While this year's Blayney Bears first grade side will be bolstered by key under 18s players from the 2019 side bringing speed and manoeuvrability into the line-up, it may come at a cost for the club's youth brigade.
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With Siosaia Vave signed up to bring a bit of oomph to the forward line, and also a couple of other hefty imports are set to be announced in coming weeks, the side is brimming with weighty talent.
Add the former juniors and that much needed depth of talent the club so sorely lacked last year is looking promising.
However, the shift of the under 18's players into the first grade side means that this year the top-aged junior side is desperately low on player numbers.
Coach Ryley Oborn said that at the moment he only had six players to work with and without an under 16's side to draw on finding enough players may mean that he will need to look outside of Blayney in order to to field a team.
"We have a lot of work to do to recruit enough players," he said.
Reserves coach Richard Hobby said that it was the first time that he could remember where the club didn't have an under 16's side.
"We have quite a few coming through in the under 14's, so that will be good in a few year, but for now it's tough," he said.
Oborn said that they would always welcome players from Oberon, Orange or Bathurst with open arms.
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