League squad starts pre-season training

The Gunnedah Bulldogs rugby league seniors have begun preparations for the 2025 Group 4 season, with coach Sean Hayne looking for improvement after the club missed last season’s finals.

The Bulldogs had a fitness run at Kitchener Park a couple of weeks ago, before having a conditioning session at a local gym last week.

Following the Christmas break, the Bulldogs will return on January 16 and have more gym sessions and focus on conditioning and strength work before reassessing and turning their attention to ball work, shape and defensive aspects.

Hayne will be in his fourth year as first grade coach of the Bulldogs, who reached the 2017 finals and 2018 grand final under his watch before placing sixth last season.

Gunnedah finished three wins outside the top-four last season, after winning only one of their first eight outings in what Hayne described as a “terrible start to the season”.

“There was improvement in the second half of the season, but we finished way below our expectations,” he said.

“We have to start next season a lot better than last season, to give ourselves any chance.”

As for the key to improving, Hayne said, “We have to be better in every aspect of the game and be competitive for the full game, not just in patches.”

One aspect Hayne singled out was being able to defend after making an error.

“Everyone makes mistakes but we need to be better at defending our mistakes,” he said.

“If you can’t defend your mistakes, you’ll never be in the game.”

With Gunnedah’s first grade premiership drought stretching back to 1998, Hayne said, “The goal is to win the comp, while a realistic goal is to make the semis and go from there.”

Hayne said the squad would be similar to last season’s squad, while “hopefully everyone turns up with the right attitude”.

Hayne said it would also be good if reserve grade had a strong squad, so that numerous players would press their claims for a first grade spot.

In the meantime, Lance Martin is continuing as reserve grade coach while Matt Buck takes on the coaching duties of Gunnedah’s U18s after the Bulldogs didn’t have an U18 team last season.