Northern Pride: Rising stars get chance to impress in trial

The Northern Pride’s rising talents will get the chance to prove they are under-21s match winners in their first big test of the pre-season this weekend.

The Northern Pride’s rising talents will get the chance to prove they are under-21s match winners in their first big test of the pre-season this weekend.

The Pride U21s will take on Cairns and District Rugby League team the Edmonton Storm in their first trial match of the year on Saturday at Petersen Park.

Pride U21 coach Dave Scott said there were plenty of new faces in the side and he was excited to see who rose to the occasion.

“We’ve possibly got quite a few players that will come back into this team from the Intrust Super Cup squad, so it’s going to be a lot of the younger boys,” Scott said.

Northern Pride’s Jacob McCarthy. PICTURE: STEWART McLEAN

“For them, it’s obviously going to be about that physicality, going up against men and just getting them some game time.

“I’m not really worried about the result, if they can hit a couple of the performance criteria that we’ve spoken about at training, especially around how we adapt to the constant transition in the game, that’s what I’m looking for.”

He said the game would be a good opportunity for his new players to impress.

“I think it’s going to be an experience for them,” Scott said.

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“Edmonton have recruited quite well by the sounds of it, so it’s just playing against men.

“Some of them won’t have played against men before, so just that, and the psychological approach of them playing against full-grown men that are going to put it to them, basically.

“It’s just more about getting some processes going and seeing how they handle the toughness and whether they react or shy away from it. That’s the big thing.”

Scott said he had yet to finalise his squad for the match. Kick-off is at 5pm.

Originally published as Northern Pride: Rising stars get chance to impress in trial