Coach Shane Pryce builds with youth and experience at New Lambton

The Golden Eagles struggled in their first NPL campaign this year, finishing second last with 12 points under coach Tom Davies, after winning three second-division premierships.

Pryce, a premiership and grand final-winning coach with Lambton Jaffas, has now taken the reins as the NPL club prepares for the return for promotion-relegation.

New Lambton signed experienced defender Josh Piddington and liverwire attacker Charlie Kelly from Jaffas early and have now gained Van As from Edgeworth. Pryce has also been impressed with ex-Jets academy players Reinhard Lloyd and Hugh Browne. The club, though, have lost Kai Bradley to Cooks Hill as well as Dylan and Alex Bozinovski. Louis Townsend has returned to Olympic.

"We've kept the majority of the squad, with some more youth from the Jets," Pryce said. "The signing of Piddo and Charlie are good for us and Shayne, he's got a lot of experience.

"Like everyone, we are trying to get the mix right between youth and some experience. And I think the club probably realised it wasn't going to be an easy jump from winning a lot of games in the second division, so we've got a lot of work to do.

"But what encourages me is that the people involved in the club behind the scenes are very passionate about the club. The playing group have responded well to what we've got to do to go forward, and that's a lot of hard work.

"I believe in what they are trying to do because they have the youth set-up there with Clayton Zane and we want to be a club who promotes from within, and we want to have the money to get a big player when needed, but not four or five."

Pryce said the squad was ready to fight to stay up.

"I've got to give credit to the character of the group so far," he said.

"We are lacking that high-profile player, to a point, but we'll manage and do the best with what we've got, and I'll back those players.

"It will take a bit of time, but I think with that mix of youth and experience is a good one."