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St Mary’s eventually prevailed 28-26 but not before giving the visitors a 16-0 headstart courtesy of some “atrocious” football.

Love said his players’ attitudes had not been where they should be to play the level of football they would be playing throughout the school year.

“We’re improving each week and there’s a lot of good work individually but we still need to bring it together as a team,” Love said.

“We’ve still got a long way to go and some of their attitudes are not where they should be to be at this level.

Yesterday’s match was to be the squad’s final pre-season hit-out, but Love is hoping to arrange a match against Hamilton’s St Francis Xaiver College before the end of term one.

The 25-man squad will be culled to 20 at the end of the week, with Love saying a plethora of good backrowers had made the decision to leave several players out hard.

The squad has been training since October but the finalised squad can now smell the start of the Arrive Alive Cup, which will start next term.

But before then almost half of the St Mary’s squad are expected to attend the first stage of NSW Combined Catholic College’s (CCC) selection, when the Northern Country rugby league trials are held in Kempsey on April 9 and 10.

Yesterday’s trial match was played across three stanzas and after struggling in the opening third, St Mary’s clawed back to only trail 16-12 going into the final term.

Three of a kind: Albert Kelly, Mal Webster and Adrian Davis have made a smooth transition from the country to the city.

Story & Photo By : Luke Horton

Mal Webster, Adrian Davis and Albert Kelly have revelled in the atmosphere of Sydney, with all three making a name for themselves in the high profile SG Ball competition.

SG Ball is of course one of the stepping stones to the NRL and all three of the Kempsey lads are currently on track to realise their dream of playing in the world’s strongest rugby league competition.

The trio, who play for NRL teams the Bulldogs (Davis), Parramatta (Kelly) and the Rabbitohs (Webster), have set a great example for young country footballers, in particular young indigenous footballers, with their courage and commitment in choosing to leave their families behind and follow their dreams.

“Leaving my family and friends was hard, but having the chance to fulfill my opportunities and goals made it all worth it,” Davis said.

“My advice would be take your opportunities with both hands.

“If you’ve got the talent and the opportunity to do something like play rugby league you have to make the most of it, nothing comes easy.”

Davis also said, while rugby league was a priority, there were other considerations that were just as important.

“Footy is a priority but it’s not the only one,” he said.

“Getting a good education away from football is also important and I’d put both on a similar level.”

Kelly, who has lived in Sydney for just over a year, agreed and said it was important for young footballers from the country to have a firm plan in place before making any move to the city.

“When I first came down here the club got me a job with a mowing company, which I’ve had to leave because of the hours, but I’m about to start another traineeship,” he said.

“When you come down it’s important to be focused and put in 100 per cent to make it work.

“You should also set something up before you come down so when you get here you’re ready to go.”

All three admitted the initial move to the city had been hard, but becoming part of a team and meeting new people who had been thrust into a similar environment made the transition much easier.

“Being from the country the things you miss most are going fishing or riding motorbikes with your mates,” Webster said.

“I thought it (the move) was going to be hard, I didn’t really know anyone, but it’s alright now, you get used to it.”

From a football perspective the trio said the competition wasn’t really all that different, mainly just more professional, but they did say expectations were much greater when playing for a leading club.

“It’s definitely harder than park football, there are bigger blokes for starters,” Webster said.

“Training’s every day and you work a lot more on the little things.”

Webster, who plays either full back or five eighth, heads to Wollongong this weekend to take on Illawarra, while Davis has the bye.

The pair, who have never before met on the paddock having always played together, will come face to face in two weeks when the undefeated Bulldogs meet the improving Bunnies.

HIT IT UP: Wagga High’s Jackson Margosis is tackled by Kildare’s Seb Cottam in last night’s Hardy Shield grand final played at Conolly Rugby Park. Picture: Kerrie Stewart
WAGGA WAGGA HIGH SCHOOL	10 - 6	KILDARE COLLEGE
TRIES : Kyle Philpott, Jack Littlejohn , GOALS : Jack Littlejohn		TRIES : Curtis Young GOALS : Zac Nix
Full Time: Penalties: 1-6 - Scrums: 9-13
HARDY SHIELD PHOTO'S here

After being locked at 6-6 for the majority of the game, a Kildare knock-on gave Wagga High the ball 20m out from their line.

Littlejohn took the ball at first receiver and glided between two defenders to score in the corner, breaking Wagga High’s three- year hoodoo in the Hardy Shield and exacting revenge for last year’s grand final loss to Kildare.

In what was a dramatic and intense grand final, both teams struggled in the wet and cold conditions, making plenty of handling errors and missing a number opportunities in attack.

Wagga High centre Kyle Philpott was the first to score with a brilliant 30m run, evading several Kildare defenders before planting the ball underneath the posts.

Kildare struck back not long after following three consecutive sets of six on Wagga High’s line, with hooker Curtis Young darting over from dummy half, tying the scores up at 6-6 where they remained until just before full time.

Wagga High coach Andrew Morton was ecstatic after the game.

“It is an unbelievable feeling (to win),” Morton said.

