Kangaroos enter round one blind after 'frustrating' pre-season

The Kangaroos' trial match scheduled against the Muswellbrook Cats last month and the Tourist Hotel Cup hosted by the Narrabri Eagles - in which the Tamworth team was set to play - were both cancelled due to heavy rain.

This has left the Kangaroos without any match practice ahead of Saturday's game against the combined Narrabri and Moree Suns (NEMS) team.

"We literally haven't had any practice games at all," Nicholl said.

"We're trying to design training sessions so we can play as much game-style stuff as possible, but it's not the same."

While their opponents struggled in 2021, finishing in last place on the ladder with just one win and 14 losses, Nicholl is not so nave as to assume an easy victory.

Particularly after the first game played between the two sides, in round four, resulted in a narrow nine-point victory for the Kangaroos.

"They put up a fairly good performance," Nicholl said.

"You never know, in the first round they could come out and surprise us. So we're definitely not going in thinking that this is going to be an easy game."

Due to the lack of match practice, the Kangaroos will effectively go into the season blind and looking to gauge the effectiveness of their pre-season preparation during games.

But Nicholl has faith in his players, and said the changes he has implemented in training have been undertaken with enthusiasm.

"There's a level of enthusiasm for it, which I'm really appreciative of," he said.

"But in terms of how it goes on game day, it looks great in training but sometimes training doesn't tell you everything."

Along with the changes to the playing structure, Nicholl has also shifted some players into new positions.

"Guys that previously have played forward line only are finding themselves in the back line and vice versa," he said.

"I really want to see how they go, and without a practice match, that's been difficult. So we've got a lot to look forward to."

The Kangaroos and SENS will play this Saturday at Narrabri's Leitch Oval from 2pm.

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: