Group 20 rugby league
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LEETON captain-coach Frankie Fiumara is still holding out hope the Greens can round out their forward pack by signing uncontracted pair Luke Thompson and Chris Latu.
Thompson has been linked with a return to Leeton since last year while Latu has not yet committed to the Group 20 minor premiers for season 2014.
The club will likely force the issue and seek a definitive answer from the players before the round one clash with the Waratah Tigers in Griffith on April 12.
Fiumara remains hopeful the Greens can convince at least one or both of the pair to join Leeton's mission to avenge last season's grand final loss to TLU.
"Thommo can adapt straight away - this is his second home town, almost," he told The Area News.
"It's the same with Latu. The two of them, they'd be perfect. It'd definitely help us out a heap if they both commit."
Thompson played for Orange CYMS at the West Wyalong Knockout but there is still a chance he could move back to Leeton with his family and reunite with the club he captain-coached in 2012.
"It's still in the pipeline," Fiumara said.
"He just doesn't know where his family's going to be this year.
"I've been trying to ring him every day. He'd be very handy."
Latu, who was one of Leeton's standout players in the finals series, hasn't trained with the club this year and is considering taking the season off to study and become a police officer, Fiumara said.
"He wanted to just study this year but I think he might make a decision soon, because we're trying to get hold of him," he said.
"He's a really good player and it'd be ideal if we could have him for the knockout. If not, we'll deal with what we've got."
Fiumara said the Greens desperately needed the depth that an additional two prop forwards would bring.
"We've got a very handy backline but we don't have any props yet," he said.
"There's a couple like me but there's no new signings, anyway. It's still early days but it's getting a bit late to try and get someone over."
Meanwhile, Leeton's scheduled friendly match with the Coogee Bay Dolphins for the Bali Memorial Shield on March 29 has been cancelled due to the postponement of the Paul Kelly Memorial Shield.
Organisers had no choice but to call the game off once the Group 20 knockout competition was pushed back one week to avoid a clash with a CRL Academy camp, instead causing one with the highly-anticipated exhibition match in Leeton.
"It's a bit of a bummer, but we're setting it in concrete for next year," Fiumara said.
"Both us and Coogee were both disappointed that it didn't work out.
"All the players were excited about it but they went and changed the knockout and stuffed our plans up."