“WE’LL go a long way this season.”
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Currently sitting fifth on the Group 10 women’s league tag ladder with one win and two losses, Orange Hawks halfback Stacey Howarth said her team is set to explode in Sunday's round five clash with the Blayney Bearettes, at King George Oval.
The two blues have lost to Orange CYMS and the Cowra Magpies, and beaten the Oberon Tigers.
Howarth said Sunday’s match, which coincides with the NRL’s launch of its women in league round on May 16, is a chance for Hawks to reach their potential.
“If we get our defence right, we’ll be fine,” she said.
“That, and communication. We haven’t quite settled into our structures yet either. A lot of the girls hadn’t played before the start of the year and are still getting used to the game. We’re getting better all the time, and we’ve got huge amounts of talent. When we get to our best we’ll be a very good team.
“Blayney are a new side so we don’t know much about them, we’ll concentrate on playing our game.”
Howarth has been a fixture in the Hawks’ team since the competition’s inception in 2012, and she said there was no ifs, ands or buts about playing.
“My brother Nathan plays, and my grandfather has always been involved, so I was always going to play,” she laughed.
“It’s fantastic, I’ve been able to see the increase in numbers first-hand. There are so many more girls playing now than three years ago. It’s great.”
Two-blues coach Justin Howarth echoed Howarth, saying his team is yet to gel completely.
“We’re going along okay at the moment,” Howarth said.
“We’ve got quite a few girls who haven’t played the game before, so they’re still getting used to the structures and where they need to be and that sort of thing.
“Blayney are a bit like us in that regard, they’re still learning. I’m expecting a good game, there won’t be much in it but hopefully we can grab the win.”
ORANGE HAWKETTES: 1 Sheryll Selwood, 2 Kathy Cooper, 3 Haley Butcherine, 4 Casey Ryan, 5 Jacky Lyden, 6 Gemma Kelly, 7 Alex Kennedy, 8 Bec Darcy, 9 Emma Dillon, 10 Angel Tulevu, 11 Kadasyn Byrnes, 12 Chelsea Amone, 13 Stacey Howarth, 14 Kaylah Webb, 15 Amber Olsen, 16 Zoe Alexander, 17 Sam Hopwood, 18 Atahlia Sutherland, 19 Ricki Sutherland, 20 Kristy Noble.