FORSTER-Tuncurry captain-coach, Nathan Campbell looks likely to keep under 18 halfback, Asthon Hilder in his first grade squad for the remainder of the Group Three Rugby League season.
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Hilder made his first grade debut last Sunday against Macleay Valley at Kempsey and laid on the match winning try for winger Dan Lawton in the dying seconds of the contest.
He put through a perfectly weighted kick that Lawton greedily pounced on to give the Hawks a 36-34 win after they had trailed for most of the day.
Campbell was impressed with Hilder's composure.
"It was his first grade debut but he didn't shy away from any of the contact,'' he said.
"I'll be looking to transition a few under 18s to reserve grade and first grade looking to the future and Ashton will be one of them.''
The Hawks are outright second and can secure a top two berth by beating the third placed Old Bar Pirates on Sunday at Tuncurry. They're three points clear of the Pirates, although Old Bar has a match in hand, albeit against Port City at Port Macquarie.
Campbell said seven first graders were missing last Sunday, including halfback, Adrian Davis and the Hawks struggled for cohesion.
"Macleay played well, they threw the ball around and I dunno...it was hot and that seemed to drain our boys,'' he said.
"But we got there in the end. I'll take the two competition points.''
Lawton finished with four tries but Campbell said he was unsure if the veteran flanker would stay in first grade this week.
"I'll be looking to transition a few under 18s to reserve grade and first grade looking to the future and Ashton will be one of them.
- Forster-Tuncurry captain-coach, Nathan Campbell
"That's something we'll talk about at training,'' he said.
Campbell is confident the Hawks will be close to full fitness this week for the game that will mark the club's Indigenous round.
'We're starting to fine tune now towards the semi-finals,'' he said.
"Old Bar beat us fairly well in the first round at Old Bar. I wouldn't say they're a bogey side for us, but it would be good to get a win against them this week.''
The Hawks haven't lost a match since beaten by Old Bar on June 4, although they did play an 18-18 draw with Port City at Port, a game where they were in front for much of the 80 minutes.
That's as close as the Breakers have come to defeat this year and Campbell said it was a bruising encounter.
"I was sore for a couple of days after,'' he said.
In the run to the play-off the Hawks face Old Bar (home), Wingham (home), and Wauchope (away).
Wingham remains a chance for the play-offs and are now just a point shy of fourth placed Port Sharks. However, Wauchope has fallen away in what has been a season riddled by injury.
