By
Andrew Stackpool
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|
Air
Force rugby league players will be in with a good chance
at winning this year’s Combined Australian Services rubgy
league national carnival.
|
THE
Air Force team can win the Combined Australian Services Rugby
League (CASRL) national carnival, according to coach Flight Sergeant
Aaron Smith.
“We have picked up some good potential in a couple of new players
and have a fair chunk from last year’s squad,” he said. “We have
a strong forward pack, a good defence and a simple game plan.
We’re still not at full strength, but I expect the other Services
are in the same position.”
FSGT Smith was confident the team could get up, but warned it
would be hard work. “Army won in 2003 but lost both games last
year, so they’ll be keen to even things out. Navy won last year
and will also be looking for a double.
“They’re always tough, but we nearly beat them last year and can
do it. What we must focus on is avoiding the silly mistakes we
made last year, which cost us the comp. We only have the two games
– against Army on April 13 and Navy on April 15 – which doesn’t
give us time to build momentum; we must get it right on both days.
All three teams have a lot riding this year, but I’m confident
we’ll do well if we are able to defend well, keep it simple and
cut out the errors.”
Brisbane’s Eastern Suburbs Rugby League Club will host the carnival
from April 12-17.
The combined Services’ CASRL team will be selected after the carnival
and FSGT Smith is hoping to see many Air Force players picked
up for the important match against the New Zealand Defence Force
rugby league team at Suncorp Stadium on April 22. The match will
be a curtain-raiser before the Australia versus New Zealand Anzac
Day test match.
“This is huge,” FSGT Smith said. “While we have played curtain-raisers
in the past for NRL games, this is the first time we have ever
played a curtain-raiser to a high profile test match and against
a foreign visiting team on our home soil.
“This is the first time we have played the NZ combined side but,
from what I have seen in the past, I expect them to be tough opponents.”
FSGT Smith believed the CASRL team would win.
The match augured well for ADF rugby league in the future, he
said. “I am looking forward to a successful carnival and hope
that the game against the Kiwis is so good that the AFRL and NZFRL
invite us back to play similar games in the future.
“It would be huge boost for rugby league in the ADF.”
