The changing of the guard in Country Rugby continued with the announcement of the NSW Country Cockatoos and Cockatoo Colts training squads for the 2017 season.

Eighteen new players have been selected in the Cockatoos squad, while the change in the Colts age group has seen a new generation of players make their way into the senior ranks.

Caldwell Cup finalists Illawarra and Newcastle Hunter share the honours with an equal number of players selected, while the remainder of the squad has representation from the other seven Country zones.

Retirements, transfers and unavailability of players from last year’s Cockatoos’ squad came into play, but the final selections came down to what the players put on display at the Country Championships in Port Macquarie.

Cockatoos Coach Mat Thomas said the nature of Country Rugby would always see changes from one year to another, and the only way to select the squad was on the form displayed at the Country Championships.

The NSW Country Cockatoos will have a short but solid match program, when they play their traditional matches against NSW Suburban (4 June – Camden), Brumbies Provincial (17 June – Canberra) and Queensland Country (1 July – Newcastle).

The NSW Country Cockatoo Colts will also have a short program, which will include matches against the Junior Waratahs and NSW U19’s (4 June – Camden) and Queensland Country (1 July – Newcastle).

NSW Country Cockatoos

• Jack Arthur New England Armidale
• Sireli Bainvalu Newcastle Hunter Hamilton
• Nathan Brennan Newcastle Hunter Singleton
• Travis Brooke Newcastle Hunter Maitland
• Leighton Cowley Illawarra Kiama
• Ben Damen Far North Coast Wollongbar Alstonville
• Adrian Delore Newcastle Hunter Southern Beaches
• Ben Egan Western Plains Warren
• Mahe Fangupo Central West Forbes
• Charles French Central West Forbes
• Bleddyn Gant Mid North Coast Port Macquarie
• AJ Gilbert Mid North Coast Southern Cross Uni
• Mitchell Karause Far North Coast Southern Cross
• Pat Keen Central North Walcha
• Adam McCormack Mid North Coast Hastings Valley
• Ethan McInnes Central Coast Terrigal
• Kevin McNamara Central Coast Warnervale
• Josh Mann Western Plains Bourke
• Tim Marsh Newcastle Hunter Wanderers
• Wayne Ngatai Illawarra Uni of Wollongong
• Simon Newton Central North Walcha
• Jonathon O’Toole Newcastle Hunter Maitland
• Andrew Papworth Illawarra Uni of Wollongong
• Filisione Pauta Central West Geurie
• Andrew Rae Illawarra Uni of Wollongong
• Jesse Roche Illawarra Woonona Shamrocks
• Daniel Ryan Central West Parkes
• Dane Sherrat Newcastle Hunter The Waratahs
• Paul Tuala Illawarra Uni of Wollongong
• Henry Yuill Illawarra Bowral

NSW Country Cockatoo Colts

• Corey Aylett Illawarra Woonona Shamrocks
• Rory Collings Far North Coast Wollongbar Alstonville
• Manu Desante Newcastle Hunter The Waratahs
• Thomas Galland Central West Orange Emus
• Caileb Gerrard Newcastle Hunter Lake Macquarie
• Sam Gleeson Newcastle Hunter Merewether Carlton
• Michael Hobden Central Coast Avoca Beach
• Jonathon Huddy Far North Coast Lennox Head
• Joshua Jasprizza Central West Dubbo Kangaroos
• Vaughan Kernan Central Coast Terrigal
• Michael Latu Central West Bathurst
• Gus Locke Newcastle Hunter Wanderers
• Austin Markwart Far North Coast Wollongbar Alstonville
• Kieran McCort Illawarra Camden
• Hamish Mould Far North Coast Wollongbar Alstonville
• Nikolas Mylonas Newcastle Hunter Wanderers
• Lachlan Peruch Central Coast Kariong
• Luke Rees Newcastle Hunter Singleton
• Kade Robinson Newcastle Hunter Merewether Carlton
• Elliott Starr Mid North Coast Port Macquarie
• Jarrod Stewart Mid North Coast Port Macquarie
• Nikolas Sykiotas Newcastle Hunter Merewether Carlton
• Joshua Walker Central North Moree
• Tom Watson Far North Coast Ballina
• Riley Wilson Far North Coast Lennox Head