'Everyone has something at stake' - Manulla relishing Super League start

ROGER Clarke believes Manulla’s pre-season groundwork can translate into a strong Super League
campaign — and he is clear about the club’s ambition.

“We’ve put in a lot of prep work over the last couple of months,” Clarke said. “I hope we’ll be very
competitive this season. Like last year, we want to take on the main teams and hopefully finish higher up the league.”

There have been no major changes to the squad. “It’s more or less the same group as last year,” he
explained.

“We’re trying to stick with developing the younger lads and bringing them through from the development team into the Super League side.

"It’s been a two-to three-year strategy for us to build for the future.”

Dual players remain part of the picture, but Clarke is comfortable with the balance.

“We have two or three lads involved in other sports. They gave us 70 to 80 per cent commitment last year and they were a great addition,” he said.

“We’ve worked well with the local GAA club. If the lads have a match, we don’t expect them to be training hard the night before.

"The players want to play, and we try to coordinate things as best we can.”

On the new split-season format, Clarke welcomes the change and sees opportunity. “It’s good to try
something different,” he said.

“If you have any ambition as a Super League team, you want to finish in the top half. That’s our aim — start strong and put ourselves in that position.”

He believes the revised structure will keep the competition alive across the table.

“Before, if you were mid-table with seven or eight games left, you might not have had a lot to play for.

"Now, once it splits, everyone has something at stake. It should make it more competitive and interesting.”

Looking at the title race, Clarke expects familiar contenders. “I’d say it will probably be between
Castlebar Celtic and Westport United again,” he said.

“They’ve been strong the last few years and you’d expect them to be there or thereabouts.”

Despite Manulla’s impressive facilities, Clarke insists the club’s identity is rooted in its locality.

“We’re proud of what we have here,” he said. “We’re a local club. Most of the lads are from around the area.

"Bigger towns might have a bigger pick, but we like to keep that comradeship and team spirit. We’ve been up there before and our aim is to be competing for the title again in the next couple of years.”

Asked which player he would take from another club, Clarke was honest about what he feels Manulla
need.

“A goalscorer,” he said with a smile. “Someone like Jordan Loftus — a proper striker. That’s the
type of player that would really help us.”