Incoming coach Pat Weisner says two powerful influences will help the North Sydney Bears try to make The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup finals for a third year in a row in 2024.
They are the Sydney Roosters and the Melbourne Storm, which Weisner believes will both provide benefits for his players.
After several seasons as the NRL feeder team for the Roosters, next year the Storm will fill that role.
Already Jesse Marschke and Regan Hughes have been in Melbourne training for the Storm’s NRL squad. Early next year Tui Katoa and Blacktown Workers recruit Jake Toby will spend a week.
“Jesse is doing really well. He got trainer of the week down there and that’s good to see,” Weisner told nswrl.com.au
“So four of our boys will get a taste of Storm through the pre-season and that’s a good thing.
“We’ve got a lot of guys coming back from last season’s squad and we’ve made some good signings. They all know they’re coming into a strong team here at the Bears.
“We’ve been lucky as we’ve been involved with the Roosters the last few years and some of those good practices remain with us.
“That will continue with the Storm, and alongside Penrith, those two clubs have been the most successful in the NRL over the past 12 years.
“If we take the good bits from the Roosters and the good bits from Melbourne and give it a Bears flavour, we’ll be there or there about when finals come around.”
Weisner, who has been with Cabramatta in Sydney Shield and Ron Massey Cup and the Blacktown Workers in NSW Cup, takes over at the helm after a successful five years with Jason Taylor as coach.
He kept the Bears in the top-four and in 2023 they came away with the Minor Premiership.
Weisner knows the expectation that will sit on his shoulders in 2024 to keep the Bears high on the table.
“At the Bears there is always pressure. We’ve been a top club in the NSW Cup for quite a few years,” he said.
“Obviously it will be a lot different next season with Melbourne. We’re sort of starting again after we’ve been very settled with the Roosters. It’s all new ground now.”
He starts that journey with 10 players from the 17 in the Grand Final team absent.
“So that’s quite a large amount. The success we had last season can hurt you in a way, as far as keeping players. They get opportunities to go.
“A lot of those guys have gone to top-30 contracts at NRL clubs or to Super League and that’s a good thing to see them progress.
“We’ve got six or seven left, who are now full-time professional footballers, so that’s awesome for them.
“While we’ve lost some good players a lot of others see that if you come to the Bears you’re a chance of pushing through to full-time footy the year after.”
The Bears lost skipper Zach Dockar-Clay and Junior Pauga to the Roosters; Reuben Porter to the Wests Tigers; and Ellie El-Zakhem to Super League.
Among those they have brought in are fullback Jake Toby and hooker Nat Roache from the Sea Eagles, and lock Riley Meyn from the Roosters, who scored seven tries in 22 games in his first year of NSW Cup.
