Old Boys ready to hit ground running as campaign resumes
IT felt like the day would never come, but North Ward skipper Dan Withers says his side is ready to rip in.
The Old Boys were looking ominous in the Townsville and District Rugby Union prior to the pandemic-enforced postponement of the season, looking at ending their premiership drought which extends the length of the club’s history.
But that momentum did not leave the red and navy outfit — it carried over into an impressive period where the team rallied and ensured fitness levels remained high.
Pleasingly for Withers he did not have to be the one leading the charge for the North Ward side to stay focused on the season when it eventually did return.
Other members of the squad had taken the mantle from the skipper to encourage others on runs and fitness routines in anticipation for their imminent title charge.
It showed Withers the character of the team and their willingness to dig deep for each other when the day came they could take to Mike Carney Park again.
That day will arrive this Saturday when they take on Burdekin.
“I think everybody is pretty excited at the moment, I know just getting back into training was pretty good for our guys’ mental health – being able to have some sort of normality,” Withers said.
“This is my 20th year of rugby so every Tuesday and Thursday in winter I’m down at footy training, it’s how our lives are. We have a really good rivalry with (Burdekin), we’ve had some really close matches with them in the last two years. We’re looking forward to the game, they’re always going to be strong.”
North Ward coach Scott O’neill expected plenty of energy from his side, but how they controlled that energy would dictate their success.
While they were only able to resume contact training last night, the former Old Boys star said it would not serve as an excuse for poor performance.
However in a season that would have no byes and a mid week game for teams, he said safety would be a paramount concern for coaches with limited preparation.
“My expectations are still high, the club’s are as well, we’re not going to use COVID as an excuse for playing poor footy,” O’neill said. “We’ve got to channel that energy we’ll have from not playing for a while into the right areas.”
North Ward and Burdekin kick offs at 2.50pm on Saturday