As Josh stood there in the presence of not one but two football legends, having just scored his first try ever, he thought to himself, When it comes to footy, it probably doesn’t get much better than this.
Until next week, at least.
1.Fullback: Cameron ‘C.C.’ Cotter
2.Winger: Nick Raco
3.Centre: Blake ‘The Fake’ Vargas
4.Centre: Corey Wilson
5.Winger: Josh Brown
6.Five-Eighth: Tai Nguyen
7.Halfback: Liam McGill
8.Prop Forward: Junior ‘Cannonball’ Taafuli
9.Hooker: Ahmed ‘Azza’ Azzi
10.Prop Forward: Lucas ‘Poppa’ Popovic
11.Second Row: Matthew ‘Michael’ Miller
12.Second Row: Jackson Miller
13.Lock Forward: Jack Monroe
Reserve: Ravi Rangarajan
Coach: Steve Smith
AGE: 10
WEIGHT: 42 kg
HEIGHT: 145 cm
POSITION: Winger
An inexperienced but speedy player, what Josh lacks in confidence and size, he makes up for in heart. Josh is a great support player and, given a chance, he will tear away down the sideline. Expect lots of points from this galloping winger before the season is over – once he gets his ball-handling under control.
Josh’s interests include football and his fave food is a classic barbecued sausage sandwich – don’t forget the tomato sauce.
AGE: 10
WEIGHT: 59 kg
HEIGHT: 160 cm
POSITION: Prop Forward
Junior is the youngest player on the team, and he is also the biggest. His tackle-busting line breaks have earned him the nickname Cannonball. But don’t be fooled by his size. This forward has some pretty handy ball skills and a tricky little flick pass, too. Junior can win a game almost single-handedly, but prefers to throw the ball around with his teammates and rely on his skill, rather than his size. When he’s not breaking tackles, this unlikely rapper is busting rhymes. Word!
AGE: 11
WEIGHT: 45 kg
HEIGHT: 152 cm
POSITION: Centre
Corey’s motormouth may get him into a bit of trouble with his teammates, but this fiery centre is the team’s speed demon. Corey is a deadset try machine with a killer sidestep, although he does have a tendency to go ‘one out’ a little too often.
Besides playing footy, Corey helps his mum make ends meet by delivering Crazee Bargains catalogues. He’s pretty handy on a skateboard as well.
AGE: 10
WEIGHT: 41 kg
HEIGHT: 147 cm
POSITION: Reserve
Ravi is super-smart and can rattle off any footy statistic or piece of trivia about the game you can throw at him. Just don’t throw him the football – his skills are a little on the under-developed side. But with a little confidence and coaching, Ravi’s natural intelligence and enthusiasm for footy may convert to points on the board before the season ends.
Ravi is a self-confessed maths geek and prides himself on knowing more footy facts than a TV commentary team.
AGE: 11
WEIGHT: 38 kg
HEIGHT: 140 cm
POSITION: Halfback and Team Captain
He might be the team’s smallest player but this pocket rocket half is the Ravens’ engine. Without Liam calling the plays and driving his teammates forward, the Ravens would get nowhere. His lightning reflexes and natural instinct for the game make Liam the Ravens’ MVP – most valuable player.
Liam’s interests include footy, footy and more footy.
Tackling
The key point to tackling is safety first. You never want to put your head, neck or back into a dangerous position.
Key points
When tackling head on, move towards the ball runner quickly in an upright position in order to cut down the space and time they have to manoeuvre.
Bend your knees and drop your shoulder into the tackle, keeping your head tight against the player’s hip, your chin up and neck straight.
Wrap your arms tight around the player and drive with your legs to force the player to the ground.
To practise tackling, run through the tackle sequence above with a friend in slow motion without any force, ensuring your head and neck are safely placed, tight against the player’s body.
Then try running the sequence a little quicker until you feel confident with getting your body in the right position.
Running Pass
Passing on the go takes timing and precision. Practising your passing is essential to building your confidence and ball-handling skills.
Key points
When passing on the move, run with the ball held in both hands.
A good grip is important. Keep your fingers spread in the middle of the ball and your thumbs on top of the ball.
Make sure you pass in a backward motion to keep the receiver on side.
As the outside foot is about to land, prepare to pass.
Pass off both legs, starting the ball on your outside hip. Keep your eyes on the player receiving the ball, aiming the pass at his hands and chest area.
Extend arms in the pass and swing arms through as you pass the ball to the receiver.
Catching a Pass
Catching a pass on the go can be tricky, especially if the pass isn’t perfect or if there’s pressure from defenders.
Key points
When you’re about to receive a pass, raise your hands early in preparation, to provide a target for the passer.
Your hands should form a W.
Keep your hands up at around armpit height and keep your eye on the ball.
Reach out for the ball and catch away from your body before drawing it into your chest.
Practise passing drills by running alongside a friend or teammate.
You can practise alone by making a chalk mark at chest height on a brick wall and aiming your running passes at the mark. Catching the ball on the rebound can be a fun challenge, too!
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Version 1.0
TRY TIME
Published by Random House Australia 2014
Copyright © Random House Australia 2014
The moral right of the author and the illustrator has been asserted.
A Random House Australia book
Published by Random House Australia Pty Ltd
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Addresses for companies within the Random House Group can be found at http://www.randomhouse.com.au/about/contacts.aspx
First published by Random House Australia in 2014
National Library of Australia
Cataloguing-in-Publication Entry
Author: Loughlin, Patrick.
Title: Try time / Patrick Loughlin, with contributions from Billy Slater;
Illustrated by Nahum Ziersch.
ISBN: 9780857982476 (epub)
Series: Billy Slater; 1.
Target Audience: For primary school age.
Subjects: Rugby League football – Juvenile fiction.
Rugby League football players – Juvenile fict
ion.
Other authors/Contributors: Slater, Billy; Ziersch, Nahum, illustrator.
Dewey Number: A823.4
Illustration and design by Nahum Ziersch
Typesetting and eBook production by Midland Typesetters, Australia
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