A bulked up Southern Districts will start their Shute Shield campaign on Saturday with one specific goal for the season – to go one step further than last year.
The Rebels host Manly at Foreshaw Rugby Park, Sylvania Waters in a replay of their opening fixture from 2016.
Souths are looking to make a fast start to the season, with home clashes against Manly and Randwick in their opening two games before a trip to face their semi-final conquerors Northern Suburbs in round three.
But a different approach to training in pre-season may be enough to give Southern Districts an edge.
First grade coach Matt Barr said a coaching staff review with the senior playing group at the end of last season saw them focus on becoming bigger, stronger and more physically dominant through their work in the gym during pre-season.
“Our first trial against Easts gave a good indication. It’s hard to get every individual to buy into it but the majority that did you could see in their individual performances how they’d improved in terms of strength,” Barr said.
“We also finished very strongly in that trial which was a positive sign. It was a long pre-season, we started in October. The boys have worked really hard in the gym particularly in that time.
“Not a lot will change in terms of our style of play. We’ve had most of this playing group together for a long time. We know how individuals like to play and how we play collectively as a side. You always look to make continued improvements in how we play but the details and clarity on structure stay fairly similar.”
Souths have added a number of quality additions including No.8 Jamson Fa'anana-Shultz who has arrived from Queensland after being contracted with the NSW Waratahs and former Crusaders ITM Cup and New Zealand sevens fullback or No.10 Jamie Verran.
The Rebels have also picked up former Waratahs winger Atieli Pakalani who has returned from the Tongan sevens side and former Australian under-20s representative Vuni Fifita.
Souths have also lost halfback Dewet Roos to Super Rugby with the ACT Brumbies, 2016 players’ player Sean Doyle to retirement and Waldo Wessels to Parramatta. The Rebels expect captain Marcus Carbone to return from a playing stint in Italy in May.
Souths have been consistently one of the better sides in recent years, beaten grand finalists in 2012 and 2014 along with preliminary final exits in 2013, 2015 and 2016. But Barr, now in his fourth year at the helm, wants his team to go and win that elusive premiership.
“Certainly we’ve set high standards at the club and that has been a big part of the success here over the last few years,” Barr said.
“We’re striving really high. The higher in on the ladder you can finish the potential for playing in a grand final increases significantly. We finished second overall last year and it would be a great achievement to go one better and then go on and win the grand final.”
