Southern Inland has released the squads for the curtain-raisers to the Super Rugby trial next month with one notable omission.
Premiers Albury are not represented in the SIRU Redbacks team.
After dominating representative fixtures last season, the Steamers don’t have a player in the 25-man squad.
New Redbacks coach Seru Rogo said two nominated by the club but they didn’t meet the conditions.
“They nominated two players as their boys are busy with Ash Leferve’s bucks night that weekend,” Rogo said.
“They nominated their new boys but in our selection criteria we have to pick the boys who played last season first.”
Despite not being able to call upon the premiers, Rogo is happy with the squad.
He is looking forward to having players from Jerilderie and Hay.
“I was happy with the nominations from all the club, especially Deniliquin and Hay,” Rogo said.
“It will be really good to give them boys a chance to play with the big boys in Wagga and see how they go.”
Both men’s and women’s games will be played before the trial between ACT Brumbies and NSW Waratahs at Equex Centre on February 6.
SIRU squads
SIRU RAMS: Tom Dunstan, Tanian Naude, Riley Brennan, James Grimmett, Hamish Pennington, Ollie Connell, Sterling Ross, Tom Macleay (Ag College) Chris Murray, James Daley, Matt Meggison, Sam Palmer, Dave Armstrong, Sam Hobbs, Steve Tracey, Richie Lamont (Waratahs), James Curgenven, Moses Waqa, James Maloney, Seth Stoltenberg, Jono Lally (Wagga City), Mitch Fealy, Ryan Prior, Brad Crawford, Dean Smart (CSU)
SIRU REDBACKS: Matt Vitucci, Chris Latu, Andries de Meyer, Vaea Mateo, Dan Bozic, Andrew Madden (Griffith), Manning Doughty, Giles Cunningham, Robert Rogers, Will Nadin (Hay), Rob Harris, Jon Carmody, Dan Dowson, Tino Manualevo, TJ Sala (Tumut), Daniel Patu, Tim Rolls, Joe Kafoa, Bill Bevan, Stuart Dyer, Farrell Maota, Adriu Qio (Leeton), Leslie Dicker, Peter Gow, Reid Jackson (Deni)
CITY WOMEN’S: Harriet Elleman (Ag College), Sarah Hogan, Laura Hogan, Lyndall Callaghan, Megan Prince (Wagga City), Bib Bedford, Sophie Quirk, Sophie Thomson, Claudia Obst (CSU), Amy Fowler, Holly Stephens, Bailey Porter (Waratahs)
COUNTRY WOMEN’S: Trinity Sullivan (Albury), Tracey Ho (Deni), Neda Amiatu, Stefanie Koro, Shailyn Williams (Griffith), Bulou Baravilala, Monique Higgins, Kaitlyn McKay, Aimee Spowart, Ua Ravu (Leeton), Tara Arnall, Kiahan Bellchambers (Tumut)
