RUGBY league’s ambitious young talent were aiming to make a name for themselves at the junior trials for the Canberra Raiders representative under 16s and 18s sides on Saturday.
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The region’s best youngsters took on junior squads from St George Illawarra in front of spectators and watchful eyes of the Raider’s junior coaching staff at the Goulburn Workers Arena.
All were eagerly watching to see what the region has to offer as selectors prepared to trim down the squads for teams to compete in the SG Ball and Harold Matthews competitions for season 2014.
It was the second week of trials after the teams took on the Western Suburbs juniors last weekend.
Among the talent was Crookwell’s Lachlan Croker.
The youngster, who spends his time in the halves or centres, is the nephew of former Canberra Raiders 300 game veteran Jason ‘Toots’ Croker.
The 17-year-old rose through the Crookwell ranks and played a year of under 16s at Bungendore before playing for the Goulburn Bulldogs under 18s last season.
Although Croker was selected for the Raider’s under 18s squad last season and even winning the players player award for 2013, he was still doing his best to impress coaching staff for a second year stint in the representative side.
“I’m still fighting for a spot same with any other boy here,” Croker said.
“I’m not taking anything for granted that’s for sure.
“I’ll just keep working like anybody else.” Croker is one of two under 18s from the Goulburn area, with 17-year-old local Chris Hart also doing his best at full back before injuring his knee.
Hart has come up through the Goulburn ranks and is also looking at reselection.
Raider under 18s team manager Tony Bellingham explained the aim for the day was to “play the structure we want them to play.” However he admitted the under 18s squad wasn’t where they were hoping they would be.
“We’re probably better then last week but it’s still a long way from where we wanted them to be,” Bellingham said.
“Just ball control, shape, nothing, no intensity...
it’s a long way to go yet.” There are two more trials scheduled post Christmas for players looking to stand out from the crowd.
“It’s more performance of the players then results, trials results don’t mean anything,” explained Goulburn Workers Bulldogs club president Joe Stephens who was in the coaches box with the Raider’s staff.
He suggest players like Lachlan Croker who have come up through the region’s system may have an opportunity to play in the under 20s National Youth Competition if he continues to make an impression.
Previous players to rise through he Raiders junior ranks at SG Ball level are Goulburn’s Mitch Cornish and current Raider’s young gun Anthony Milford.
