Sharks coach Shane Flanagan has shown his cards to an extent with the naming of his trial team to play the Tigers tomorrow night.
Flanagan has chosen a starting 13 including new recruits Josh Dugan and Matt Moylan, while youngster Sione Katoa has won a place on the Sharks right wing.
In the forwards Flanagan has opted to begin the game with local product Jayden Brailey at hooker, with James Segeyaro to come off the interchange bench.
Also named on an extended bench is another of the newcomers in Trent Hodkinson, the former NSW Blues half back set to play some minutes in the halves as he continues to familiarise himself with the Sharks systems and style of play.
The rest of the squad for the Saturday night’s match is reasonably predictable, with Valentine Holmes, Moylan, Chad Townsend and Brailey as the Sharks ‘spine’ getting an opportunity to play more minutes together in an effort to build their combinations prior to the round one clash with the Cowboys in two weeks’ time, while Matt Prior, Luke Lewis and Wade Graham return to the field after missing their team’s opening trial match last weekend.
The extended Sharks bench, along with those playing for the Newtown Jets in the Intrust Super Premiership trial against the Wests Magpies, will get their final chance to impress before the team to play the Cowboys in round one is named.
As for the Sharks trial opponents in the Tigers, coach Ivan Cleary has spring something of a surprise in relegating international Tuimoala Lolohea to the Wests Magpies Intrust Super Premiership team, preferring ex-Bulldog Corey Thompson as his fullback.
Josh Reynolds and Luke Brooks are the Tigers halves, former Shark Matt McIlwrick their hooker, with new front rowers Russell Packer and Ben Matulino to provide a good test for the Sharks forward pack.
The main NRL trial gets underway at 7.00pm at Campbelltown, with the match to be live streamed for those members and fans unable to get to the game.
CLICK HERE to access the Live Stream page.
NRL Team List by Opal Solar
Sharks v Wests Tigers
Saturday, February 24
Campbelltown Stadium
Kick-off – 7.00pm
1 Valentine Holmes
2 Sosaia Feki
3 Josh Dugan
4 Ricky Leutele
5 Sione Katoa
6 Matt Moylan
7 Chad Townsend
8 Andrew Fifita
9 Jayden Brailey
10 Matt Prior
11 Luke Lewis
12 Wade Graham
13 Jayson Bukuya
14 James Segeyaro
15 Trent Hodkinson
16 Ava Seumanufagai
17 Braden Uele
18 Kurt Dillion
19 Kurt Capewell
20 Joseph Paulo
21 Edrick Lee
22 Billy Magoulias
23 Aaron Gray
