KOOTINGAL Roosters continued their preparations for a 2021 Wests Entertainment Group Group 4 season with another win on the weekend.
The Geoff Sharpe-coached Roosters beat Singleton Greyhounds 42-10 in a first grade trial at Kootingal Oval on Saturday afternoon after beating Gulgong Terriers the previous Saturday in Gulgong.
The Rooster also won the Under 18 match 12-10.
The Roosters continue a busy trial period with a visit to the Guyra Super Spuds this Saturday as well.
"We had a good win," Geoff Sharpe said after Saturday's Greyhound trial in what was a good birthday present for the 53-year-old coach.
"A bit of an arm wrestle for 60 minutes but we ran down hill in the second half. I was really pleased with it, very happy with all of them. We played strong for the first 40 or 50."
Singleton captain-coach Sharpe, Jake Hawkins, was also happy with his side's trial.
"We went all right," the suspended Greater Northern Tiger hooker said.
Hawkins received a two suspension from NSWRL after being reported and sin-binned in the Country Championship win over Newcastle Maitland Region in Cessnock two Saturdays back.
It meant he wasn't allowed to play in the Tiger loss to Western at Farrer on Saturday nor the trial at Kootingal.
He was still upbeat about his side's effort at Kooty.
"Got to take it on the chin," he told Group 4 "we went allright."
"We held them to 12-10 at three quarter time and played quite good until we had a few injuries and they (Kooty) ran away with it.
"It was our first trial."
He though Cody O'Hara, Jake Smith, Fijian flyer Apu and his younger brother Cory Manicaros all excelled.
The Roosters had plenty of good players too, Geoff Sharpe said.
Logan Howard and Josh Kevill were two of the best with strong games in the back row.
"Ben Williams was amazing," Geoff Sharpe added.
"Got through a lot of work. Had one of his best games for us. Liam Hatch went well at right centre too. The best thing was we were able to run a lot of the young blokes off the bench. A lot of the them will play in our reserve grade side but it was good to give them good minutes in first grade.
"Young Riley Reid played well in juniors and then had good minutes in first grade. It gives them a taste of the first grade standard.
"So it was a good team effort and good for the trial up at Guyra."
That will be essentially a reserve grade trial, Sharpe said, owing to the lack of numbers and quality the Spuds will be able to play.
