Northern Suburbs hooker Al Manning has been named captain of the HSBC Junior Waratahs side to take on NSW Country this Friday at Gosford’s Bluetongue Stadium.

The match will be the year’s first hit-out for both teams and is the curtain raiser to the HSBC Waratahs Super 14 trial against the ACT Brumbies.

The two sides met last year in Wollongong, with the HSBC Junior Waratahs pushed hard by NSW Country before grinding out a 28-12 victory.

The 23-man Junior Waratahs squad has been boosted by the inclusion of Jeremy Tilse and Alfi Mafi who have been selected from the Waratahs Super 14 squad.

Mafi will then back-up along with Chris Thomson, Dylan Sigg and Robert Horne on the bench for the Waratahs in their clash with the Brumbies.

Meanwhile Central Coast lock Adam Winter will cherish the opportunity to lead NSW Country in front of a home crowd at Gosford after being named skipper of a 25-man squad.

More than half of the NSW Country team hails from Illawarra (7) and the Central Coast (6), the two zones having shared the last four Country Championship titles.

2:30pm Gates open
3:00pm Samsung Regional Academy Tens Tournament
4:40pm HSBC Junior Waratahs v NSW Country
7:00pm HSBC Waratahs v ACT Brumbies
 
HSBC JUNIOR WARATAHS
1. Laurie Weeks (Sydney University)
2. Al Manning [c] (Northern Suburbs)
3. Jeremy Tilse (Sydney University)
4. Chris Thomson [vc] (Northern Suburbs)
5. Kane Douglass (Southern Districts)
6. Steve Mafi (Parramatta)
7. Sam Latinipulu (Northern Suburbs)
8. Dylan Sigg (Club TBC)
9. Dan Robinson (Gordon)
10. Dan Kelly (Sydney University)
11. Corey Brown (Northern Suburbs)
12. Robert Horne (Southern Districts)
13. Rory Sidey [vc] (West Harbour)
14. Jordan McGregor (Southern Districts)
15. Andrew Smith (Northern Suburbs)
16. Ofa Fainga’anuka (Gordon)
17. Micah Watene (Southern Districts)
18. Dan Palmer (Southern Districts)
19. Robert McMickan (Eastern Suburbs)
20. Lachlan McCaffrey (Sydney University)
21. Jeremy Sua (Penrith)
22. Alfi Mafi (Sydney University)
23. David Tautaiolefue (West Harbour)

NSW COUNTRY

1. Michael Roche (New England)
2. Michael Lee (Newcastle Hunter)
3. Josh Woodford (Illawarra)
4. Peter Steele (Central Coast)
5. Adam Winter [c] (Central Coast)
6. Tom Cullen (New England)
7. Daniel Porra (Illawarra)
8. Michael Tsolakis (Central Coast)
9. Luke Sullivan (Central Coast)
10. Mitch Graham (Central Coast)
11. Leith Cooper (Illawarra)
12. Richie Steele (New England)
13. Luke Brown (Central West)
14. Damien Reti (Central North)
15. Matt Panton (Central North)
16. Mark O’Brien (Newcastle Hunter)
17. Charlie Croucher (Central West)
18. Tim Small (Illawarra)
19. Liam Vaughan (Illawarra)
20. Mark Cotter (Central North)
21. Aaron Bolte (Central Coast)
22. Chris Jack (Illawarra)
23. Matt MacGregor (Central West)
24. Tim Howard (Illawarra)
25. Jeremy Montgomery (Central West)

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