0
A Mudskipper Propaganda Initiative
Brumbies geared up for a title
First there were the latest recruits, then there was a new-look outfit and now Stephen Hoiles has put the rest of the Super 14 on notice: the ACT Brumbies want the title - badly.
The Brumbies skipper will lead a star-studded line-up into the 2010 season and the squad is already bubbling with exciting possibilities.
But Hoiles knows returning to Super rugby supremacy won't be easy and he wants a steely resolve instilled in every player.
''We're expecting big things from this side next year,'' Hoiles said.
''But just by having a good list and expectation, it doesn't mean you can be complacent. We'd be fools to think that just by signing some players and finishing in the top half of the comp last season is going to win us the competition in 2010.
''We've got to do a lot of work, we have to be smart about it and understand how we want to play, and I think we're on track to doing that.''
Hoiles, Justin Harrison and Guy Shepherdson yesterday officially launched a new-look, no-collar Brumbies strip for the 2010 season.
The jersey still features the ACT crest on the right with Canberra emblazoned underneath to give the team a strong link to the capital.
Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan hoped the new jumper would signal a new era for his club.
''I think this new jersey with the [ACT] coat-of-arms will be welcomed by the community,'' Fagan said.
''This is our home, we play for this city, we live here and, to have it for the first time on jersey, I think it will be really well received.''
The Brumbies have added Matt Giteau, Rocky Elsom, Josh Valentine and Harrison to a squad already oozing talent.
However, the team's Wallabies representatives will not return to training until early January, leaving time for limited preparation.
Injuries and representative duties mean the Brumbies will not have a full complement of players available until after Christmas.
The Brumbies finish their first lot of pre-season training on Sunday.
They return to the training on January 4 before playing a preseason game against the Wellington Hurricanes on January 29.
BRUMBIES ON TRIAL
Super 14 pre-season matches
January 29: v Wellington Hurricanes at Westpac Stadium, Wellington
February 4: v NSW Waratahs at Viking Park, Canberra
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news...e/1705073.aspx