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SYDNEY ROOSTERS are hoping young prop Kane Evans can graduate to first grade this year, but even if they have to wait until next year they are convinced they are on a winner.
Evans stood out as one of the best players for NSW in their 18-14 win over Queensland in an under-20s State of Origin match at Centrebet Stadium on Saturday night. There are still areas in which he needs to improve before the Roosters will try him at the top level, but there is no doubt about his potential. Evans used his giant frame to score a terrific try and he put the defence on the back foot when he took the ball forward.
''He may play a mix of under-20s and some games for Newtown in the NSW Cup from this point,'' Roosters coach Brian Smith said yesterday.
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''We're trying to get him ready to have a crack at the NRL before the end of the season, but there is a bit of work to be done on him first. If he runs out in first grade at some stage later this year, we will be delighted, but if it takes until next season that won't be a problem.''
Evans, who turned 20 in January, will no longer be eligible for the under-20s after this year. He is already training for part of the week with the club's first-grade squad, before joining the under-20s squad closer to games. Roosters chief executive Steve Noyce said Evans was contracted until the end of 2014.
Smith said Evans had been on the radar as a future first-grader for a long time, adding: ''We've seen a lot in him, from very early on. He was a year younger than the limit in our SG Ball team that won a comp. He's been through our program, and Peter [O'Sullivan, the club's recruitment manager] and I have been across him all the way through.
''He's very green in some ways, and he's got a massive, gangly frame that takes some looking after. He's like the tall, young fast bowlers you get coming through and playing for Australia. They do everything at 100 per cent, and Kane is like that when he runs, and when he tackles. You've got to make sure you bring them through correctly, and that they're mentally, physically and emotionally ready for first grade when you put them in.
''He's been really good this year, really diligent with his preparation. He scored a great try last night, but he was a bit loose in defence at times and we're working on that. A big plus is that he's a fantastic kid, with a great personality and attitude. He'll do the work that it takes.''
The under-20s is known for a lack of quality defence and big scorelines, but when the best players were brought together for the Origin match it made for a terrific spectacle.
''I was really impressed with the intensity,'' Roosters under-20s coach Jason Taylor said yesterday. ''There are plenty of terrific players coming through, and they're still learning to play 80 minutes of fast footy.''
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/l...#ixzz1ss3dkzz3
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/l...422-1xf6y.html
Evans stood out as one of the best players for NSW in their 18-14 win over Queensland in an under-20s State of Origin match at Centrebet Stadium on Saturday night. There are still areas in which he needs to improve before the Roosters will try him at the top level, but there is no doubt about his potential. Evans used his giant frame to score a terrific try and he put the defence on the back foot when he took the ball forward.
''He may play a mix of under-20s and some games for Newtown in the NSW Cup from this point,'' Roosters coach Brian Smith said yesterday.
Advertisement: Story continues below
''We're trying to get him ready to have a crack at the NRL before the end of the season, but there is a bit of work to be done on him first. If he runs out in first grade at some stage later this year, we will be delighted, but if it takes until next season that won't be a problem.''
Evans, who turned 20 in January, will no longer be eligible for the under-20s after this year. He is already training for part of the week with the club's first-grade squad, before joining the under-20s squad closer to games. Roosters chief executive Steve Noyce said Evans was contracted until the end of 2014.
Smith said Evans had been on the radar as a future first-grader for a long time, adding: ''We've seen a lot in him, from very early on. He was a year younger than the limit in our SG Ball team that won a comp. He's been through our program, and Peter [O'Sullivan, the club's recruitment manager] and I have been across him all the way through.
''He's very green in some ways, and he's got a massive, gangly frame that takes some looking after. He's like the tall, young fast bowlers you get coming through and playing for Australia. They do everything at 100 per cent, and Kane is like that when he runs, and when he tackles. You've got to make sure you bring them through correctly, and that they're mentally, physically and emotionally ready for first grade when you put them in.
''He's been really good this year, really diligent with his preparation. He scored a great try last night, but he was a bit loose in defence at times and we're working on that. A big plus is that he's a fantastic kid, with a great personality and attitude. He'll do the work that it takes.''
The under-20s is known for a lack of quality defence and big scorelines, but when the best players were brought together for the Origin match it made for a terrific spectacle.
''I was really impressed with the intensity,'' Roosters under-20s coach Jason Taylor said yesterday. ''There are plenty of terrific players coming through, and they're still learning to play 80 minutes of fast footy.''
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/l...#ixzz1ss3dkzz3
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/l...422-1xf6y.html
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