Making up for the disappointment of no Senior competition in 2020, the Noosa Pirates are back with a vengeance
this Saturday afternoon (February 27) as they take on Southern Suburbs Toowoomba in Division 1 and 2 with the
Under 18’s battling the Coolum Colts. Plus, Saturday’s game will see the return of former Australian and
Queensland Origin player David Shillington in his comeback game as he pulls on a Pirates jersey for the first time!
This weekend’s trial games kick off three weeks of wall-to-wall action at Pirate Park, with the club hosting the
Sunshine Coast Falcons’ trial against Norths Devils on March 6 and then Round 1 of Sunshine Coast Rugby League
action on Saturday March 13 where the Pirates will face off against defending Premiers Stanley Rivers.
“How good is it to finally have Senior rugby league action back in our town!” declared Noosa Pirates President
Paul Dwyer.
“Too much footy is never enough and our community is ready to get back into its stride and have some fun by
getting behind their local team.”
With the disappointment of not being able to host some key events earlier in the season that are major
fundraisers for the club, the Pirates were keen to hook up with the Sunshine Coast Falcons and promote both
brands and showcase the pathways on offer for players in their own backyard. And President Paul Dwyer was
happy to highlight what that means for the club.
“In the Falcons’ ISC and Colts teams we have around 7-8 Pirates’ aligned players that will play at the March 6 trial.
It is also likely that they will turn out for us in 2021 at some stage too, so that’s a win/win.”
“Plus, there are 5-6 of our boys in the Mal Meninga squad from our 2020 premiership winning U/16 team that are
playing for the Falcons. They are an important part of our club DNA these days where we have State League and
NRL pathways opportunities for our players.“
But for now, the focus is on this Saturday’s Division 1 trial game against the Toowoomba tourists. Head Coach
Brett Winkler was quick to add that there are only a few weeks to go to the competition start and it was vital for a
good early season start.
“!t’s getting pretty serious now, so we need this trial to go well as our last game lead in. Having Shillo go round will
be great for the spectators but it will be a big boost for the players personally. Dave has a big presence on the
field, but it is his presence off field the field that will also make a difference to how we perform as a team unit.”
If any aspiring young Pirates would like to meet David Shillington for a photo or an autograph, he will be available
in the clubhouse from 5-6pm before the main game kick off, as part of our Junior teams’ sign-on event at the
ground
Main game kick off for Division 1 for this Saturday night is 7pm, with Division 2 playing from 5.30pm with Under
18’s starting the day off from 4.30pm.
