Phantoms face tough return to first grade against defending premiers

Having sat out the first grade competition in 2023, the club will return in both men's and women's and will face the Waratahs at Conolly Rugby Park on Saturday.

Phantoms president Stuart Stout said the men's side are looking forward to the challenge of taking on the defending premiers.

"That is a pretty brutal way to get back into the season if you are taking on one of the better teams," he said.

"It will be a very interesting hitout, and it will be a great indicator of the season ahead. If the boys can get out and come away with a good performance, that is what we are looking for."

A return to the top grade of any sport can be a difficult prospect, but the dedication of the men's squad is something that Stout is hopeful about.

"At the moment, they have been training three times a week because of player availability," he said.

"We are training Tuesday and Thursday night and those who can't make that due to work commitments are actually training on the Saturday. That shows the commitment they have for the season.

"With someone like Marika (Vunibaka) as coach, you are coming in to be competitive, not just to make up a number. We are hoping that with the players that we have, we can perform and be competitive."

The Dianas will also be looking to make a return to competition in 2024 and while numbers have been a bit of a struggle, the Phantoms president was quick stress they would be able to get a side on the paddock this weekend.

"Between league and AFL we are struggling to get extra numbers in and it can be a bit hard getting players from such a small pool within a town like Leeton," he said.

"It's been hard for the last couple of years, and we didn't have a team last year.

"We have some really good numbers coming through the juniors it's just about finding that balance in bringing the young players through from the juniors and keeping the more experienced players in the seniors to make that transition easier."