Valleys commences 2021 TRL preparations with key signings for new season

RUGBY LEAGUE: The quest for a Toowoomba Rugby League three-peat has well and truly started at Pillar St.

Drew Jackson (left) and Gerome Burns will return for Valleys in 2021. Photo: Nev Madsen

RUGBY LEAGUE: The quest for a Toowoomba Rugby League three-peat has well and truly started at Pillar St.

Valleys has held sway over their TRL rivals in recent years, and they’re wasting no time in putting together a squad that will again challenge for a title.

The Roosters have announced the re-signings of a number of premiership players from their 2019 campaign, something coach Matt Schulze said was a priority of the club.

“It’s nice to have a few players sorted and there’ll be a few more to try and add,” he said.

“Things are going fairly well with player retention and hopefully that can continue.

“We’ve got a really good group of men that enjoy playing with each other and who want to keep that going.”

Among the returning players committing to 2021 are five-eighth Ben Cook, utility back Gerome Burns, front rower Drew Jackson and centre Dwayne Duncan.

“Hopefully they can be leaders within our team and help us to do very well,” Schulze said.

“We haven’t seen the best of Gerome in this competition. He’s an exceptional player and a good person.

“I really hope there’s a few players in our side like Ben and McKenzie Reid can take some of the load off Gerome and let him play the way he can play.”

Reid will join Brock Diment as a player signed for 2020 that didn’t get the opportunity to play in the TRL with the season abandoned, with Kooper Diment also returning home.

“Kooper will do a bit of training with the senior squad but he’ll start the year in U18s where he’ll be good,” Schulze said.

“Brock was exceptional in the Volunteers Cup and he’s yet to play at the senior level in the TRL. He’ll prove hard to handle for teams.”

Schulze said he has been impressed with the numbers turning up to sessions in the lead-up to Christmas, as they look to time their pre-season in preparation for a later start to the season.

“By the end of the year we will have completed about six sessions. We didn’t make it compulsory for Volunteers Cup players,” he said.

“It’s an interesting one with the late start to the season. We’ll look to come back in mid-January, but it makes you rethink about things a little bit with the first trials not until March.”

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