Channel 9 will broadcast this year’s Intrust Super Premiership NSW Residents team in action as they take on the Queensland Residents on Sunday 8 May at Langlands Park.
The match – set to kick off at 1:40pm – will be shown on 9 prior to the City v Country clash in Tamworth, with the side to be selected on Monday.
Intrust Super Premiership NSW and Logistics Manager, Bob Saunders, stressed the importance of the annual clash, a match that determines the superior second-tier competition in the country.
“It’s a very important game, it’s changed a little bit, last year was the first year that it was brought forward,” Saunders said.
“In previous years it was played the same night as Origin III, last year it was brought forward to the rep weekend so you only get to play eight or nine rounds of your competition before the rep game.
“It’s still an important game because it still determines the best second-tier competition in Australia between NSW and Queensland.”
There is a rigorous selection process to decide on the final squad of 19 that will travel to Brisbane, which includes a panel of esteemed members involved within the Intrust Super Premiership NSW that have multiple meetings throughout the year.
The list of players was cut down to 35 after Round 7, and will be finalised on Monday, which is when the week of training begins.
“The team will do medicals on the Monday and a training run on the Tuesday,” Saunders said.
“Then the team goes to Brisbane on the Wednesday afternoon after a training run, then they will train in Brisbane on Thursday and a captain's run on Saturday prior to the game on Sunday.”
Players such as Josh Reynolds, James Maloney and Daniel Mortimer have come through the Intrust Super Premiership NSW Residents team in previous years, as has Johnathan Thurston during his time at the Canterbury Bulldogs.
