By MARK CASHMAN

Randwick are blessed with the talent that they have developed in recent seasons in the No.10 jersey and first grade coach Ben McCormack is looking forward to seeing how young Waratah Ben Donaldson goes in the driver’s seat on Saturday.

The Galloping Greens take on Northern Suburbs in the 7TWO TV match of the round and how Donaldson fits in will dominate much of the narrative around this encounter.

On top of Donaldson the Wicks have brought through Will Harrison in recent times and can lay claim to nurturing the early part of Tane Edmed’s career in colts before he headed to Eastwood this year.

That’s one hell of a talented cluster of fly-halfs and in some ways McCormack must be relieved that he doesn’t have to make a decision between Donaldson and Harrison, at least for this week.

“Yeah will be interesting to see how Benny jumps in – he’s obviously super talented but hasn’t actually played a lot of minutes this year,” McCormack said.

“But I’m confident he’ll slip in a do a good job, and with ‘Shorty’ (Mitch Short) at 9 and ‘Witza’ (Dave Horwitz) at 12 he’ll have some good support around him.

“Norths look to play a similar brand of footy to us so I think it will be a really entertaining game with some positive rugby.

“Their lock Dave Heneway looks dangerous and they obviously get a few extra troops back as well so it’ll be a good contest.”

Norths have also been able to welcome back some troops from the Waratahs with Cam Clark starting on the wing and Hugh Sinclair getting a run in the back row.

They have been able to use Pat Tafa in recent weeks and he has added much to the cause but he heads to Brisbane to visit family before heading off for a contract in Japan.

The only other change to the Norths starting XV is James Margan coming in at hooker for the bigger Gary Bautz who has done very well in the last couple of games.

Norths will look to Bautz to make some sort of impact off the bench.

The Shoremen came away from the game against Eastwood with a bonus point victory but conscious of the need for the side’s defence to click into gear against the Wicks.

“I thought that we deserved to come away with something from the game against Eastwood and you sometimes need a bit of luck in this game,” Norths coach Earl Va’a said.

“The way the game developed in that first half meant that we would have to win it with our attack and in some ways that’s how it went.”

Va’a is excited about working with Clark and Sinclair this week.

“The boys are loving working with these two guys and they have added lots to our preparation this week,” Va’a said.

“Cam connects so well with the guys, while Hugh with his experience has so much respect and mana within the club.”

Sinclair is more a blindside breakaway, lock or No.8 but will wear the No.7 jersey this week with Heinrich Brendell tweaking a calf at training this week.

Va’a added that they would need to shut down the Randwick attack to compete at Rat Park on Saturday.

“Their attack is exciting with some speedy and skilful players,” Va’a said.

“They also have a big emphasis on having as many players on their feet as possible which means that there aren’t many holes in their defensive line.”

The two sides look very evenly matched and only the efforts of someone like Maurice Longbottom from Randwick or the game management skills of Angus Sinclair tipping things one way or the other.

Randwick has lost two on the trot and with a bye before the end of the year will be keen to get the money here. A great game all round.

NORTHERN SUBURBS (1-15):
German Haeffeli, James Margan, Dewald Dekker, Dave Henaway, Declan Carroll, Brad Hemopo, Hugh Sinclair, George Murrin, Nick Duffy, Angus Sinclair, Reece Mau’u, Harry Burey (c), Nathan Russell, Cam Clark, Max Burey.

RANDWICK (1-15):
Jake Turnbull, Dave Vea, George Hendry, Nathan Den Hoedt, Tom Nowlan, Tom Piroddi, Joe Feltis, Kyle Harris, Mitch Short, Ben Donaldson, Simon Kennewell, Dave Horwitz, Kristian Jensen, Triston Reilly, Maurice Longbottom.

LAST TIME: Randwick W 32-30 3 August, 2019.

IMAGE: KAREN WATSON