Ky Willott eyes back-to-back Hockey One titles with NSW Pride

The attacking pair are set to continue a key combination throughout the national tournament, having showed promising signs in last year's final victory for the Pride and successful Games qualifiers with Australia in August.

"It's so good playing with him and I reckon he's the most intelligent player I've played with," Willott told the Newcastle Herald.

"Whatever everyone else thinks, he thinks something different so you're always learning off him.

"Playing with him more and training with him more, you just know what he's going to do so you can lead off that and he can put balls right on your stick.

"It was good having him back in the Kookas set up at Oceania [after a mid-year work break] and good now for Hockey One as well."

Tim Brand, Tom Craig, Blake Govers, Dylan Martin and Lachlan Sharp are the other Kookaburras named for NSW, who open their 2023 campaign against the Blaze in Brisbane on Saturday.

Aussie defender Matthew Dawson, Willott's clubmate from Hunter Coast Premier Hockey League champions Norths, recently withdrew from Pride duty after welcoming first-born son Darcy into the world last month.

Willott feels "excited" about the prospect of NSW trying to defend their Hockey One crown. He also noticed a distinct state rivalry emerging at national training in Perth earlier this week.

"Our last session together was one the most fiery we've had in a while. There's a lot from NSW so it was all of us on one side versus the rest," Willott said.

Nathan Czinner, a Souths player and under-21 World Cup hopeful, was also listed for NSW. Matt Magann (Adelaide) and Hayden Dillon (Canberra) are elsewhere.

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