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Considering the Wildfires only had a few weeks to prepare for their Shute Shield return, it's hard not to be impressed with their 2020 season.

Scott Coleman's side won two matches and should have arguably won a third in a game against Manly that ended in a 10-10 draw.

If they remain in the competition, Coleman seems confident that his side will improve and improve quickly.

Overview with Scott Coleman:

“I’d have to say I’m quite satisfied looking back at our first year back in the Shute Shield. It was a bit of a reality check and a wake up call to the local players in Newcastle that there is a better standard out there but I think they handled it quite well considering the limited preparation that they had,” Coleman said.

“When we found out we were in the comp this year, we focussed mainly on fitness and our speed of play. The guys were all really excited to get the chance to test themselves but we knew we’d be a fair way behind the eight ball in those areas.

“I think we competed well physically. In some games, we were also able to slow the opposition down with counter rucks and by competing for the ball and when we did that, we were able to bring it back to the pace of our game, which helped a lot.