Premierships aren’t won in September; just ask Tumut Blues coach Zac Masters.
Sure, the deciding result might be played then, but any good Rugby League outfit kicks off their campaign long before the season starts and culminates, enduring months of pre-season training before even taking the field.
Masters – a two-time premiership winner for his beloved Blues – knows that better than anyone, having helped Tumut to a drought-breaking Group 9 title in 2019 before co-coaching the side to glory in 2023.
Earlier this month, the hard-working bookend welcomed another big Group 9 pre-season to Tumut, leading 50 players around The Bull Paddock as everyone dusted off the cobwebs in anticipation of another big season of Rugby League.
“It was a great start to pre-season,” Masters said.
“We had about 50 turn up, similar to the last couple of years.
“There was a good turnout for League Tag, and with the inclusion of women’s tackle, there’s a bit of excitement around the place.
“We haven’t confirmed a women’s tackle side yet, but after Pub 9s, I reckon we’ll get a side, which is great for the club.
“With the men, I am really pushing for our senior boys to get a few more to training; it’s an opportunity for us to grow as a team and for me, as a coach, and hopefully, we can get a few new faces down there.”
It’s no secret that Tumut will look a lot different this season, with premiership-winning co-coach and Weissel Medal winner Lachlan Bristow now playing in France while reigning best and fairest winner Jacob Sturt, 2019 premiership-winning co-coach and club stalwart Adam Pearce and star forward Michael Fenn have all moved on or retired.
“The number of boys moving away for better opportunities has obviously been well-publicised,” Masters said.
“It just so happens they are our star players from the past few years, but you have to expect that your good players will eventually look for better opportunities.
“Coming off the win last year, that was sort of the end goal for a lot of players, and everyone got that bit of satisfaction, and it made it easier for a lot of the players to move on because their job was done.”
The problem that the Blues have encountered leading into 2024 is that marquee players have yet to show much interest in relocating to Tumut.
“It’s a new year, and we’re looking to make some new signings and to be honest, we’re still trying to piece the puzzle together,” Masters said.
“We’ve not had a whole lot of luck on the market, and it’s proving harder and harder to get football players to move to town with work, family, and all of that.”
Still, Masters will call on a terrific group of youngers, with some already experienced in First-Grade, while others will be progressing from Reserve-Grade and Under-18s.
“We’ve got a good group of locals, which has been our key to success in recent seasons,” Masters said.
“We’ll be looking to get some of those players to step up in the seniors, and there will be some good kids out of 18s, which will give us a big boost,” Masters said.
“It’s not all doom and gloom, and we’d love to add a couple more pieces, but we’ll see what happens.”
While the Blues will have their backs against the wall when defending their Group 9 premiership, Masters is confident a young and keen group can push for finals and make a real go of it in 2024.
“Being competitive is one thing, but the main thing for me is allowing players to grow,” Masters said.
“We’ve been lucky the last few years, especially with the players we’ve had, as they were experienced players that could come in and do a job.
“In terms of development, we haven’t had the opportunity to do that because we’ve had the players there, but this year will be different, and as a coach, I’m excited for the challenge.
“We’ll be able to develop these young players into full-time First-Graders, knowing they will be our players for the next few years; they’re the club’s future.”
With the Blues pre-season well underway, Masters is calling on players to get involved.
Training has returned to Twickenham and will be on every Tuesday and Friday commencing at 6 pm.
