A staggering 11 local Manly juniors will line up for the Sea Eagles at 4 Pines Park on Saturday, May 4, in round seven of the Sydney Shield.
Manly Leagues take on the undefeated leaders St Marys in a vital clash for the home side in their inaugural season. The Sea Eagles sit seventh with one win from four games.
The Sydney Shield is the NSWRL’s fourth tier men’s competition, feeding into the Ron Massey Cup for both emerging and senior players.
Manly Leagues Coach Anthony Watmough said it was a great achievement to have so many local juniors in the side this week against the Saints.
Building for the future starts with nurturing local talent. We're not just playing for today; we're playing for tomorrow
Coach Anthony Watmough
"This team embodies the essence of giving local talent the shot they deserve, filling a void that's been missing for too long.
"Together, we're forging a path towards a stronger, more vibrant future for our community and our club."
Watmough says the team is embracing the challenge of taking on St Marys.
"They are obviously the benchmark of the competition and I'm excited to test ourselves again,'' Watmough said.
"We love the battle and this game will be no different."
The Sea Eagles have suffered several injuries to their interchange players in recent weeks but Watmough is proud of the resilience the team has shown. It has led to several 18-year-old SG Ball players coming into the side.
Match: Manly Leagues v Saints
Round 7 -
home Team
Manly Leagues
away Team
Saints
Venue: 4 Pines Park, Sydney
"The last few losses have been tough. We train for injuries and prepare for scenarios that might occur,'' he added.
"I can't wrap the men enough for their resilience. To have five men last week never play more than 15-20 minutes in a stint play a full 40 minutes because we had no interchanges.
"It's that type of resilience that will keep pushing us forward as a club."
