Hawks fly ahead of acid test
RUGBY LEAGUE: The Hawks are low flying right now, but they know the biggest test of how far they’ve come awaits them.
On the back of strong recruitment and a dominant opening round performance, Gatton has forced its TRL Premiership rivals to stand up and take note.
Both facets of attack and defence clicked against Newtown to record a 44-10 victory, and coach Nicki-John Harch said it set the platform for their season.
“We worked really hard on our defence, and it took them 60 minutes to score,” Harch said.
“Our attack will keep building from there. That was their first game back so it wasn’t a big indication.
“We’re happy with how it went, but we’ll get a good test against a team that has been heavyweights for nearly a decade.”
That test comes at Platz Oval on Sunday against a Wattles outfit looking to bounce back from an opening round loss at home to Dalby.
It’s been a while since the Warriors have recorded two losses to start a season, and Harch knows his team will have to be at their best to make it back-to-back wins.
“We just want to get our core stuff right, defend our middle really well and complete our sets,” he said.
“In this competition, a high completion rate goes a long way.
“They’ve got a really good pack, so we’ll be looking to lay that platform first through the middle.
“Daniel Jennings can have a big impact for us.”
The return of Harch to the Gatton A-grade coaching ranks has been a welcome addition for the Hawks, with the mentor praising the culture at Cahill Park.
“I played my junior footy and over 200 A-grade games at Gatton,” he said.
“I was at Souths for a bit, then came back to Gatton in the juniors (coaching). A couple of the boys from the playing group had a yarn and got me to have a conversation with the club to see where they are heading and the direction they wanted to take.
“There’s a good culture at the club at the moment. Everyone is getting to training and our numbers are good.
“We didn’t have to chase players too hard. Word got out that people were happy around the place.”
The match of the round comes from Dalby, with the Diehards and Valleys Roosters going to battle on Saturday night.
Both teams couldn’t have been more impressive in round one, in defeating two of the TRL’s top three teams from 2019.
All four senior women’s teams will be looking to get on the board this weekend, as Dalby hosts Valleys and Newtown takes on Pittsworth.
TRL FIXTURES
MEN. Saturday: Highfields vs Southern Suburbs at Kuhls Rd, 4pm; Dalby vs Valleys at Dalby RLFC, 6.30pm; Newtown vs Pittsworth at Jack Martin Centre, 6.30pm.
Sunday: Wattles vs Gatton at Platz Oval, 2.30pm; Warwick vs Oakey at Father Ranger Oval, 2.30pm; Brothers vs Goondiwindi at Glenholme Park, 2.30pm.
WOMEN
Saturday: Dalby vs Valleys at Dalby RLFC, 2.15pm; Newtown vs Pittsworth at Jack Martin Centre, 3.45pm.