking for other players to step into their positions.”

GROUP 10 team: 1 Cody Sharah (Oberon), 2 Kurt Toole (St Pat's), 3 Wayne Sellers (Oberon), 4 Dominic Ashe (Cowra), 5 Jackson Brien (Oberon), 6 Terry Brown (Orange CYMS), 7 Nick Ohara (Mudgee), 8 Seamus Leyland (Cowra), 9 Joshua Lander (St Pat's), 10 Sam Coyte (Orange CYMS), 11 Ben Whitley (St Pat's), 12 Matt Giliver (St Pat's), 13 Blake Lawson (Panthers), 14 Zac Elwin (Oberon), 15 Jake Bright (St Pat's), 16 Tom Sharkey (Cowra), 17 James Prestwidge (Orange CYMS), 18 Dylan Frecklington (Orange CYMS), 19 Hayden Spencer (Orange CYMS), 20 Daniel Wallace (Blayney).

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