The St George Illawarra Dragons completed trials for their respective Illawarra Steelers Junior Representative teams at Ron Costello Oval, Shellharbour on Saturday.
A large number of hopeful players from the Illawarra, Group 7 and scouted districts of NSW, attended the tryouts to secure a place in either the Steelers Harold Matthews Cup (U16) or SG Ball Cup (U18) teams under the watchful eye of Club officials.
All players were given an uninterrupted period of time showcase their talents, and the commitment and energy shown by all trialists was very impressive.
Steelers SG Ball Cup (U18) Coach Shane Millward and Harold Matthews Cup (U16) Coach Ben Linde were joined by both Director of Rugby League Pathways Ian Millward and Dragons Recruitment Manager Dave Warwick for the games.
““I thought everyone who played today looked really fit, and their effort was good right across the board,” said Linde.
“We’ve got a few guys already in our train on squad, and we’ll add to this from these trials as the depth is looking good.”
Millward echoed the sentiments of Linde with his assessment of the trials.
“I was pleasantly surprised with some kids, who I knew a little bit about, and the general effort they put in,” said Millard.
“Last year we had a lot of players at the top age, so we’ve got a clean slate this year.
“Going forward we will just stick to what we do, trying to be the fittest, toughest team in the comp and have the kids enjoying their footy.”
All trialists will be notified within a fortnight of their success, or otherwise, for inclusion in their respective train-on squad.
