WORK commitments have forced Matt Bartlett to relinquish the captain-coach position with Wingham Tigers for this season's Group Three Rugby League competition.
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Stu Baker, who guided Wingham to the semi-finals last season and was later named Group Three's coach of the year, has taken the role. Baker was going to be Bartlett's assistant this season.
Bartlett lives and works in Newcastle.
"He's just started a new job and he's not going to be able to make it up here,'' Baker explained yesterday.
That hiccup aside Wingham made an impressive start to the XX Trophies pre-season competition when accounting for Forster-Tuncurry 30-10 last weekend.
The Tigers will now meet Port Macquarie on Sunday in the semi-finals at Old Bar. Taree City tackles Port City in the other semi, with the winners to meet in the final at 5pm.
Baker admits the effort against the Hawks surprised him.
"I think we got through on enthusiasm, because we haven't done much ball work at training yet,'' he said.
He was impressed with new centre Ryan Gilkinson, who last season played with Wyong. Gilkinson had only had a couple of training sessions with his new club before the clash against Forster-Tuncurry.
"Richo (Michael Richards) also went pretty well,'' Baker said.
The Tigers also gave a number of last season's under 18s a chance in first grade and Baker said their efforts were promising.
He admits to knowing nothing much about the Sharks, this year captain-coached by Matt Shipway.
"He's played and coached a lot in Newcastle, so they'll be well coached,'' Baker said.
Shipway didn't play in the opening round of the pre-season.
Wingham are the defending pre-season champions, although last year Baker admits he probably placed more emphasis on the competition than this year.
He'll make a couple of changes to last week's side, with second rower Adam Dale not available.
"I'll see who is at training tonight before I decide who'll come in,'' he said.
However, five-eighth Trent Green won't be a starter, Baker revealing he'll be kept for the start of the competition-proper on April 11.
Meanwhile
STRENGTHENING the right hand defence will be Taree City's first priority going into Sunday's XX Trophies Group Three Rugby League pre-season semi-final against Port City at Old Bar.
The Bulls qualified by beating Old Bar 20-4 in the opening round last Sunday. Port City and Port Macquarie emerged as semi-finals from the three-way clash at Wauchope last Sunday, with Wauchope relegated to the plate round to be played tomorrow at Wauchope.
City coach Paul Northam admits his side had a few deficiences down the right against the Pirates.
"They were probably rushing up a bit too quick,'' he said.
"That's something we have to work on for Sunday's match.''
Northam travelled to Lake Cathie last week to watch the northern sides in action. He believes the Breakers will have a back orientated game, where the Bulls will be playing to their strengths in the forwards.
He was generally happy with the effort against the Pirates although he admits his side lapsed as the game went on. Prop Will Clarke is unavailable for this week and Northam said Ben Northam would come into the side in the centres or on the wing.
"I'll probably take a squad of 22 or 23 in case we win and play in the final,'' he explained.
"I'll be looking to give blokes like Jono Kennewell and Kane Allan a run.''