NEWCASTLE Wildfires coach Scott Coleman is not expecting miracles against the Western Force at No.2 Sportsground on Saturday.
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The Force are a professional outfit, who are coming off victory in the National Rugby Championship, have been training together for six months and are experienced at Global Rapid Rugby - a modified game with modified laws.
Newcastle are an invitational side, boasting six locals and a heap of up-and-comers from Sydney, some with Hunter roots. They will meet each other at a captain's run on Saturday morning and have never played Global Rapid Rugby.
"It won't be easy," Coleman said. "We are a barbarian-style team which has been thrown together. But we also have some high quality players in our side."
Coleman simply wants to show Newcastle players - and the rest of the region - what is possible.
"The big picture is to raise the standard so whenever we get the nod to return to the Shute Shield or get a Global Rapid Rugby franchise - that might be two years, five years or whatever - we have players here up to the standard and willing to do it," Coleman said
"Our aim on Saturday is to be competitive and show that if given a chance to be in Global Rapid Rugby that we could facilitate it. We have a good venue and we have the players or can get the players. Most of the guys [from Sydney] who made themselves available would like to be a part of Global Rapid Rugby.
"Some have been in professional outfits before and didn't get a final chance. They are all sniffing around that level and want to be looked at."
Merewether recruit and tighthead prop Nick Dobson, who played for the Canberra Vikings in the NRC last year, Hamilton hooker Chris Ale, Lake Macquarie No.8 Marlon Solofuti and Roos fly-half Brendan Holliday will start against the Force.
Merewether winger Bill Coffey, Hamilton fullback Zac Crowley and Wanderers back-rower Ben Ham are on the bench as are Hunter-bred Alex Hills (Easts) and Nathan Brennan (Randwick).
"It's a good opportunity to test themselves against quality opposition," Coleman said. "I watched the Force's [29-15] win over Eastwood last weekend. They are very physical and very strong at the set piece.
"You can tell they are a professional outfit. They play to patterns and are just a well-oiled machine."
Force coach Tim Sampson said he was familiar with many of the players drafted into the Newcastle side.
"When you get a composite team put together for a fixture like this, you expect to face a bit of freelance rugby," he said. "It really ties into rapid rugby - a fast, open, exciting game."
"They will embrace it and that can be challenging when you play against unstructured teams, it is not easy to defend against."
"It's great that it has been put together to allow us to get a trial game. The hunter region pride's itself on sport and hopefully we can assist them by putting on a good game of rugby."