Ryan Withers coaching Belvoir in 2023/24 provincial cricket season

Withers, 33, has taken the reins at Kelly Park where Robbie Mackinlay and Matt Jaensch led the Eagles to a fourth-placed finish in 2022/23.

Belvoir, who lost to Lavington in the first round of finals, look stronger on paper this time around but Withers knows talent alone will only get them so far.

"However much they want to put in off the field, on the training track, is what they're going to get out of it on match days," Withers said.

"If they rock up and give 110 percent at training every week...

"Flags are not just handed out, you've got to put in the hard work.

"They all know that, we've had a chat about it.

"I'm hoping they'll stick by their word and we'll have really good turnouts to training, week in, week out, and hopefully get the results on the weekend.

"I believe we've got a good enough squad to be pushing the better sides in the comp so we'll just take each week as it comes and see where we are at the end."

Last season was Withers' first in a Belvoir shirt, having previously played and coached at Howlong.

His first experience of Australian cricket came at Ovens Valley United, who brought him over from England where Withers had spent almost 20 years with St Ives Town.

"They're a great bunch of boys at Belvoir," Withers said.

"At Howlong, there was an older group and a younger group, there was no in-between at the time, but it's a bit different here.

"It's a different level, too, so that's going to be a big challenge for me.

"I'm going from coaching out in the country competitions - albeit we had a season in provincial at Howlong - to now coaching players who are better than me.

"That always makes it tough but I'm looking forward to the challenge."

Withers accepted the coaching job after numerous conversations with captain Drew Cameron and Zac Simmonds and is now preparing the Eagles for their round one clash at home to Corowa on Saturday.

They'll be without classy English all-rounder Nick Green this year but have signed ACT representative wicketkeeper-batter Josh Staines from Tuggeranong Valley.

Staines plundered 852 runs at 42.6 last season including an unbeaten 228 in his final match in Canberra, while he also impressed at the Australian Country Championships in January.

"I've only met him once but from that one session, I reckon he's going to be a seriously good player," Withers said.

"A few of the boys have spoken highly of him and he's played a pretty good standard of cricket.

"Adding his experience into our team will be very good for the lads, especially behind the stumps.

"Your wicketkeeper gives you your energy a lot of the time, he's the one who gives you a voice and gets the boys going when they're a bit down."

Pardon the cliche but the return to fitness of Kaiden 'Buddha' Withers and Lachie McMillan effectively gives Belvoir another two recruits from the side which finished last season.

"Lachie missed pretty much all year and Buddha missed half the year and they're two very important players for us," Withers said.

"Both bat in the top-five so they're key members of the team and then gaining Stainesy as well, that's three very handy players.

"There's no reason why the three of them cannot be top 10 in the runs for the whole competition.

"There's a few boys who will step up and be a bit more experienced this year.

"Losing any round in finals hurts so that can always give you the extra hunger to go one step further.

"Hopefully having that experience inside the boys will help kick them on for this year."

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