Representative spots up for grabs in GTS rivalry round
Representative Rugby League is just around the corner, with the Blumers Lawyers George Tooke Shield teams set to play Woodbridge Cup representative outfits on Saturday, May 10.
With only two more rounds remaining before the much-anticipated tackle and league tag matchups, positions on both GTS teams will be on the line this coming Saturday.
It is a huge Round Three of the competition, which could be coined rivalry round.
In an early-season top-of-the-table clash, Binalong and Bungendore do battle at Binalong Recreation Oval.
At the same time, Boorowa and Crookwell will play in their 2023 GTS Grand Final rematch at Boorowa Showground.
It’s an all-Canberra battle when North Canberra hosts UC Stars at Kaleen, and arch-rivals Harden and Cootamundra meet at McLean Oval.
Jack Bramley will coach the GTS men’s tackle side, and Jason Pollard will be charged with leading the league tag outfit again.
Bramley had a good idea of his squad's composition, but he admitted that this weekend was a big chance for players to show their worth.
“We’ll be looking at players on the weekend, but the good thing is that every team will have some representation, which is good for the competition,” Bramley said.
“There are good players throughout the competition, and we’ll have a pretty handy side.
“I’ve spoken to a lot of the boys, and some know they are going to be playing, and others know they are on the cusp or in a shadow role. We’ll see what happens this weekend.”
Bramley has been a leading figure in the George Tooke Shield representative side in recent years.
With the annual fixtures between the George Tooke Shield and Woodbridge Cup returning from a 21-year hiatus in 2021, Bramley played in the Zach Smith-coached outfit that came from behind to win 24-22 that year.
The sides couldn’t be split in 2022, with the fixture ending as a 22-all draw.
Bramley then made his representative coaching debut in 2023 when Woodbridge Cup defeated George Tooke Shield 30-20.
During his three years of involvement, he has seen the ebbs and flows of player availability, but he was thrilled to see players putting their hands up in 2024.
“Everyone I’ve spoken to has given me an immediate yes or have said they would be keen to play if they weren’t away,” Bramley said.
“A few boys didn’t want to play a couple of years ago, but this year, everyone wants to play.
“With it being a bye-round, some boys see it and book that weekend off, but apart from two players, everyone else I’ve spoken to has put their hand up.”
In his second year of coaching the side, Bramley hopes to get three good training sessions in before taking on the Woodbridge Cup team.
“I just want to get the boys training and get us gelling,” Bramley said.
“We’ll start next Wednesday at Yass at about 6.30pm and work on our combinations.
“It’s something we haven’t really been able to do, and for the first two years, we got in a session or two, but we want to build on that.
“We all know each other, and we've played against each other, and it’s about getting those combinations right.”
While he didn’t want to give too much away, Bramley has named Bungendore’s Brad Laurent as captain, and Binalong captain/coach Chris Rawlinson will lead the side around at halfback.
“Obviously, Rawlo has been in the Canberra Cup competition for 1000 years, and he brings a great kicking game, level head, and a lot of leadership,” Bramley said.
“Brad Laurent will captain again, and we want to have a big, strong pack.”
In terms of beating Woodbridge Cup, Bramley said it wouldn’t be easy.
“It is always a tight game of footy between us,” Bramley said.
“The Woodbridge Cup is a pretty handy competition. A few teams in that competition, like Cowra and Oberon, have come back from Group 10 and the Peter McDonald Premiership, so they are genuine first-grade footy teams.
“What I love about it is that we actually get the chance to play a good team and showcase the calibre of players in the George Tooke Shield.”
CRRL will publish both GTS representative teams next week.
