By MARK CASHMAN

Last season was all a bit of blur for Hunter Wildfires coach Scott Coleman and his fledgling Shute Shield outfit.

COVID-19 and all its ramifications and a four-week lead in to the season meant that it was always going to be one of those years. 

Throw in two decades away from the cut and thrust of the Sydney competition and you’ve got one of those sandwiches they talk about when things aren’t going to be easy. 

The season delivered only two wins (should have been three in many peoples’ minds) and a draw – as well as five bonus points – but they did finish ahead of the Western Sydney Two Blues and Penrith and consistently matched many sides with their approach to the physical stuff.

Numerous times they were well in the contest with higher placed teams but fell away in the final 20 minutes of games when fitness and skill execution went under the blow torch.

As ‘Bubba’ says they took their licks and tried to learn about what it takes to be a successful club in Sydney.

“Our biggest aim this year is to put some genuine credibility into the Wildfires jersey,” Coleman said.

“We want other teams to come away from playing us knowing that they had a genuine contest but also came up against side that was smart, skilful and well-drilled.

“Last year I thought we handled the physicality aspect of playing in Sydney quite well and were probably in the top half of the competition on that front.

“But speed and executing our skills under pressure saw us drift out of games at critical times.”

The push to bridge that skill and fitness gap has already begun with the vast majority of the Wildfires 2021 top squad already training four nights a week.

That schedule’s about to have a Saturday session added to it and Coleman says they will be ready to go once the first round of the competition comes around on Saturday April 10.

“One of the hardest bits of pulling all this together is to work in with all the clubs in the Newcastle competition,” Coleman added.

“It’s a delicate balance because we don’t want to take away from the local competition so there are key performance indicators with the local clubs.

“We committed to bringing in between 15 and 18 players that weren’t in the Newcastle competition last year and that is well and truly happening.

“One of the key aims is to stop the drain of talent to Sydney.

“You are always going to lose some, but over the next three to five years we want to demonstrate to good Newcastle rugby players that you don’t have to move south to get noticed.”

As Coleman points out Newcastle is a vibrant and welcoming place and the cost of living is a long way from what’s needed to even get out of bed in the big smoke.

“Sam Needs has come up from Warringah to play and be our scrum coach and he found that he was able to buy a four bedroom place with a pool in a good area near the beach for what he was geared up for two bedrooms in Sydney,” Coleman said.

Need isn’t the only example of that Henry Stowers, recently of the Western Force and a good ball carrying backrower, enjoying life in the Hunter.

Leon Fukofuka, an international scrumhalf with Tonga, is also on Coleman’s books, and there are more to come.

They will again play out of the Newcastle No.2 Sportsground and at this stage could well play a number of their home games on a Sunday in an effort to give the local competition some clear air.

That has been warmly welcomed in the Hunter and it also gives rugby’s new broadcast partner Stan Sport some live Sunday content.

IMAGE: ANDREW QUINN