Just like the new-look NRL side, Ben Woolf’s Gold Training under-20s side will have a long list of new faces when they run onto Cbus Super Stadium this Sunday (3.15pm) to take on Newcastle Knights.
Eight newcomers to the squad will debut for the club on Sunday, with six of them making their first National Youth League appearance – winger Phillip Sami, halves Josh Rogers and Josh Fauid, hooker Jordan Scott and interchange forwards Ethan Roberts and Max King. The club newcomers are Morgan Boyle and Kurt Bernard.
The team certainly contains more size than the previous two seasons with Jed Cartwright, at 105kg, switching from centre to second row and newcomers Kurt Bernard (120kg) and Morgan Boyle (111kg).
“It is a new-look team with six NYC debutants but they’ve each earned their chances and there is some good experience around them,” said Woolf.
“We’ve got a bit of strike out wide with Greg Leleisiuao and Brian Kelly who have been training with the NRL squad and Tyronne Roberts-Taylor who played Australian Schoolboys last season and had some time in the NRL trial against Souths.
“Jed goes into the forwards where I think his future is although we could very well use him in the centres still this season. We have a lot more size than last season and that’s important for us.”
Shane Wright, who had a great pre-season with the NRL side and played in the Auckland Nines tournament, is out with a shoulder injury.
The team is:
1- Brayden McGrady
2- Phillip Sami
3- Greg Leleisiuao
4- Brian Kelly
5- Tyronne Roberts-Davis
6- Josh Rogers
7- Josh Fauid
8- Kurt Bernard
9- Jordan Scott
10- Nathan Watts
11- Morgan Boyle
12- Jed Cartwright
13- Sam Swift
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14 – Ethan Roberts
15 – Max King
16 – Jerome Veve
17 – Simione Fatafahi
