Group 4: Kootingal-Moonbi training hard for 2021 season

The Roosters had almost 40 players, which included seven or eight juniors at the session.

The Rooster "hens" also trained at Kootingal Oval on Thursday with the men under new coach Abby Schmiedel.

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They had 18 players for a side to be led by player-coach Schmiedel and Jeff Faint.

"It's the first I've coached," Schmiedel admitted after Thursday's session.

The daughter of Gunnedah coach Mick Schmiedel is excited about the team's prospects.

"We've had good numbers and the girls have been really committed. We've still got a majority of the side from last year [2019] and some Oztag rep players have come over as well. We are going to have a strong side," she said.

Roosters men's first grade coach Geoff Sharpe is confident his side will have good numbers in both senior and junior ranks when the 2021 season starts in a few months but said it has been hard "getting numbers to training".

"I think all clubs are struggling to get back into the groove," Sharpe said.

"It's been hard getting players back to train after we had the year off for covid."

Sharpe has been buoyed by a few "new" acquisitions as well.

"Chris Vidler has come out of retirement and will play for us," he said of the former blockbusting prop.

"He will be able to play every second week.

"We've also picked up Kurt Hartmann. He played for Gunnedah a couple of years ago. We have lost Jack Rumsby though."

A number of players from Kooty's grand final side from 2019 have returned to training with the likes of Jordan Sharpe, Ben Williams, Kyle Cochrane, Logan Howard, Cameron McDonald and Phil Beaton all in training.

The Hatch boys, Zach and Liam, have also been training strongly and Sharpe tipped Liam, who played on the wing in 2019, might be a player of note in 2021.

He also said it was unclear what Brenton Cochrane is doing this season.

"We signed him to play in 2020 but we don't whether he is playing with us this year," Sharpe said.

"He has some family issues and whether he plays here or with Narrabri we're not sure yet."

He said the Roosters won't pressure Cochrane and let the brilliant pivot decide his playing future over the next couple of months.

Club president Lad Jones also trained and will play for the Rooster reserves.

"We have been getting good numbers in both the men and women," he said.

"We've also got a trial lined up against the Gulgong Terriers down there in a couple of weeks.

"We went out there in 2015 and they reciprocated the next year but it fell away. And then we had covid.

"But their coach, Dave Morrison, rang me and invited us back out there. That first year was great, they looked after us and both sides then won grand finals that season too."

Jones and Paul Noldt are coaching the reserve grade while the under 18s are also coming together well under coaches Nathan Blacklock and Nathan Rushton.