Young guns Toby Maslen and Ryan Baker are set to earn their starting stripes as Pirates look to “get back to business” against Quirindi at Ken Chillingworth Oval on Saturday
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Wesley Rooney will also make his run-on debut with coach Mat Kelly making several changes to the side that came from behind with eight minutes remaining to overcome Barraba 33-27.
Part of last year’s premiership-winning under-19s side Baker has had a few runs off the bench and will partner Jacob Budd and skipper Conrad Starr in the backrow.
“He’s excited.
“His boss is [second rower] Andy Wynne. He’s excited about playing with his boss,” Kelly said.
Still eligible to play under-19s, Maslen’s elevation to the first grade side has been in the works for a while.
“He’s been training with the side for a few weeks now in preparation,” Kelly said.
He’ll start at outside centre with Andrew Mepham pushing into inside centre.
Also adept at playing in the backrow, Kelly sees centre as the Maslen’s best position – at the moment anyway.
“I think he’ll develop into a backrower in future years. He’s definitely a big future prospect for the club,” he said, adding that he’ll bring “youth and speed”.
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The opportunity to blood the likes of Maslen and Baker has been the silver lining to a mounting injury toll, Kelly joking that Starr and Bart Leach “feel like they’re back at work teaching”.
By the same token the injection of young talent, with Tom Dietrich making his debut earlier in the season, has brought “excitement back to the group”.
“The young boys are buzzing about. It does rejuvinate the old boys,” he said.
Kelly is also excited to see what Rooney can produce at fullback after playing the last 20 minutes against Barraba, and impressing.
He isn’t too worried about last week.
“It was a good experience for all the boys that came in to have that tough game and keep them honest,” he said.
“But we definitely look forward to getting back to our ways good and proper.”
“The boys are fired up. They know last week wasn’t our best performance.”
Andrew Collins also returns from NSW Country duties for a game that on paper Pirates should win will but will be an 80 minute test with Kelly remarking that the Lions keep turning up “no matter how things are going”.
He also spoke of their willingness to throw the ball around, which makes them unpredictable.
“Quirindi have been playing well. I think if they had better numbers they’d be much better,” Kelly said.
In the round’s other fixtures Barraba host Scone, Inverell are home to Moree and Walcha make the trip to Narrabri.
TEAMS
Pirates: 1 Barton Leach, 2 Tim Collins, 3 Andrew Collins, 4 Jack Shelton, 5 Andrew Wynne, 6 Jacob Budd, 7 Ryan Baker, 8 Conrad Starr, 9 Jackson Sharpe, 10 Sam Collins, 11 Thomas Dietrich, 12 Andrew Mepham, 13 Toby Maslen, 14 Sam Bowden, 15 Wesley Rooney.
Quirindi: 1 Sam Kelly, 2 James Davison, 3 Angus Fraser, 4 Angus Clift, 5 Tom Longmire, 6 Harrison Frear, 7 Will Elsley, 8 Gordon McNeil, 9 Toby Saunders, 10 Alex Roseby, 11 Wiaan Oosthuizen, 12 Angus McKenzie, 13 James Clift, 14 Alec Olsen, 15 Jayden Slater.
