RUGBY LEAGUE
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CLOSE to 20 players from across Western Division converged on Wade Park yesterday and, under the watchful eye of former St George-Illawarra Dragons guns Shaun Timmins and Dan Hunt, put forward their bids to one day be part of the famous Red V.
Orange CYMS product Hudson Spicer was one of those players.
“We’ve got good hopes for him, he’s a good young player,” Dragons recruitment manager Ben Haran said.
“We’re having a look at a pretty broad range of players here today.”
Part of the club’s High Performance Unit branch, an endeavour that’s unearthed the likes of Euan Aitkin and former Dragon, Dubbo product Charly Runciman, the young Rams were put through a range of tests including mobility, endurance, skills and attack and defence capabilities.
Haran said the processes the players took part in will hopefully become part of their training habits as they prepare for a shot at professional football.
He said coming out to Wade Park, now an annual pilgrimage, was beneficial for both parties.
“I think it is a bit of recognition,” he said.
“But it gives them that understanding about what is required if they’re going to go to the next level.
“What they’re seeing here is what we do with our young players and our NYC and NRL players back at the Dragons.”
Haran said the young players enjoyed having the like of Timmins and Hunt on board.
“(Hunt) is just retired so he’s going to be doing a lot of work with our younger players going forward, and Shane Millard has come along as well,” he said.