When the Canberra Raiders announced their 2021 Under 15s Development Squad last week, five Goulburn Stockmen players found their names on the list.
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Zach Brooker, Archie Duncombe, Clint Latham, Boyd McCallum, and Brady Smith have been selected for the extended squad, which will be reduced further after the first two training sessions.
Stockmen president, Matt Cowling, was unsurprised to see the five locals named, and said they had long been among the top players in their age group.
"They've been the dominant players for the last few years. It's really no surprise that it was the same boys again," Cowling said.
The development squads run by the Raiders aim to help young players acclimate to the rigours of high-level rugby league, with the long-term goal of preparing them for further representative honours.
The five Goulburn boys, Cowling said, will benefit from exposure to some new coaching styles.
"We want them to be exposed to different ideas from the coaching, and the boys can take what they like out from each coach and develop themselves as players," he said.
With two further squads to be announced this Thursday - the Boys Under 14s and Girls Under 17s - Cowling is confident that Goulburn will have many more players in development squads by the end of the week.
"I reckon we'll get 10 named in the 14s," he said.
"I used to coach them, and they've been undefeated since they've been in the Canberra competition. If we don't get 10 out of our team there, there's something wrong."
The strength of the Stockmen is not unique to the Under 14s. The club consistently produces sides which contest and win finals almost every year.
The opportunity to further develop their skills in the Raiders programs, Cowling said, is just rewards for the youngsters who work hard on the field.
"We've got dominant teams across the park, we're always a strong club and we've got a lot of numbers," he said.
"Our results show how strong we are in the Canberra region, which is good."
The Raiders Under 15s Development Squad will commence training on Wednesday, August 4, from 6pm at 2 Eade Street, Bruce, in Canberra.
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