MANNING Ratz will have the assistance of a couple of code hoppers in this season's Lower North Coast Rugby Union premiership defence.
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The Ratz won the LNC title for the first time last year, completing the season unbeaten. However, the club's roster was bulked up by a number of rugby league players looking for a game when Group Three competition was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns.
It appears the majority of those players will return to league this winter.
"I know Jake Hazard and Jared Wooster will be going back to the (Old Bar) Pirates, where they're going to be important players,'' Ratz coach Jake Maurirere said.
However, Maurirere said brothers Jake and Corey Wheeler along with Dean Mills will be mixing the two codes. The trio will be turning out with the Wingham Tigers in Group Three.
Maurirere understands the Tigers have given the Wheelers and Mills permission to play rugby. Jake Wheeler is on the rugby club's committee.
"It looks as though Wingham will be playing a lot of Sunday games so that'll free them up to play with us on Saturdays if they want to play two games on the one weekend,'' Maurirere said.
Jake Wheeler captained the Ratz in the grand final last year in his first season of rugby. He took over the job when Sam Hartnett and Ricky Campbell suffered injuries - Harnett missing most of the season due to a knee problem, before playing off the bench in the grand final.
However, another Wingham Tiger is unlikely to play any football this season. Electrifying fullback Matt Bridge is recovering from knee reconstruction surgery after being injured in the rugby grand final last October.
Maurirere said the Ratz were getting solid numbers at training until the wet weather intervened.
"I'd like to see a few more, but the attendances have been okay,'' he said.
He added there's an interesting array of newcomers.
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"Big Bronson (Rangi) works at Bunnings and he's asked just about every male employee there to come and have a run at rugby,'' Mauriree said.
"So we've picked up a few players there - some have previously played rugby while others haven't. We'll see how they go.''
The Ratz women open the season against Gloucester at Taree on April 17 where the men have the bye. The men are due to play Forster at Forster on April 24. Former international Geoff Richardson was the guest speaker at the club's season launch held at the Railway Bowling Club last Saturday night.