Shute Shield 2020: Eastwood needs time to find unity after mass changes
Eastwood fans might have to wait until the Shute Shield season is well underway to see the club performing at its best.
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They have been identified as a force to be reckoned with in 2020 but Eastwood fans might have to show patience in the Shute Shield season to see the club performing at its best.
After a major revamp in the off-season, Eastwood coach and former Woodies player Ben Batger has predicted his charges will need time to unify, connect and find cohesion before producing their best football.
With 10 players from last season now gone, Batger is expecting clubs with more settled line-ups to be performing the best when the premier club rugby competition in the state season kicks off on July 18.
“Definitely on paper we are a very strong squad, we are almost two deep in every position which is every coaches dream,’’ Batger said.
“It’s team cohesion and unity we are working on. Realistically we have had three weeks of training as a squad.
“We are not there yet … there are sprinklings of some good stuff.
“We will be five or six rounds until we start peaking with a strong finish.’’
Batger said teams with less changes will be the early season pacesetters.
“Teams that haven’t lost many players will have an advantage, teams like the Rats who have a stable squad, Sydney Uni who train like a professional outfit,’’ he said.
“Those two and West Harbour also look strong on paper. They look to have recruited well. “Gordon are developing so they would surprise me either.’’
Eastwood will take on the West Harbour Pirates in a trial match at Drummoyne Oval this Saturday and a week later Northern Suburbs at TG Millner.
2020 SHUTE SHIELD ROUND 1 (July 18)
Warringah v Sydney University at Rat Park
Gordon v Eastern Suburbs at Chatswood
Southern Districts Eastwood at Forshaw
West Harbour v Northern Suburbs at Drummoyne
Manly v Western Sydney at Manly
Randwick v Newcastle at Coogee
BYE: Penrith
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