RELOADED CURRUMBIN
CURRUMBIN coach Ryan Gundry believes his team’s unusually short pre-season could help them peak at the pointy end of the year.
The Eagles were the dominant force in the first half of the 2018 Rugby League Gold Coast season but they lost momentum from there, eventually being bundled out in the preliminary final.
The Galleon Way club only began pre-season training in late December, a month or so later than many of their rivals.
“Last year we started early and we were good at the start of the year and then I think we faded towards the back end of the year,” Gundry said.
“Obviously the season doesn’t get won in April or May, so we’re just trying a different approach and just see how it goes and see if we can be really firing towards the back end of the year.”
With experienced trio Blake Morrison, Dayne Weston and Hayden Allsop not returning to the field this year, Gundry is confidently turning to his rising stars such as Cooper Hennessey, Bailey Gill, Bayley Desmond, Jack Peacock and Nash Geyer.
“We’re looking to promote a lot of the young boys this year, in terms of the boys who went really well for us in winning the 19s premiership last year,” Gundry said.
“I’m in a position where I want to make sure the club is sustainable.
“Obviously winning Agrade, that is always going to be the focus, but I also want to be mindful of the fact that we can’t keep going and bringing players in from external sources and not try to develop our own players within our group.
“That’s just how we feel; we want to make sure we’re a club that can be around for a very long time, not in a position that they were in three years ago when they were on the brink of closing the doors.”
Currumbin will face Southport in the March 17 season-opener.