PORT City Breakers will take to the field for the start of the 2014 campaign on Sunday, and no-one is more excited than these kids.
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The Breakers will take on Wauchope at Regional Stadium, and for the first time in years, the future of the game will play an exciting part.
The clubs' youngsters will play before first grade and at halftime on the stadium turf. They will also run out of the tunnel with the senior players.
The kids in our photo from left, Jake Hillard, Brock Gow, Axl Pope and Koby Atkins will all be on the field.
Breakers under sixes coach Adam Atkins said the team was buzzing and excited to get the season under way.
Numbers are strong at the Breakers this season, with plenty of kids keen to pull on the blue jersey.
"We've got 15 players. There's usually about 10," Atkins said.
"The Sharks are the same."
Atkins said it was an indication of the strength of the junior game in the Hastings.
He said claims that grass-roots rugby league was on its death bed simply weren't accurate.
"Not in Port Macquarie," he said.
Atkins will also be involved on another level on Sunday. He'll come out of retirement to play for the Breakers' reserve-grade side.
He "retired" after the Breakers' win against Forster Tuncurry in 2011.
Atkins will play lock/second row on Sunday.
He could get a run in top grade too, depending on a couple of injury clouds hanging over first-grade players.
One of them is Daniel Dumas, who's struggling with a cork.
Captain-coach Josh Hyde has a strong side to choose from for the weekend's match, and he expects the Breakers to be in the contest.
No-one is more excited than Hyde to get under way. He broke his arm in the pre-season, and missed the trial matches.
He's under no illusions as to how tough the Blues will be, though. The Clayton Cup winners and Group 3 defending premiers know what to do to win games.
"They have that winning experience," Hyde said.
For the full Breakers team list, head to www.portnews.com.au