Back to the drawing board for Caithness coach ahead of next campaign
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Kenny Russell is going back to the drawing board as he looks ahead to his second campaign in charge of the Greens.
This season has proved underwhelming as Caithness completed their Caley 1 fixtures on February 4 with a 45-0 loss away to Aberdeenshire.
The coach's arrival has coincided with a number of seasoned anchor players hanging up their boots. He has also been dogged by a run of injuries to key players and has relied on a clutch of rookies to fill most of the tight five spots.
Russell has also struggled to field strong squads for their away days.
He said: "Away to Aberdeenshire was no different. We were looking okay, then we had four guys in the starting line-up having to call off late on.
"Grant Anderson was due home but was stuck offshore, Ryan Cormack and Callum MacDonald fell sick, and Angus Lapslie had a last-minute problem."
Russell cannot fault his pack for effort and enthusiasm over the campaign but acknowledges that its largely inexperienced make-up has seen it outgunned by more experienced, streetwise opponents.
"We have lacked a bit of dog in the front five," Russell said. "When I look at some of the games we have lost, a lot of damage has been done by them having two or three big ball-carriers who we have struggled to deal with."
Russell pointed out that his squad has also been plagued by a recurring casualty list.
In their first league win at home to Ellon, five of their number sustained serious injuries.
For one, Jack Macleod, it proved season-ending, while skipper Marc Anderson's shoulder dislocation was to limit his involvement to a handful of games. Other injury-blighted would-be key players have been Dougie Webster and Cameron Ryder.
Russell said: "The injuries at the start of the season meant we didn't get off to the start we would have liked and we have been playing catch-up since."
He also identified his side's lack of a cutting edge as a factor in many of their defeats.
"We need to develop the knack of being able to finish the scoring opportunities we get," he said. "Too often we've left tries on the field."
Russell is now looking to prepare for next season when the Greens are likely to line up in National North Caledonia in the new-look league set-up.
He will do so with his young squad a year more experienced and with a revised game plan geared to get their better players on the ball more often.
