Up to the challenge: Adam Mills, Peter Tuccandidgee and Victor Akiba are part of a Cairns Marlins team full of debutants ready to take on Mackay in the opening round of the Foley Shield tomorrow.

The experienced trio of Fale Ape Esera, Tony Schaaf and Jason Joinbee are missing from the Marlins team for the Mackay clash, which means Hayes and Laws start while fellow debutant, Tully’s Kahu Wehi, will provide bulk off the bench.. Read on

Story By : Emma Greenwood

Exceptional talent: Cairns’s under-17 Marlins coach Dean Barnard (second right) is confident his charges have skills to add the Foley Shield to the trophy cabinet.

CAIRNS'S youngest Marlins hope to copy their senior rivals and add another trophy to the Cairns District Rugby League 19s growing cabinet.

Coach Dean Barnard is confident his side will go one step further than last year and bring the under-17 Foley Shield trophy home, repeating the success of the senior Marlins, who have clinched the open title for the past two years.

After travelling across the region and taking in the Peninsula rugby league trials, Barnard and selectors have named a strong side for the opening Foley Shield clash against Mackay at Easter.

Barnard said the quality and skill of players in the under-17 age group was exceptional and was reflected by the number of players already with deals with NRL clubs.

The under-17 manager for the past two years, Barnard was familiar with the Marlins’ style and knew the areas that needed to improve.

Barnard has coached many of the players when he led Cairns to an under-15 North Queensland championship in 2005 and hoped he can replicate that success.

"The odds are always against us Cairns sides for this particular game due to the four-day road trip travelling to Mackay and back," he said.