AFTER a successful switch from breakaway to outside centre, Pirates star Jake Douglas is finding himself learning another position craft.
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The Country tourist last year has played at inside centre for the opening two games this season.
The move is designed to get Douglas more touches.
As far as Pirates are concerned the more he can get his hands on the ball the better that is for them.
That reasoning was evident in the opening minutes of last Saturday’s derby, with Douglas slipping his way through the Tamworth defence on a 40m run to put Pirates hot on the attack.
A play later, five-eighth Sam Collins turned a lovely ball back inside to Douglas’s centre partner Garrett Doughty.
Minutes later he was in himself after slipping a short ball to Doughty and then backing up in support.
Whether it’s a permanent move is still up in the air.
“We’re just seeing how it goes,” he said.
He said he and Doughty were still finding their feet with each other.
Every time they’ve played together previously it’s been the other way round, with Doughty at 12 and him at 13.
“12 is different,” Douglas said.
For starters you’re trying to create the space rather than looking for the run.
He’ll be back in his customary 13 next weekend when he’ll be a key cog in Central North’s Richardson Shield campaign.
He came off early against the Magpies after picking up a bit of an ankle twinge but was confident he’ll be right.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” he said.
He is excited about the Kookaburras’ prospects.
“It’s definitely one of the most quality Central North sides I’ve seen,” he said.
“As long as we can all perform as a team I think we can do really well.”
The championships will mean there is no Central North action.
The zone isn’t playing this weekend either in honour of Anzac Day.
Pirates head into the break with a win and a loss, and a lot of improving to do.
“We still weren’t anywhere near where we know we want to be,” Douglas said.
“We played well in patches but patches again we were horrible.”
One of the good points of their performance was they started well.
“We really came out strong,” Douglas said.
“That first 10 minutes everyone did their job.”
They knew they needed to.
“Being the local derby we knew Magpies were going to come out strong,” he said.
“We were cautious of them. We knew they’d be tough.”
The biggest improvement was up front.
“Our scrums and lineouts were 100 per cent better,” Douglas said.
“Off that, it gives us backs time.”
Narrabri head the table on for and against from Moree with the two the only undefeated sides.
While there is no senior Central North action this weekend, the junior carnival season will kick off tomorrow at Walcha.
