Southern Beaches season preview, Newcastle Herald, April 9, 2025

lachy Hanlon on Southern Beaches' premiership chances

Transcript

00:00Beaches Club captain Lachlan Hamlin.

00:02Tell us a little bit about the pre-season.

00:03How is Southern Beaches shaping up this season?

00:06At the moment, probably going very well.

00:08Numbers are good.

00:09They're picking up as we go through

00:10and probably driving through for a good start against the Hawks.

00:14Who are some of the guys to look out for this year?

00:16Obviously Steve at the back and full-back.

00:19Team captain as well, always electric.

00:21And then Paddy Taluga from the Wildfires

00:23definitely brings experience and some hops in the second row.

00:27Mate, and tell us about Bartell Leber as a coach.

00:30Nobody's like as a player.

00:31He was all heart, similar as a coach?

00:33Yes, heart definitely transfers.

00:35Also, probably this season, the hunger.

00:38The willingness to strive and get better and be better.

00:41All as a group and unified, going in one direction.

00:44What's going to make Ernie Cal Noble a tough place to go to this year?

00:47Probably the main thing would be the home ground advantage

00:50is definitely where we want to stay

00:53and have that as, like you said, a Fort Knox sort of situation

00:56and having that extra effort,

00:58which hasn't been a thing probably in the last few seasons

01:01and now that's where we've been in the grind in the pre-season.

01:04There's six teams in the comp.

01:05They all look fairly even to me.

01:06Who's the team to beat?

01:07Definitely probably going straight back to last year's grand final.

01:10Maitland, always solid,

01:11especially with their development programs and everything out there,

01:13but always Merriweather.

01:15They're a cult for a reason and it seems to be working.

01:17And what does a successful 2025 look like for the Southern Beaches?

01:21Finals at a minimum, but actually pushing for the GF.