Despite the Goulburn Bulldogs' announcement that they would not field a team in 2020, several of their most prominent players will still take to the field.
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But instead of the blue and white of the Bulldogs, they'll be wearing Goulburn Dirty Reds jerseys.
The three Cornish brothers - Mitchell, Nicholas, and Tyler - and Izzy Tittor are four of the players who have thus far confirmed the switch to union, which has Dirty Reds head coach Mik Webber very excited for the upcoming season.
"It's obviously a big boost for us, they're not just any blokes running around," Webber said.
"It's massive, Izzy played a fair bit of ones and twos premier division for the [Tuggeranong] Vikings a season or two ago. It's a massive boost, it was unexpected and very welcomed."
The players decided to make the switch to union after the Goulburn Bulldogs announced earlier this month that they would not field any of their four teams in the CRRL competitions this year.
"I know Mitch Cornish from when I played a season of league back in the day," Webber said. "He texted me and said they were keen to try something different, and it started from there."
Along with Tittor's previous experience in Canberra rugby union, both Tyler and Mitchell Cornish have played in the NRL, while Nicholas has played in numerous representative teams in recent years.
Despite their extensive league experience, none of the Cornishes have played union before.
After two weeks of training, Nicholas said he and his brothers are beginning to wrap their heads around the much more free-flowing style.
"The first session was weird," he said, "but now we've been there for about two weeks so we're finding how they play and the style of the game.
"I think we'll be ready [when the season starts], it's still footy in concept. But we're definitely nervous, it's something new that we haven't done before."
With three weeks until the season starts, Webber has been pleased with the Cornishes' progress so far, but added they will probably learn even more in the heat of battle.
"They are quality players, but they're still learning the ins and outs of rugby too. It's a completely different game," he said.
"You can see the quality in them, and they're eager to learn, but you can see the differences.
"For someone who doesn't know much about rugby like those guys, it's a game best played. Someone watching it might have questions, but when you play it you know what's going on.
"Once the guys play a game or two, I'm sure they'll be fine."
Taking up a new code would be daunting for many, but Nicholas said the relaxed and welcoming atmosphere at the Dirty Reds made the transition almost seamless.
"They're an awesome bunch of blokes, I've known a couple of them for a while," he said.
"They're very welcoming and it's a really good culture down there, really close and tight knit. It's a nice community they've got there. It's like hanging out with mates and playing footy, it's really fun."
The season is scheduled to get underway on July 18, with the draw still yet to be finalised.
Ten rounds will be played before the semi-finals, which are scheduled for September 26. This will be followed by a bye, with the grand final slated for October 10.
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