RUGBY LEAGUE
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JUNIOR rugby league at Bathurst Panthers is looking brighter than ever with eight players from the club’s under 14s side gaining Group 10 representative selection.
The talented group includes a mix of familiar names and some former Lithgow players.
Seven of the group will take part in next month’s Southern Country Championships with the Group 10 under 14s, while Noah Griffiths, who plays his club football up an age group, will join the 13s team.
The large selected contingent makes Panthers under 14s team coach Stuart Ward one happy man.
“I haven’t seen anything like this since I’ve been at the club. I’m sure we’ve had something like four or five in the one team together before but certainly not eight. They all deserve their spots as well,” he said.
“We’ve gone from strength to strength. Good clubs attract quality players, and they all want to come here to play – it’s not us taking from others.”
Kevin Large, Dylan Miles and McKenzie Atkins are the former Lithgow trio who have made the move to the Panthers and have added to what was already a good helping of club selections for the representative team.
“For Kevin this would be his first time in the team, but for everyone else they’ve all played before. It’s a tough draw with (last year’s finalists) Illawarra but I feel we’ve got a stronger team going this time,” he said.
“They’re getting to that age where NRL clubs are starting to have a look at them. I know we’d all love to see them get that shot in the big smoke ... They’re all keen as mustard to get out there.”
Both the under 13s and 14s sides will be having a trial match against Group 11 in Dubbo on May 2.
The older side will then continue on to the Southern Country Championships exactly one week later in Wagga Wagga.
The Panthers players will be hoping to go a few spots better there than last time, the Group 10 under 14s side losing in the Cup-level semi-final by two points to the eventual champion Victorian Rugby League squad.
A Bathurst derby with St Pat’s will start the Panthers’ Group 10 under 14s junior season on the same day as the Dubbo trial.