The 35th annual Charity Shield is just over a month away and the sides you’ll see at Glen Willow on February 24 are starting to take shape.
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For the Dragons, it’s expected James Graham and Ben Hunt will get playing time as they look to build chemistry with the players at their new club.
The claret and green haven’t jagged as many big names as St George Illawarra has but have a substantial headline coming out of training camp.
First-year coach Anthony Seibold is set to send Greg Inglis back to the centres in an effort to re-ignite his career in the wake of a ruptured ACL.
Greg Inglis, who started his career in the back line, has played the bulk of his representative footy in the centres and shouldn’t need much if any time to adapt.
Although Inglis will be required to tackle more, the move will limit the huge impact he absorbs every time he takes the ball back from a kick.
Stepping into the vacant number one role will be try scoring sensation Alex Johnston who crossed the stripe 22 times in 2017.
Dane Gagai looks to be Inglis’ centre partner as the Maroon and Indigenous All Star has spent plenty of time on the field with the 2004 Golden Boot winner.
In addition to fielding Ben Hunt and James Graham, the red v are expected to arrive in Mudgee several days prior to the match, giving locals unprecedented access to their favourite NRL stars.
In a statement made in November, forwards coach Dean Young said the players are excited to get around the town.
“They won’t just be sitting in their hotel rooms, they’ll be getting out and about, going to coffee shops and seeing what Mudgee has to offer.”
Tickets for the Charity Shield on Saturday February 24 are still available.