Wharfedale coach wants to assess all his options (From Craven Herald)

Wharfedale coach wants to assess all his options

8:23am Thursday 12th August 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(0)

Last Saturday, Otley and Bradford & Bingley kicked off their pre-season by playing for the Granville Clark Memorial Trophy.

Otley won the match, which was split into two 20-minute quarters and two 15-minute quarters, 45-19.

But Wharfedale’s new coach Tom McGee is fervently hoping for a more conventional 40-minute first half and second half when they start their build-up to the 2010-11 season on Saturday with a home game against Stirling County.

“I haven’t discussed it with our coaches or with anyone at Stirling County but I would hope that, particularly with the visitors starting their league program-me a week on Saturday, that they would want to play 80 minutes split into two halves.”

McGee has reiterated his desire to only use 25 players this weekend, saying: “We can only use 20 on league match-days but I want to have a look at various options so I get to know my first-choice 20 when it comes to the league programme.”

He added: “The lads have had about five or six weeks’ training and they are ready for a game. “Also, looking forward, we want to make a fast start when it comes to our first league game at Red-ruth on September 4.

“I have played against Stirling County before when I was at Boroughmuir and I would hope that they want to play an expansive game, to throw the ball about a bit. One of the reasons is because I want each of the pre-season matches to present a different challenge.

“Having just been promoted, Stirling County will still be buzzing from last season but I want us to win all three of our pre-season matches to build some momentum.”

McGee was unable to name his 25 to face Eddie Pollock’s Scottish Premier One side earlier this week, explaining: “It is very hard to do so at the moment.

“We have about five or six players who are receiving treatment for niggles but they are nothing serious. However, Dan Hart and Sam Cottrell could well be out for a fortnight each.”

McGee has tried to keep pre-season as different as possible while still concentrating on rugby-related activity.

He said: “There is no getting away from the physical side of things but we have tried to make things varied by introducing things like strongman competitions and tug-of-war just to mix it up.”

As for the composition of the Dales-men’s squad, Leeds Carnegie old boy McGee confessed: “It is pretty much complete. But we have a very good relationship with Leeds and it could be that we will get a couple of players from there on loan.”

McGee faces a different challenge tonight as he is part of a Meet and Greet session upstairs at the clubhouse.

He laughed: “I don’t know the format but I think it will be quite formal with me answering a few questions from Gordon Brown (match programme editor).

“It will give the supporters the chance to see me and the other members of the management team and for me to have a talk about how pre-season is going and a bit about the matches coming up, and then I will possibly take questions from the floor.” The bar will be open from 8.15.

Wharfedale were originally down to take part in a sevens tournament at Bradford & Bingley on Sunday (11am), which also features India’s Common-wealth Games team, Otley and Leicester Tigers.

However, McGee added: “Our participation will depend on how our injuries are, and I will have to talk to the rest of our coaching staff about that.”