BY PETER ROWE
North Beach Sea Eagles will debut a ‘mystery five-eighth’ in round 12 of the NRLWA Fuel to Go and Play Premiership on Saturday as they look to overturn the team that beat them two weeks ago.
Beach host the Willagee Bears, who pipped the Sea Eagles by two points in a thriller in round 10, aiming to turn the tables to keep their lead at the top of the ladder.
Coach Phil Douché wouldn’t say who his mystery man was, only to add that he had NRL experience.
“We will have a completely different team on the field to last week,” Douché said.
“We’re coming off a good win over South Perth but it’s a different approach this weekend with different faces.”
Forward Tom Fry, half Riley Hextell, Justin Buckley (U18s Schools duties) and James Green are all missing, the latter rupturing a bicep on his return in round 11 after suffering a serious injury in preseason.
Tom Fry will not be in action this weekend / Photo – Total Sports Photography
“Willagee offer a very different challenge,” Douché said.
“We like to play fast and they prefer a slower game, so we’ve made some game plan changes.”
Douché added he planned to look at the video of the Bears at Rockingham last weekend to see if he could find any weaknesses.
Kallum Gulliver Brown and Brody Whitehead return and hooker Kobi Aiesi faces a late fitness test on an ankle injury.
Bears coach Nelson Davis took his team through a NAIDOC week smoking ceremony on Tuesday night and will look to select a strong side for the trip north.
“It’s going to be a great game, two teams in form,” Davis said.
“We have a few ins and a couple of 50-50s, but we will be strong and ready.”
The Bears coach said he had reviewed last week’s game – where they conceded 28 points – with his players during the week and had been working on making sure that didn’t happen again.
“A few lessons to learn and I think we may have also found some weaknesses in the Beach play as well,” he said.
Willagee Bears are ready for NAIDOC round / Photo – Carmel Potter-Green
“Beach are a very good side and they strangled South Perth with the football last week. Their edges were strong and they played some good expansive football. But so can we.”
Fremantle will be without 16 senior players this weekend as coach Duane Butler plans to leave his final selection until the last minute for the visit of the Rockingham Sharks.
The Roosters have found some form of late, but could be tested against a young Sharks side that scored 28 points against Willagee and 32 in round 10 at Joondalup.
“Rocky are a young aside full of energy and they can score points,” Butler said.
“They are a fast improving side and we must take them seriously.”
Butler will be without forwards Onisimo Tagicakibau, Ezra Taomia and Julian Wilson Wylie for the game and has yet to decide who will partner veteran Delane Edwards in the halves as Sonny Kerr is away working.
Evergreen Delane Edwards still has a crucial role / Photo – Carmel Potter-Green
“Delane might play in a number of roles,” Butler joked. “He could end up passing to himself.
“At 39 he’s a freak, but he still wants to play.”
The Roosters held their NAIDOC week smoking ceremony on Thursday evening with their juniors also participating and will wear their Indigenous jerseys for the game.
Rockingham coach Pete Worth will still be without young halfback Crockett Henry for the game, the teenager is playing for the Combined Affiliated States in the national under-18 championships this weekend.
Ben Bolth is touch and go to take part this weekend / Photo – Libby McMillan
Captain Ben Bolth picked up a facial injury against Willagee and is a 50-50, as Worth looks to lift his team again.
South Perth coach Duane Gwiazdzinski says his side has moved on from their heavy loss at North Beach last week, as they prepare to face Joondalup at George Burnett Park.
“You have to move on,” Gwiazdzinski said.
“We made a lot of mistakes in that game but we have to change the narrative, adapt and move to the next one.
The Lions are still without a number of players and lost Jarrad Smith at North Beach to injury to add to their woes.
Jarrad Smith will be missing for a number of weeks / Photo – Carmel Potter-Green
“Jarrad went down in a tackle and copped a neck injury and has fractured his C5 vertebrae so he is in a neck brace and will be out for a number of weeks,” Gwiazdzinski said.
Corban Daniels and Logan Barclay look to return, something that pleases Gwiazdzinski.
“They are both good defenders and will add strength to our defence on the edges, he said.
Of the visiting Giants, Gwiazdzinski said they were a good, tough side, “hard to beat”.
“On their day they are danger, so we have to turn up,” he said.
Shane Long, Trent Lawrence and River Coleman all return for the Giants with Mitch Haggart and Jo Jo Ranger not available.
Trent Lawrence returns for the Giants / Photo – Dave Van Heek
“It’s a bit of a shuffle,” captain Taurean Sheehan said.
“It was a super proud effort last week even though we lost to Fremantle and we took away plenty of positives.
“I don’t think the scoreline reflected our effort and that we are now competing for both halves of footy.”
Sheehan said his young side was aware how dangerous the wounded Lions could be after their recent loss.
“Our young players are improving every week , asking lots of questions and turning up with bags of energy,” Sheehan said.
“It’s driving our older fellas to do more. But we will all have to do more if we want to come away with a result.”