A close to full strength New England side emphatically cracked its two-game losing streak on Saturday despite the radar being off.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The Nomads scored a 162-point win over the Eagles following losses to the Saints and the Kangaroos and New England coach James Treweeke said the scoreline could have been larger.
“A few of us copped a few remarks about how we couldn’t kick,” Treweeke said after the Nomads kicked 25 goals and 37 behinds against Narrabri.
“It [the margin] was close to 160 in the end but it could have been 200-plus if we kicked straight.
“I think that comes down to training.”
READ ALSO:
Treweeke said the lack of training came down to the seasonal player drain the Nomads experience each year with the university holidays.
The coach said with the majority of players back on deck, the Nomads were focusing on locking down a top four spot.
“During the holidays we’ve only had five or six at training for the three weeks,” Treweeke said.
“You lose all that work you’ve done before that. You almost have to reset and start gelling again but I think from now on we have a clear run until finals.”
Narrabri kicked four goals in the loss with Raymond Nixon and Travis Heffernan both nabbing a double each.
New England had 13 separate goal-scorers in the victory.
“We have a few backs that can go forward and provide a target. We don’t rely on one person to kick 10. It’s something we pride ourselves on,” Treweeke said.
Locke led the way with five majors for the Nomads while Dave Richards and Harry Wakefield scored four goals each.
Treweeke named Locke as one of New England’s best in a role he’s not accustomed to.
“Nick Locke, he usually plays in the midfield but with Angus [Quail] still away on holidays he played full forward,” Treweeke said of Locke.
“Dave Richards was a standout along with Luke Raymond but I think there was a fair few players across the park that stood out.”
The Nomads have the bye this weekend before back-to-back clashes with the two Tamworth sides.