Ipswich Tomcats coach Nick Drane is preparing to strengthen his squad with recruits from outside the county following their poor start to the season.

By Stuart Watson

Ipswich Tomcats coach Nick Drane is preparing to strengthen his squad with recruits from outside the county following their poor start to the season.

The Tomcats put in a brave effort against the Reading Rockets recently, but when a number of their key players fouled out late in the game the reigning national champions exposed a weakened Ipswich bench.

Drane said: “I really don't want it to sound in anyway like I am disrespecting our current bench players as they have big futures, but most of them are still a year young for this age group and lack a little bit of experience.

“Last season we had Luke Fry (retired through injury), Christian Dailly (too old), Matt Harber (too old) and Sam Saggers (left for Reading) as bench players who could come in if we were getting into foul trouble and now we don't obviously have them.

“It's just a very frustrating situation because we are just one or two solid players, not even exceptional ones, away from being one of the top teams in the country.

“I've already started to look at a couple of chances to go recruiting and may have to go out of the county and use my contacts in Norfolk and Essex to strengthen the squad. I just feel that a bit of competition for places on the bench would be healthy for us.”

Meanwhile, Tomcats captain Aaron Moseley is willing to play through the discomfort of shin splints by taking painkillers before matches.

Drane said: “With my history of that injury I know how serious it is, but we are desperate for Aaron to play. He's determined to get to Christmas, have a complete three week rest and hopefully that will get him through.”

Another player Drane is keen to see get more court time is Leigh Greenan after the England international missed almost half of the Reading game due to fouls.

Drane said: “If Leigh stays on the court we win, because he is as good as anyone in the country.

“If you ask Leigh about the Reading game he will say that not one of the five fouls given against him were fouls and, on another day with another ref, it's true that some of them might not have been given.

“Leigh needs to be more mature though and learn how to deal with different referees. He needs to realise that what he might get away with one week he won't the next.

“He needs to work out the referee early in the game and adapt his game accordingly.”