U20S SQUAD ATTRACTS LARGE NUMBERS
More than 40 talented young players are apart of the Wests Tigers pre-season training squad for the 2009 Toyota Cup U20s competition.
The squad is into their third week of training under new coach Grant Jones and assistant coach, Michael Howell.
Wests Tigers Recruitment Manager Warren McDonnell said the club was confident of a successful Toyota Cup campaign in 2009.
The club is running with a very big squad at present, considering we had to use 38 players in 2008, McDonnell said.
We want to give all the kids a grounding leading up to Christmas. We will then send some back to their local junior league.
Our coaching staff have been impressed with the ability in the squad and the attitude towards training has been great.
Most of the recruitment and retention for Wests Tigers has been concentrated on the Toyota Cup team for next season as we lost 17 players from our squad this year because of their age.
Returning from the U20s squad of 2008 are (age in 2009 listed and where they come from):
Matt Hyland, 19, lock (Balmain SG Ball);
Aaron Woods, 18, prop (Balmain SG Ball);
Junior Roqica 18, full-back/centre (Balmain SG Ball)
Todd Bridge, 20, utility;
Simon Dwyer, 20, second-row
Chad Grant, 20, front row
Robert Lui, 19, five-eighth
Sioeli Makaui, 20, hooker
Darren Nicholls, 20, half/five-eighth
Leo Vaiga, 20, front row
Wests Tigers have also signed a number of promising juniors from Balmain and Western Suburbs (age in 2009 listed)
Jake Mullaney, 19, full-back, half/five-eighth (Wests SG Ball);
Pele Leulaui, 20, winger (Campbelltown Eagles Jim Beam)
Lance Siataga , 18, centre (Wests SG Ball)
Limoni Kamuta, 18, five-eighth, centre, full-back (Wests SG Ball);
Sama Sauvao, 19, centre (Balmain SG Ball)
Joel Wisbey, 18, back-row (Wests SG Ball)
James Leulaui, 19, back-row (Wests SG Ball)
Matt Groat, 17, front row (Wests Harold Matthews);
Brett Peacock, 19, winger (Balmain SG Ball)
Chris Corby, 20, utility (Wests)
New players signed by Wests Tigers from outside Balmain and Western Suburbs areas are (age in 2009 listed):
Bodie Clarke, 19, centre, full-back (Keebra Park)
Joel Jackson, 19, centre (Glenn Innes);
Dan Randall, 20, centre/back-row (Roosters)
Brendan Adams, 18, back-row, front-row (Caloundra)
Vaha Pulu, 19, back-row (Keebra)
Neil Begovich, 18, front-row (Illawarra)
Neccrom Areaiiti, 19, front-row (Keebra)
Sam Stanford, 19, hooker (NSW CCC)
Jay Florimo, 19, half-back, Wyong
Jake Clarke, 19, five-eighth, centre, Batemans Bay
Liam Roach, 20, front row (Bulldogs)
Monikura Tikinau, 19, (Auckland NZ competition).
Ellery Wilson, 19, hooker, (Wellington NZ)
Andrew Fifita, 20, front row (Griffith)
David Fifita, 20, second-row/centre (Griffith)
Jason Schirnack, 20, back-row (Newcastle U20s)
Jordan Walker, 19, full-back/centre (Junee)
Ricardo Parata, 19, utility (Keebra)
Wests Tigers also have six players training with the squad to Christmas.
They are:
Beau Ryan, 20, full-back (Souths Newcastle)
Dan ONeill, 20, centre/full-back (Dubbo)
Rhys Curran, 20, back-row (Erina)
James Tutuila, 19, back-row (Brisbane Easts)
Brent Munro, 20, front-row (Erina)
Adam Deburger, 20, back-row/front row (Currumbin).
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