Group Nine have made a clean sweep of the Riverina under 23 representative team.
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Riverina under 23s coach Josh Cale has selected all 17 Group Nine players for the Country Championships campaign after they demolished Group 20 66-6 last Saturday.
Cale named a 19-man squad to take on Greater Southern Tigers on Saturday week and included Leeton front rower Rhys Wilesmith and Waratahs hooker James Girdler.
Cale said Group Nine’s performance was too good to ignore.
“It was a pretty decent performance,” Cale said.
“Group 20 are a little bit unlucky in that they have come up against a red hot Group Nine team, who played really well and have got some good combinations.
“To Group 20’s credit, they pushed the whole game and we’ve got a couple of their guys in the squad.”
While impressed by the strength of the Group Nine squad, Cale said they must now rise another level.
“It’s a pretty red hot team right across the park and it’s got plenty of experience there,” he said.
“It looks really good but we’ve got a big job now, we’ve got to step up another level and try to gel again with the squad we’ve got.”
Cale expects Greater Southern Tigers to prove formidable opposition.
“I think they have a lot of West Tigers players that drop back into their team,” he said.
“It will be a tough challenge but I’m pretty confident with the team we’ve picked. I’m looking forward to working with the boys.”
The under 23s team trains for the first time on Thursday night at Equex Centre at 6.30pm.
Training date for the Riverina leaguetag will be announced soon.
Riverina squads
Under 23s
James Hay, Ed Ansell (Brothers), Jordyn Ballard (Cootamundra), Tristan Dickson, Hayden Jolliffe, Troy Barby, Zac Graham (Kangaroos), Jack Lyons, Mitch Bennett, Steven Tracey, Luke McBeath, (Southcity), Hayden Philp, Sam Elwin, (Temora), James Girdler (Waratahs), Tyron Gorman, Matt Henery (Gundagai), Zac Masters (Tumut), Aaron Slater (Young), Rhys Wilesmith (Leeton)
Leaguetag
Eliza Baddock, Amelia Lolotonga, Maddison Payne, Ua Ravu (Yenda), Bridget Horsley, Madison Dunn, Gab Suckling (Brothers), Renae Glanville (Cootamundra), Takilele Katoa (Waratahs), Jessica McDonell, Pani Rupapere (Albury), Sophie McGregor (Leeton), Megan Pearson (Hay), Emily Perrot (Temora), Tess Staines (Yanco)
