CSU’s back line was taken a big hit before the start of the Southern Inland season.
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Reddies will be without former captain Mitch Fealy as well as fullback Ryan Prior for 2018.
Prior was the club’s leading tryscorer last season and his absence will hurt CSU’s potential to score points.
Prior crossed for 13 tries last season, putting him in the competition’s top five, but will miss the year to undergo shoulder surgery.
Fealy has decided to retire and president Andy Bedford believes he will be a huge loss for the club.
“It’s a huge loss but it was going to happen eventually,” Bedford said.
“He thought it was his time to finish up but it is going to be big shoes to fill, especially as he was captain.
“It is like a double blow trying to fill the spot losing your five-eighth, probably one of the most important positions, and your captain in one go.
“I feel we have a lot of blokes who could step up into the captaincy role but the five-eighth position is such an important spot.
“We are trying to find the right fit for that at the moment.”
Bedford believes finding someone to slot in the five-eighth role vacated by Fealy is one of CSU’s biggest challenges.
“Our aim hurdle is trying to fill the five-eighth position,” he said.
“It is probably our biggest priority but other than that we’ve got a reasonably strong first grade squad at the moment.”
One potential replacement is Theo Heinjus.
The playmaker has experienced Brumbies development football and is impressing at training.
“He looks like he will be quite handy,” Bedford said.
Reddies have also added hooker Isaac Thompson, who comes from the army, while flanker Declan Oke is back with the club following a year
CSU had been struggling with numbers during the pre-season but Bedford believes things are back on track.
There was hardly enough for a team at stages during last month, but as the season approaches more having been making the effort to train.
“A couple of weeks ago our numbers were pretty ordinary but it looks like it just took a little bit of coaxing out in the off-season,” he said.
“Numbers last week were really good.”
CSU will have their first hit out of the pre-season at Kapooka on Saturday.
They also have a trial against Shoalhaven in Nowra on March 17 before another one against Parkes in Parkes on March 24.
Reddies are looking to improve after finishing second last in 2017.