LAST week it looked like the Nambucca Roosters Rugby League Football Club may have missed out on being able to enter the Group 2 competition.

The news was devastating for the newly formed committee and the many players who were hopeful of running on for the century-old club.

The Roosters Committee are now breathing a sigh of relief as Group 2 has invited them to re-apply to join the 2022 season citing communications issues as being behind the initial bad news.

News Of The Area spoke to the new President of the Nambucca Roosters RLFC, Peter Bellden, and the Club’s recently selected Head Coaches, Warwick Jones and Gary Jarrett about taking the club into 2022.

Peter Bellden said, “We have some great football talent wanting to play for Nambucca and a strong committee so I am confident we will take to the field in good shape for the 2022 season.

“I give full credit to our previous committee who worked tirelessly to get us in a viable financial position so now it’s full steam ahead,” Peter added.

Both coaches come to the club with a wealth of experience and the playing group looks to be in very capable hands.

Gary Jarrett has a long history playing football in the Nambucca Valley from a junior all the way through to a distinguished senior career and has a proven track record as a coach.

Likewise, Warwick Jones played his junior football with Bowraville and Nambucca and enjoyed a long stint as a senior with the Roosters.

“When Gary and I played for this club there was a great culture and we both want to bring that back into the club and with the talent out there wanting to play for the Roosters I know we can,” Warrick said.

With Greg Inglis playing for Macksville and Sam Burgess coaching at Orara Valley, News Of The Area asked Gary Jarrett if he is worried about his players being daunted or starstruck by encountering these legends of the game.

“The players I have spoken to will not be daunted at all and are looking forward to the challenge these two names will bring and are jumping out of their skin to play,” Gary responded.

Not having taken the field since 2018 Nambucca Roosters staff know they now face the challenge of rebuilding the club from a standing start, therefore it may be unrealistic to expect a premiership win in 2022.

Peter Bellden said, “Success at the end of the season would be having had a solid playing group run on week after week and both the seniors and juniors working together.

“It is a great club with a great history and the town is poorer for not having had its team for the last few years.”

 

By Mick BIRTLES