Jake Davis, Doug Hewitt, Andrew Mendes and Blake Seager, along with Oberon’s Riccie Arriola and Blayney’s Sam Mooney, were named in the Western Region Academy’s 45-man squad for the 2010 season.

It is a squad which current Parramatta Eels five-eighth Daniel Mortimer was a part of just two years ago.

Since being selected in the academy squad in 2007, Mortimer has gone on to play in the top competition and was part of the Eels side that fought back from 13th place to make the 2009 NRL grand final.

Country Rugby League development officer Wade Judd said the latest members of the under 18s squad would be exposed to the same high level of coaching that Mortimer was.

“The first thing that we have got coming up for the 45 guys in the squad is a two-day camp on November 7-8,” he said.

“There we will have Country Rugby League and Australian Rugby League coaches as well as Australian Institute of Sport coach Colin Matthew from Mudgee.

“We will be looking to put all the guys through their paces and get them really thinking about the way that they play rugby league.”

Judd said the team would then meet for a number of training seasons up until Christmas and into 2010 before being involved in a curtain raiser for an NRL pre-season match.

“We’ve also got a good relationship with a few other teams so we will probably have a few games against the Penrith Development squad and the North Academy as well,” he said.

“But it is not really about the games, it doesn’t really matter if we win or lose those matches, it is about the training.

“We are just hoping to add to the players’ arsenal when they are on the field.”

Judd added in October 2010 the players would be able to nominate if they wanted to be part of a team to go overseas to play in the Fiji Cup.

“From the six rugby league academies we usually take three different teams to play against the North and South Provinces,” he said.