OLD Bar co-captain-coach Mick Henry reasons that winning early season games in the Group Three Rugby League competition is vitally important to the premiership campaign.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Pirates are due to play last year's grand finalists, Port Sharks, at Old Bar on Saturday, although the round is under a cloud due to ongoing wet weather issues.
"Points at the start of the year mean a fair bit,'' Henry said.
"You think you can drop an early game here or there at the start of the season. But then you get to the back end of the season and wish you'd won them.
"There are only 14 games in the season so it is difficult to catch up. You can't afford to give other sides a head start.''
Henry said the Pirates are no different to any other club in the group - they want to play football.
"We need to be playing games, especially because we didn't really get a chance to play trials,'' Henry said.
He said the Pirates have been 'doing whatever we can' in regards to training as the Old Bar field is off-limits due to the rain.
"We've been doing a bit at the gym - we're lucky to have that facility,'' Henry said.
"But it has been tough, we haven't done any ball work.''
The Pirates game last week against Taree City at the Jack Neal Oval was postponed, adding to the problems. This will now be played on Saturday, May 18.
"It hasn't got any better since then,'' he said. "And there's more rain predicted.''