BATHURST DOMINATES

Bart Bogart, Jono Cody, Adam Dwyer, Scott Johnston, Paul Miller, Chris Plunkett and newcomer Luke James from the Bathurst Bulldogs and Jason Wellburn from CSU have been selected for the side which will play two trial matches in Canberra in late February, and will push for selection in the 22-man squad that will be a part of Country Week in Dubbo in March.

Joining the Bathurst contingent are six players from Cowra, four from Dubbo Kangaroos, three from Orange Emus, two from Narromine and one from Forbes.

Blue Bulls’ co-coach Dean Oxley said he was pleased with the squad selections but said he would have liked to have seen more players from the Dubbo and Narromine clubs turn-out at the trials.

“We had good numbers turn out, around 40 in the opens but some of the top line clubs weren’t well represented,” Oxley said.

“I would have liked to see more players from Dubbo and Narromine. “There were plenty of Bathurst Bulldogs players there and that was understandable because of my position there. There was plenty of incentive for them to try out.

“Dubbo and Bathurst have been the dominant clubs in recent years and I made contact with the Dubbo club to try to encourage a large turnout from the premiers.

“Every first grade player from the ’Roos that trialled was selected in the squad. In fact, every first grade player from the three premier clubs – Narromine, the Dubbo ‘Roos and the Bathurst Bulldogs were selected.”

Oxley said another very impressive outcome from the trials was the number of players who had continued training over the off-season.

“Our strength and conditioning coach Glen Corcoran gave all of the Presidents Cup and Blowes Cup teams a fitness program and a number of players have run with those programs over the off-season and that is pleasing to see,” he said.

“The experimental law variations that are coming in will make the game flow more and they will require the players to have a higher aerobic base.

“Having a background in human movement I am perhaps more aware of it than other coaches and fitness isn’t something you can get overnight

Cowra were the surprise winners from the trials, having six players selected in the side after a somewhat unimpressive season in Central West Rugby but Oxley said there were a number of reasons for the higher than expected numbers.

“Some of these players are now under the banner of Cowra but Adam Meiklejohn played the season for Orange CSU and has now moved back there and Hayden Tidswell didn’t play a full season but did have a big impact when he played,” he said.

“Myself and “Tom” [Warren “Tom” Petty, Bulls co-coach] have picked a bit of youth and players that will strengthen the squad over a number of years.

“Some of the players from Cowra aren’t mainstay players but having them in the squad will educate them and will allow succession in the future. Not all of the Cowra players will make the starting 22 for Country Week either.”

Oxley was quick to avoid the suggestion that players had been picked out of town loyalty.

“Myself and Tom are competitive coaches and we are only looking for one result. There is no way we would sacrifice success for the sake of selecting players from our home towns,” he said.

CENTRAL WEST BLUE BULLS OPENS: Bart Bogart, Jono Cody, Adam Dwyer, Luke James, Scott Johnston, Paul Miller, Chris Plunkett (Bulldogs), Troy Hayes, Adam Meiklejohn, James Montgomery, Jeremy Montgomery, Stephen Montgomery, Hayden Tidwell (Cowra), Paul Elliott, Dean Matthews, James Skuthorpe, Brian Swords (Dubbo Roos), Nik Granger, Nick Hughes-Clapp, Al Hattersley (Emus), Luke Brown, Luke Harding (Narromine), Simon Murphy (Forbes), Jason Welburn (CSU Bathurst).