Narrandera is the first Riverina League club to start pre-season

The Eagles commenced their pre-season program last week and coach Mark Carroll was happy with how their first session went.

"Yeah it was good," Carroll said.

"Being a new coach it's just getting me to know the players and for them to know me, then getting a bit of running in the legs before Christmas.

"We had 25 the other night and we'll probably do another half a dozen runs before Christmas.

"I'm just very lucky to be able to call the Narrandera Sportsground my home now, to rock up there to train and play is pretty special I feel."

Carroll was announced as the Eagles senior coach roughly a month ago and he feels comfortable with how retention is looking ahead of next season despite likely being without Luke McKay, Jack Powell, Tom Powell and Brad Hutchison for 2024.

"Retention is good," he said.

"We've lost a few of our Canberra lads, Luke McKay has gone to South Australia and it looks like maybe the Powell boys (Jack and Tom) won't be coming back but that's okay.

"I just really want to push the local talent, I think there is a lot of untapped potential at Narrandera.

"I want to try and help those younger boys from 16-23 realise their potential.

"There's a good lot of talent there."

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Carroll said that recruitment was going well and he believed that the Eagles would have a couple of players signed up over the coming weeks.

"It's going okay," he said.

"I really want to put time and effort into the local junior boys and give them an opportunity to try and improve.

"But for sure we are looking for experienced players, we've picked up Theo Metcalfe and we've got another couple in the pipeline as well.

"I've got a great recruiting committee there and we are definitely on the lookout for players, there'll be a few announcements in the coming weeks for sure."

The Eagles also recently appointed Joey Grinter to a senior assistant coaching position alongside Carroll for next season.

Carroll said he was looking forward to working with Grinter next season and the rest of Narrandera's senior coaching group.

"Joey is a great club man and he's still only a young man himself," he said.

"I'm very excited about having Joey onboard for sure, he's going to be a great asset to me and it'll help being a local boy as well.

"We've got a great group of coaches this year I feel, Peter Bloomfield and young Connor Vearing, that's a great combination there for our under 17.5's.

"Then Ryan Burden and Shauny Quilter for reserve grade they are a couple of local lads.

"It's a great coaching group and I'll be in contact with them all the time and we'll all work well together."

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