Group 20 rugby league
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ROHAN Loudon has named a versatile Group 20 representative squad that he believes can adapt to the speed of play expected for next weekend's Maurice Kelly Cup clash with Group Nine in Wagga.
The 20-man squad is laden with new faces including new Waratahs recruits Michael Ioapo, Johnny Teleaga and Moahoni Lelei and Black and Whites captain-coach David Milne.
The players will train together for the first time tonight at Wade Park in Yenda and Loudon is confident that whatever team he ultimately fields for the rep clash will have no hassles with the quicker style of play that will be enforced by Group Nine referees.
"That's why they're all there," he said.
"They'll be fine, it'll just take a bit of time to adjust.
"It'll just be the first 10 or 15 minutes, learning what the referees say you can and can't do in the ruck.
"Hopefully we can just be competitive early, that's the thing, because they'll come out of the blocks pretty quick."
Teleaga was not named in the original squad announced on Sunday night but was added to the list on Monday when it became apparent his sternum injury was not as bad as originally thought.
Loudon has admitted that the man who brought Teleaga to town - Waratahs captain-coach Kose Lelei - was "stiff" to have missed out, with the West Wyalong mentor instead opting to call up playmakers Jaden Kelly, Clint Halden, Stephen Broome and Josh Curphey.
"They'll be able to steer us around. It's invaluable to have that experience in these sort of games," he said.
"There's probably some unlucky people that weren't selected and Kose's probably one of them - he could have got in there too.
"It's tough to gauge everyone's opinion because you only see all the clubs together at the knockout, and they're not full sides."
SQUAD: Brandon Kerry (West Wyalong), Kolo Lomu (Leeton), Michael Mogliotti (TLU), David Milne (Black and Whites), Josh Bryant (Yenda), Clint Halden (Leeton), Jaden Kelly (TLU), Josh Curphey (Yenda), Tom Sellars (Yenda), Craig Iverach (West Wyalong), Jeremy Woods (West Wyalong), Chris Latu (DPC), Richie Bamblett (DPC), Michael Ioapo (Waratahs), Brent Pike (TLU), Trenton King (TLU), Stephen Broome (Black and Whites), Johnny Teleaga (Waratahs), Phil Crosby (Hay), Moahoni Lelei (Waratahs). Coach - Rohan Loudon. Managers - Frank Cauduro, Greg Blackstock.