Mick Schmiedel: Tigers women open their Country Championships account on Saturday

The Gunnedah Bulldogs coach's first aim starts on Saturday at Cessnock when his Greater Northern Tigers women tackle Newcastle Maitland Region in a first round Country Championships match.

His second aim is to win the Group 4 first grade premiership with Gunnedah.

Read also:

They are big targets but "you're in it to win it", is one of his many credos.

He's also confident the Tigresses can start their campaign with a win at Cessnock after his side beat them last year before the season was abandoned.

Greater Northern lost to Newcastle in a recent trial at Dudley, three tries to one. But Schmiedel is confident they can only improve, especially after Sunday morning's training session at Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School.

"I came away extremely happy," he said. "[I] ended up shortening the session because they took in everything very quickly and their energy level and enthusiasm was very good.

"[I] didn't have to go over things a lot. They responded to what I wanted."

TIGERS: 1 Hannah Rando, 2 Tanika Darcy, 3 Shae Pemberton, 4 Shai Blackadder, 5 Sarah Byrne, 6 Amy Barraclough (capt), 7 Lenikki Craigie, 8 Gaynor Blackadder, 9 Sarah Stewart, 10 Amelia Tunamena, 11 Brooke Davis, 12 Brooke O'Halloran, 13 Kate Brown, 14 Hannah Crisp, 15 Jess Baker, 16 Brooke Doyle, 17 Jess Morgan, 18 Nautica Eather. Coach: Mick Schmiedel.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: