A NUMBER of high-profile recruits have the Nyngan Tigers quietly confident of a strong showing in the 2016 Group 11 season, despite early season injuries.
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The Tigers have picked up former Penrith NSW Cup hooker Reece Goldsmith, Papua New Guinean forwards Lawrence Kuso Jnr and Ben Weyman and Castlereagh Cup players Brad Pickering and Troy Evans, while Rob Gudgeon also returns to the team.
The recruitment of Goldsmith has set tongues wagging throughout Group 11 and he showed the impact he would have by immediately earning selection in the group side to take on Group 10 on Saturday.
Tigers president Glen Neill said there was a lot of enthusiasm for the new season, which would begin with a road trip to Narromine to take on the Jets.
"The whole town is pretty excited and they have been looking forward to this weekend," he said.
"Reece is a really big pickup for us. He has been playing for Penrith in the NSW Cup and has also played Queensland Cup. Lawrence Kuso arrives on Friday so we haven't had a chance to see him yet but he has represented his country and it's the same for Ben Weyman," Neill said.
"Brad Pickering is coming to us from the Castlereagh Cup, where he played for Coonamble and Troy Evans is another Coonamble recruit."
Pickering will play on the wing while Evans will add even more depth in the forwards.
The Tigers will have do without their former halfback Ryan Rogers in 2016, after he moved away for a job opportunity and they could also be without forward Troy Hayman after he badly damaged his hamstring in a trial against Cobar.
Neill said they were still waiting to hear an official outcome, but they feared it was so bad he could miss the entire season. Captain-coach Byron Warren was also nursing a knee injury and could miss early games.
The president said he would be crossing his fingers the Tigers' representative trio of Goldsmith, Pickering and Jacob Neill could get through Group 11's representative match against Group 10 without injury and back up on Sunday against the Jets.
The Tigers finished the 2015 season in sixth spot but had set their sights on a finals berth this year. Neill was confident the lower grades were also primed for a big season.
"Semis are the ambition. If we could finish in the top three that would be even better.
"The under 18s are shaping up well under the guidance of [Trevor] 'Red' Waterhouse. He's put a lot of work in and they were playing exceptionally well in the trials. Ressies haven't really trained much yet but Derek Knight is captain-coaching them and he will get them ready for another good year."
