![KEY SELECTION: Marcus Hayne has been named at fullback for the grand final on Sunday, but Bulldogs coach Sean Hayne said: “We’ve got a few options there in the team [to play fullback].”](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/KUhQizDbwW8WqAyPP4x5yp/90da877d-c01a-4148-bc68-db603007d6df.JPG/r0_0_1005_2208_w576_h298_fmax.webp "KEY SELECTION: Marcus Hayne has been named at fullback for the grand final on Sunday, but Bulldogs coach Sean Hayne said: “We’ve got a few options there in the team [to play fullback].”")
Marcus Hayne has been presented with one of the biggest jobs in Group 4 … maybe.
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Gunnedah coach Sean Hayne named his youngest son at fullback, replacing injured strike weapon Dylan Lake, for the grand final against North Tamworth at Jack Woolaston Oval on Sunday.
However, Hayne was non-committal on whether his youngest son, known as a halfback, would play fullback.
Hayne said: “At the moment we might stick Marcus in the No.1 [but] whether he plays there or not [I’m] not too sure. “We’ve got a few options there in the team. A couple of blokes have played a fair bit of fullback before.”
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Hayne said those options included his eldest son, hooker and skipper Callum, centre Aaron Donnelly and winger Lachlan King. “We’ll name our team and work out what’s best for us,” he said.
When asked if Marcus had experience at fullback, he said “not a lot”. But Hayne added: “He’s more than capable of handling it.”
Marcus debuted in first grade last season when he followed his father from North Tamworth to the Bulldogs. He started university this year, and returned to the side for the win over Narrabri on June 30.
He has played in the five matches since then, used off the bench. Operating from dummy half, he scored a try and set up another in the second half in Gunnedah’s 34-28 elimination final defeat of Werris Creek on August 25.
![MASSIVE LOSS: Excitement machine Dylan Lake will miss the grand final after breaking his leg. “[It’s] disappointing, not only for us as a team but for him," says Sean Hayne.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/KUhQizDbwW8WqAyPP4x5yp/e0d6e4cf-6681-4608-97fe-9b789e5e2ec0.JPG/r0_1048_5184_3456_w576_h298_fmax.webp "MASSIVE LOSS: Excitement machine Dylan Lake will miss the grand final after breaking his leg. “[It’s] disappointing, not only for us as a team but for him,\" says Sean Hayne.")
Marcus, who is studying business at the University of Newcastle, will train with the side for the first time this week on Friday. The side will train again on Saturday.
Lake, who had been in electrifying form, broke the fibula in his left leg when he was tackled late in the match against in Gunnedah's 36-22 preliminary final win over the Roosters last Saturday.
Commenting on the injury, Hayne said: “[It’s] disappointing, not only for us as a team but for him, that he’s been there all year and done all the hard work. Now, unfortunately, he has to watch from the sidelines.”
Gunnedah: 1. Marcus Hayne, 2. Lachlan King, 3. Aaron Donnelly, 4. Reece Jaeger, 5. Nic Altmann, 6. David Smith, 7. Matt Brady, 8. KC Edmonds, 9. Callum Hayne, 10. Lincon Smith, 11. Hayden Jaeger, 12. Sam Lumby, 13. Hayden Smith. Interchange: 14. Steve Taylor, 15. Blake McIlveen, 16. Rod Lawlor, 17. Adam Mooney, 18. Kye Conlan, 19. Ben Gardner.
North Tamworth: 1. Chris Hunt, 2. Colby La Chiusa, 3. Richard Clegg, 4. Tristram Morris, 5. Zac Nigro, 6. Scott Blanch (c/c), 7. Kieran Fisher, 8. James Cooper, 9. Ryan Ingram, 10. Shane Wadwell, 11. Brad Marshall, 12. Jake McManus, 13. Nick Dobson. Interchange: 14. Mitch Sheridan, 15. Jack Patterson, 16. Ben Jarvis, 17. Bill Jeffries, 18. Dan Boland, 19. Daniel Semms.
