GNFL round 5 preview: Undermanned wins fill Railways coach with confidence ahead of Brigades test

Consecutive wins have left Railways feeling confident in their side ahead of an upcoming Brigades test in round five of the Great Northern Football League. The league runner-ups from last year started their 2024 campaign with a nine-point loss to the Rams in a grand final rematch. Despite the defeat, coach John Reynolds said there was positives to take from it. “We obviously lost to Northampton in Northampton, but went away extremely positive from that game knowing that we had about five or six players out against them,” he said. Since then, the Blues have taken back-to-back wins with the side still not at full strength. “Our guys put up a good, hard fight and we rolled that into Rovers which was a good win,” Reynolds said. “It was a difficult game against Mullewa … we were hamstrung with a few injuries early on in the game and had to roll without a bench towards the end.” In his second year at the helm, Reynolds is focused on getting his guys fit and looking at the long-term plan. With player availability up and down across the league, having a side at full strength can be a rarity. “Overall, I think we’ve started really well and it’s just about trying to pull everyone together and try to put the best team on the track each week,” Reynolds said. “We’re certainly still missing a few players; we will definitely work on building that towards the back end of the year. “Player management is a really big thing for me and it sort of worked in our favour last year and I’ll continue to build that this year.” The Blues coach said they had had players all over the list step up, including forward Damien King, who has kicked 13 goals from three games. “We’ve given (King) a role where he’ll be pretty consistent without throwing him around or changing it too much and you can see the effects already,” he said. “You can’t go past our captain Jesse (Adamini). He’s had a massive off-season. I think the loss last year in the grand final really motivated him and has driven him.” While Railways enjoy big performances from star players, it’s the depth that has filled the team with confidence going forward. “We don’t rely on anyone … we know how important our guys coming off the bench are and I’ve got the confidence if they’re on the bench or on the field, they’ll perform and do the job that they’re meant to,” Reynolds said. This week the side will be tested against Brigades, who still look to be one of the league’s top teams in 2024. Despite the challenge, Reynolds is focused on playing their brand of footy over worrying about what the opposition will bring. “We know Hassan (Ahmat-Watkins) up forward for them played really well against Towns; that’ll be a big role for someone,” he said. “Otherwise we really concentrate on our game style. I think that’s key, to get everyone aware that you know we’re not going to go out chase and try to stop other teams.” Reynolds said the Blues were strong around the centre and could create opportunities for themselves. “We’re very good around stoppages, so we need to get that flow on from there,” he said. “We’ve also got some good run off the half back, so if we can stop it out the half backline and create our run, then definitely I think we’re going to be hard to stop.” Across the rest of the GNFL, Chapman Valley are coming off their second bye in four rounds and will host a Rovers side that is yet to secure points this season. At Purcher International Oval in Northampton, it will be a clash of country sides with the Rams taking on Mullewa.