Cougars prep a hit on hockey pitch | Rockhampton Sport | Local Sports in Rockhampton

Midfielder Anthony Hartnell is one of the boys from Britain who is set to impress this season.

CHRIS ISON

Playing football on a hockey pitch might not be ideal preparation but Webbers Retravision Cougars coach Brad Smith was delighted nevertheless that the hockey association allowed his team to train at Kalka Shades this week.

“We trained there Wednesday and Thursday,” Smith said yesterday.

“They (Rockhampton Hockey) were good enough to let us use it.

“It has been a tough week, so we were glad to get out and play on a pitch.”

Smith said the squad had been doing a lot of running because the bad weather had prevented them using their training facility at CQUniversity.

However, on the all-weather turf of Kalka Shades the players were able to get the feel of a football again as they prepared for some exciting trial matches over the next few weeks.

The Cougars are looking forward to four games against Hyundai QSL opponents during the next three weeks.

Next Saturday’s clash with Whitsunday Miners had already been locked in, as had the matches against the Brisbane Strikers and Sunshine Coast the following weekend.

However, since those arrangements were finalised a match against Bundaberg Spirit has also been organised. It will be played on March 13 at the Wolves ground, Gladstone.

The other good news is the injury count is easing, with just Michael Cay missing sessions during the week.

“Michael has an Achilles problem that kept him from training on two nights,” Smith said.

Training on turf had brought out the best in some of the squad, with British player Anthony Hartnell looking particularly good at training, he said.

“He really turned it on for us on Thursday.”

When the Cougars take the bus to Moranbah next week nobody in the squad will miss out, as the coach will give an opportunity to all his players to show they have what it takes.

“I’ll be trying not to chop-and-change too much but I guess that is impossible,” Smith said.

Despite the bad weather Gladstone’s Matt Smillie turned up for two sessions during the week, continuing his attempt to become the first player from that area to break into the Cougars Hyundai QSL team.

The one thing certain for the 2010 season is there will be competition for places.

Already there are about 20 players in the Cougars squad and none have shown signs of working their way out of contention.

There is also a chance last year’s star import Tom Evans will return. Should he be in similar form to last season he will be a hard player to displace.