A rugby league coaching great has helped inspire the Tasmania JackJumpers' inaugural pre-season preparations ahead of the start of their debut season in November.
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JackJumpers coach Scott Roth revealed he had been in contact with Melbourne Storm mastermind Craig Bellamy for inspiration to get his side ready for the NBL season start.
Bellamy's pre-seasons are well-renowned in the NRL and players often undertake a series of community programs to engage fans and communities.
"I talked to Craig Bellamy before I came down to see some of the things he had done with his team and just became a no-brainer to me, a chance for us to give back to the community," he said.
"I think it's a dose of reality of what people are doing ... really working for a job and the luxury we have of playing a game."
That community focus will be at the forefront when the JackJumpers bring their preseason preparations to Northern Tasmania next week.
The new franchise will be on the North-West coast from Sunday before heading to Launceston to conduct some community outreach programs as well as training sessions during their stay.
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Roth said the side was excited to participate in a rare venture to the state's northern parts.
"It's a chance to build the brand, get out in the community and see some fans and actually have some live bodies around instead of the JackJumper and myself running around," he said.
"For me the first thing and foremost is why we're going north is for the fans ... it's one of the few opportunities that the entire team can go north.
"Practice will take care of itself once we get back to Hobart, we'll tick some boxes while we're up there practice-wise but it's to get out in the community."
After being tasked with creating a roster from scratch, Roth revealed the arrival of the JackJumpers squad for pre-season had made him emotional.
"Last week when I stood in front of them was emotional for me because five or six months ago it was a whiteboard that was blank and at the end of the day 15 are standing in front of you."
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