POWERHOUSE centre Taulogo Lalaga knows he can handle the Shute Shield. Now all he has to do is win a spot back in the Hunter Wildfires first XV.
Lalaga, 25, is back at the Wildfires after two seasons in Perth playing with Associates rugby club.
He and partner, Caitlin, returned home for the birth of their first child, son, Tua who is five weeks old.
It also enabled Lalaga to rejoin the Wildfires.
"Perth was good but we thought it would be better to be back with family to help with the baby," Lalaga said. "It has been awesome."
The Wildfires boast almost a new squad from 2020. Lalaga was one of the stand outs in the inaugural campaign.
"It has been a big step up, especially from Perth," Lalaga said. "There are a lot of good players in the club and everyone has been pushing each other. I have played Shute Shield before and know I can handle it. I just have to keep working hard."
The make up of the midfield is an area coach Scott Coleman is yet to settle on.
Lalaga will get a chance to press his claims in a trial against West Harbour at Marcellin Park on Saturday.
"T (Lalaga) gives us a bit of everything," Coleman said. "He carries well, can ball play and has a strong boot."
Connor Winchester returns from a quad strain at fly-half, but hooker Phil Bradford (groin) and centre Alex Pohla (wrist) are sidelined. Andrew Tuala has a week left on a short-term contract in the US.
Former Australia schoolboy Hamish Moore gets a chance at hooker and Nate de Thierry moves from fly-half to fullback.
The hit out against the Pirates, who will also play Maitland in lower grades, is the Wildfires' second last before the Shute Shield starts on April 1.
The Wildfires went down 56-27 to Warringah last Saturday. They meet Bond University in their final trial.
"We are after less mistakes and more ball control than we had against Warringah," Coleman said. "We were happy with the set piece last week, but there is still room for improvement. West harbour play a tighter, more physical game."
Wildfires: 1 Isi Fukofuka, 2 Hamish Moore, 3 Nick Dobson, 4 Ngaruhe Jones, 5 Rob Puli'uvea, 6 Morgan Innes, 7 Donny Freeman, 8 Teuiti Asi, 9 Nick Murray, 10 Connor Wichester, 11 Jed Englert, 12 Taulogo Lalaga, 13 Tom Watson, 14 Isaac Ulberg, 15 Nate de Thierry
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