“The boys have put in a lot of hard work and really deserve the win,” he said.

“Both teams had a lot of errors and in the end it came down to the brilliance of one player.”

Kildare coach Simon Huntly was pleased with his team’s performance in the trying conditions.

“In light of the conditions, I thought we did well,” Huntly said.

“We were well beaten by Wagga High in round two so I think we have come back well and put in a really good effort,” he said.

“Wagga High are deserved winners being undefeated but the grand final provided a great spectacle, which was pleasing.”

NEW START: Pictured at the Central Coast rugby league season launch at Mount Penang were (from left) NSWCRL chairman Warren Kimberley, Central Coast Rugby League general manager Scott Wyatt, Central Coast Storm's Jamie Feeney and NSWCRL chief executive officer Terry Quinn.- Picture by Phillip Hearne

CC Storm Harold Matthews Cup in action Vs Cronulla Sharks ( Photo : ourfooty media) MORE PHOTOS

Story By STEVEN SPIERINGS

Central Coast Storm high performance manager and former NRL player Jamie Feeney now oversees all young talented players on the Central Coast.

"Basically we're Melbourne Storm's feeder club so Melbourne look solely at the Central Coast to draw their players from now," Feeney said.

"We've got our under 16s and 18s playing in a national rugby league competition, we have an under 15s academy and we'll soon be starting an under 13s and 14s academy.

"What it means for the local kids is that Melbourne are here looking on the Coast all the time and there is a true pathway for them to start playing footy here on the Coast and go through and represent at NRL level.

Speaking at the season launch at Central Coast rugby league's new headquarters at Mount Penang, Central Coast Storm chairman and Gosford City councillor Chris Holstein said: "The young players need opportunities like this, to stop the kids jumping on the freeway and heading north or south. We want to keep the boys here on the Coast."

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This year will see the Nyngan community take ownership of the event with the Bogan Shire Council and Nyngan senior and junior rugby league committees.

The challenge was such a success last year and the support of the local rugby league committees and the Nyngan community was overwhelming.

All people involved wanted to see the challenge held in Nyngan again over the Easter long weekend said Col Wright, event organiser and CRL Far West Academy of Sport Head Coach.

“The challenge provided a rugby league spectacle that is rarely seen out

in Far West NSW and will again provide some great junior rugby league

action,” Wright said.

This year will see the return of the Parramatta Eels, Newcastle Knights, CRL Western and Far West Academies and a new team from the Riverina.

These teams will go head to head for the right to be named Open Boys winners.

In the younger age group, Under 15s, Parramatta, Group XI, Group X and FWAS will participate.

“The weekend will be very challenging and demanding for all players, especially our far west athletes having to play three games against quality opposition who are very well drilled and extremely fit.”

“We welcome Straits Tritton as event sponsor of the opens division and Flygt for the U15’s division.

“We would also like to thank all the people involved in organising the challenge including the Bogan Shire Council, both Nyngan rugby league committees and the Far West Academy of Sport.”

The Newcastle Knights will again be back to defend their title in the open boys (Under-18s) and are looking forward to once again visiting Nyngan.

“We had a terrific time last Easter and we were welcomed by the Nyngan community, so it was an easy decision to compete again this year,” said Newcastle Knights coach Ian Thompson.

“We feel it is important to visit the bush and assist with the promotion of rugby league in these areas.’

“This year we will be aiming to defend our title, but we know it will not be easy considering the other teams competing, but we will see how we go.”

The action will not be confined to the rugby league field, as there are numerous activities to keep the sides busy in their downtime.

On Friday there will be a welcoming dinner and ceremony for all participating teams followed by a few activities which will keep all players and guests entertained.

The challenge will be a great event this year and we hope to see a big crowd at Larkin Oval on Saturday March 22 and Sunday March 23, to see some great rugby league action.

Dream team... (left to right) Matt Crowhurst, Mark Mabbot, Joel Jackson, Nick Ehsman and Ross Lewis.

The Thunderbolts are comprised of players from group 1, 18 and 19 extending from Uralla to Tweed Heads.

Six Glen Innes boys, Joel Jackson, Nick Ehsman, Mark Mabbot, Ross Lewis, Matt Crowhurst and Dom Pringle were selected from the group 19 trials held at Mead Park on Sunday March 2 to represent group 19. The group 19 squad of 20 travelled to Grafton on Sunday March 9 for the Thunderbolts selection.

Two games were played then a game between the possibles and probables was played to select the squad of 30, the sixth Glen Innes player Dom Pringle made this round but was unsuccessful in making the squad.

Nick Ehsman, Joel Jackson and Ross Lewis were three of ten boys automatically selected into the side during the two games so did not have to play in the possibles probables game.

“I did alright,” Ehsman said. “It was pretty hot that day it was good not to have to play in the possibles probables as we were automatically selected.”

The Thunderbolts will be travelling to Cabarita on Friday April 4 for a camp where the squad will be culled to 22 to play in the divisional championships later this year.

At just 16 years of age Nick Ehsman, Mark Mabbot and Ross Lewis were three of the youngest players to gain selection in the Under 18 side.