Scott Coleman’s Hunter Wildfires were one of several big improvers in one of the tightest Shute Shield seasons in recent memory.

The coach was thrilled to see the new club take a big step in the right direction, but said overall they were dissapointed not to make the finals. After another full preseason, just their second in the new outfits history, the Newcastle side appear confident they can continue their improvement this season.

Overview with Scott Coleman: 

"We’re in a much better position at this point of the season compared to where we were last year, so that’s always a positive,” Coleman told Rugby News. 

“We’ve retained the majority of the playing group from last year and then added a few talented guys, so we haven’t had to start from scratch. We’re adding to what we started last year and I think we’ve got a lot of development in us.