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The NRL season may still be 22 days away, but our Title defence will officially kick off this weekend in the first Pre-Season fixture of 2014 when we face the Newcastle Knights at Morry Brean Oval, Wyong.

With Head Coach Trent Robinson and Assistant Jason Taylor heading across the ditch for the inaugural Auckland Nines, the team will be led by Assistants Craig Fitzgibbon and Steve McNamara in a replay of last year’s Preliminary Final.

In a mixture of both 2014 NRL Squad and Newtown Jets players, Fitzgibbon and McNamara will lead a group of 28 players on the Central Coast in the first match since the Grand Final victory in October.

With the Nines seeing five of our Premiership stars, including Mitchell Pearce, Jake Friend, Aidan Guerra, Shaun Kenny-Dowall and Daniel Tupou, unavailable for the first thirteen-man clash of the new year, Fitzgibbon is excited to welcome a host of youngsters to the group.

“It’s a quality squad we’re taking to the Coast, including a good mix of both some of our more experienced campaigners and also fantastic to have some of those exciting youngsters with us as well,” Fitzgibbon said.

“We’re obviously missing some key guys with the Nines being on, but this is a good chance for those younger and less experienced guys to have a crack at a higher level and show us what they’ve got.”

Central Coast product Jimmy Maloney, who will line up in the No.6 jersey he made his own last year, added, “I’m stoked about getting back out on the field and into a game environment.”

 

Continuing on, “It’s been a long Pre-Season and a bit disjointed as well with the World Cup seeing some of our boys not back until January, so having a game to look forward to as a group is a good feeling.”

“It helps that I’ll be back in the area I grew up in as well as it just adds to what’s already an exciting weekend.”

 

Sydney Roosters v Newcastle Knights

Date: Saturday, 15 February

Time: NYC – 4.45pm, NRL/Newtown Jets – 6.30pm (kick off)

Venue: Morry Brean Oval, Wyong

Tickets: FREE ENTRY

 

Roosters Wyong Trial Squad:

Anthony Minichiello (c)

Brendan Elliot

Michael Jennings

Mitchell Aubusson

Taane Milne

James Maloney

Daniel Mortimer

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves

Kurt Kara

Sam Moa

Boyd Cordner

Sonny-Bill Williams

Frank-Paul Nuuausala

Remi Casty

Jack Noble

Jack Siejka

Willis Meehan

Shannon Gallant

James Anthony

Chris Taripo

Brett Lane

Adam Hansen

Jake Watts

Bobbie Goulding

Shaquille Blair

Jordan Galloway

Ray Moujalli

Andrew Pearn

Acknowledgement of Country

Sydney Roosters respect and honour the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.