Four Blue Boars named in Central North Kookaburras’ preliminary senior men’s squad

A 30-man Central North Kookaburras preliminary squad was announced on Tuesday for the 2023 NSW Country Championships tournament that will be hosted by Tamworth during next month’s long weekend on Saturday and Sunday, June 10 and 11.

Four Narrabri Blue Boars players are in the squad this year, including the returning Daniel Kahl and Will Ciesiolka, Josh Schwager and Will McDonnell.

The squad will come together for a training session in Gunnedah this Sunday following the zone’s round seven games on Saturday. A final 25-man squad will then be named after the round eight matches are played on Saturday, June 3.

The Central North Kookaburras are seeded fifth out of the nine teams at this year’s Country Championships following their 2022 success.

They went through the tournament undefeated in the men’s competition last year as the Kahl co-captained side claimed the Richardson Shield for the first time since 2015.

Sitting in the top six this year means that they can now compete for the Caldwell Cup again.

Narrabri Rugby Club president Mick Coffey told The Courier that he was proud of the four Blue Boars who were named in the preliminary squad and said that it was pleasing to see Central North Rugby Union’s representative program reaching its potential.

“We are getting back to where the Central North Kookaburras should be as far as genuinely the best players being in each position,” he said.

“The four Narrabri blokes are pretty reflective across our club.

“For Daniel, it’s a great reward for him to be back there now that they’re competing in the Caldwell Cup side of it. He gets to play against the higher-tiered country zones, and he’ll get to play in what I’d call almost the best quality team we could run out as a zone.

“It’s a well-deserved reward for him because he’s been there during the tough times and now he’ll be there in what I expect will be the good times. He’s getting towards the back end of his career, so it’s good that he’s still in the frame with those guys as he’s playing good footy.”

“It’s really good that Will (McDonnell) is there. He came home a few years ago, and there’s been COVID and work and all the rest.

“He’s a special player, as we all know, and I think that having a player of that calibre there attracts other players to put their hands up.

“I have no doubt that if he had’ve played the last few years he’s been home, he also would have made the NSW Country team. I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t appear there this year. Willow’s certainly one of the great centres in bush rugby, and I expect the selectors will be aware of that too.

“I’m very excited that Will Ciesiolka is in that Kookaburras squad too.

“I have said to anyone in the last two years across the zone, I’ll stand here and argue until I’m blue in the face, he is technically the best scrummager in the zone.

“He’s not the biggest, but he’s the best at the set piece.

“He’s always good for at least one turnover ball per game at the breakdown, and the way he gets around the park, he seems to pop up in all kinds of places for a prop.

“Then there’s Josh Schwager. Josh has been down in Sydney, where he played plenty of grade footy for Sydney University.

“He’s come home and he’s big, he’s fast and he’s fit.

“He’ll make a real difference to that Kookaburras team, especially with his physicality and work rate around the field. I think he’ll fit in seamlessly.”

Kahl, who will be the assistant coach of the team at the 2023 NSW Country Champs to Quirindi’s Ed Nankivell, said that he thought this year’s squad was the strongest that Central North has named since the 2015 season.

He said it was great to see that eight teams from across the Central North zone were represented in the squad.

The full 30-man Central North squad is as follows – Sam Avard, Alex Barker, Tom Bucknell, Daniel Calavassy, Will Ciesiolka, Sam Collett, Andrew Collins, Tim Collins, Hamish Dunbar, Jack Edwards, Will Ellis, Lachlan Elworthy, James Gall, Daniel Kahl, Jayden Kitchener-Waters, Henry Leslie, Mitch Mack, Brad Male, Mitch McCrohon, Will McDonnell, Michael Purtle, Lewyn Rapana, Angus Roberts, Josh Schwager, Angus Smith, Elija Sufia, Ratu Vuibau, Tyson Waters, Emori Waqavulagi, Duncan Woods.