The Nelson Bay Sharks have had an impressive response to their campaign to field an all new team in 2020 and despite initial uncertainty around whether there would be a season at all this year, has been working hard to be prepare for a competition kick-off date which has now been confirmed.
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Joining the Nelson Bay Sharks' Blues ladies tag team in the Newcastle Rugby League this season will be an under-19 men's squad which will launch its inaugural campaign on July 18.
"It's an exciting time for the Sharks," said Andrew Chapman, coach of Nelson Bay's new senior men's rugby league team.
"We got to a point last year where there was a Nelson Bay team in the first division competition for under-17s, which I coached. That was the first time in ages that had happened and the boys made the semis. They did incredibly well.
"The Raymond Terrace 17s team were in second division and they won the comp. There's a good pool of talented young players in the area. What we've done is set up a feeder into the premier district comp for Newcastle so people can play locally but at the top level.
"We have a pretty young squad, which has set us up really well in the under-19s for the next two years."
The Nelson Bay Sharks will play as part of a nine team competition alongside Kurri Kurri, Maitland, Charlestown, Wests, South Newcastle, Central Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Lakes United.
The typical 16-week competition has been shortened to 10 weeks this season. The competition will be centralised to four fields in the first four weeks, with the Sharks to play home games at Maitland.
After this, however, home games will be played on Sundays at Tomaree's No. 1 match field. The ladies tag team will play at 10am and the under-19s at 11am.
The Sharks men's team is made up with 29 players from Nelson Bay and Raymond Terrace. Chapman said the club was working on a plan which would ensure all players would play each round.
The ladies tag team, which will be coached by Kris Paton this season, has also attracted strong numbers. However, there is still two spots left on the roster.
The Sharks will play in new uniforms this year. In a return to the colours Nelson Bay wore in early rugby league competitions, the Sharks will play in blue and gold.