Mackay Cutters will face off against rivals Rockhampton Capras this weekend at BB Print stadium
Despite being short two star players, Cutters head coach Mick Comerford said his team was champing at the bit to get on the field for this weekend’s anticipated clash against rivals the Rockhampton Capras. See the full squad.
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The Cutters are playing host to highway rivals the Rockhampton Capras this Saturday afternoon, with all five Mackay sides taking to the park, as the 2023 season gets under way.
The BB Print gates will open from 12:30pm Saturday, with the first of four games taking place at 1:30pm when the Cyril Connell Cup side starts the day.
The Mal Meninga Cup and the Harvey Norman Cup teams will also take the field.
With the junior and women’s sides setting the scene for the afternoon, the men’s team is ready to impress under first-year head coach Mick Comerford.
Comerford said this pre-season was about “putting them in situations they weren’t necessarily comfortable with”.
“Footy is pretty robotic sometimes in what is expected of the players,” he said
“We wanted to mix it up a bit.”
Despite being new to the role, Comerford has the benefit of strong knowledge of both players and the system after transitioning from his own career as a Cutter to South Sharks coach in 2014.
Comerford progressed in roles at the club, including as a development coach of the colts program as well as an assistant.
When asked about the morale of the group ahead of their first hit-out, Comerford admitted it was “satisfying” to see some of his former juniors now pushing for selection in the senior ranks.
“They’re pretty determined to prove to themselves, and the coaching staff, they are ready,” Comerford said
“There are a lot of spots for round 1 wide open, so plenty of competition for those.”
The Cutters are a side that will rely on their blend of fresh talent and experienced heads in the locker room to climb the ladder.
Two of the squad’s best will be unavailable for the clash, with Comerford revealing Adam Cook and Kyle Schneider will suit up for the North Queensland Cowboys ahead of the NRL pre-season.
Cutters have named their full squad for their clash with the Capras, who opened their pre-season with a 24-8 loss against the NRL’s newest team, the Redcliffe Dolphins.
Mackay Cutters VS Central Queensland Capras | BB Print Stadium, 5:30pm Saturday 11th of Feb
1. Logen Dillon
2. Jake Riley
3. Flynn Camilleri
4. Joshua Smith
5. Walter Lauenstein
6. Bayley Gill
7. Brandon Finnegan
8. Matthew Vessey
9. Sean Dalton
10. Garrett Smith
11. Luke Welby
12. Joel Brown
13. Sean Mullany (CAPTAIN)
14. Kyle Krisanski-Kennedy
15. Jaylan To’o
16. Dario Takitaki
17. Henri Stocks
18. Kane Simon
19. Hayden Pace
20. Robson Stevens
21. Asher O’Donnell
22. Ethan Sweet
23. Alfie Shultz
24. Jack Hoffman
25. Blake Coombes
26. John Schwalger
27. Kyle Barnwell
Tickets to this weekends opener can be found VIA the Mackay Cutters website.