The club held a players meeting on Wednesday night and pre-season training begins on Tuesday.

It’s part of a different approach from coach Terry Westblade coming into his first full season with the club.

Westblade has been thrilled by the response.

“It was exciting and the players are keen to kick off and get together again,” Westblade said.

“It is a great group so it is wonderful from that perspective.”

There were around 25 players during the week.

While Westblade said it was mostly regulars on Wednesday night, new recruit Cameron Breust was also among them as were a couple of rugby union converts.

Monson Tuvale and Keifer Power were also in attendance and Westblade believes both are set to play in 2018.

“Those boys are both keen to have a run, which is great,” he said.

“I think they’ve played rugby league before.

“It is great to have them on board and there were a couple of other faces that I didn’t know as well.”

Tuvale is no stranger to the club, but made quite the impact for Southern Inland club Wagga City late in the season.

Keifer Power played with Southcity when he first moved to Wagga, but switching to rugby union.

He was second in the competition’s leading tryscorers list.

He averaged over one a game with 19 during the regular season before helping the Boiled Lollies to the preliminary final.

Westblade said the players were pushing the earlier start.

“They are sort of driving the ship,” he said. “The players are keen so why not?

“We do want to get fit and thought we would get a few weeks in before Christmas.

“We will have the five weeks prior to Christmas then break and adjourn until late January.”