Bomber coach satisfied as training camp ends

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This article was published 17/06/2015 (3996 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The 2015 Winnipeg Blue Bombers training camp is officially over.

Wednesday afternoon marked Day 17 of preseason workouts – the team’s rookie camp began three days prior – leaving just a light walk-through practice Thursday in preparation for the Bombers final preseason tilt Friday against last year’s Grey Cup runner-up, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, at Investors Group Field.

“Camp’s gone well,” said Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea after practice. “It really has. It seems like it’s gone by very quickly which means, I guess, we’ve been efficient. And it’s been fun.”

The fun has included spans of two-a-day practices in both heavy heat and rain, but in the last week has tapered off into single sessions. Battles have ensued at all ends of the field and injuries have been aplenty – at one point as many as four of the projected five starters on the offensive line were sidelined – but the team looks to be back near full health as they prep for the first taste of game action in Winnipeg since the end of last season.

The chance to play in front of the home crowd is something O’Shea has long awaited since last season’s disappointing campaign that saw the team start with a 5-1 record but finish outside the playoff line at 7-11. But as exciting as it is a reminder of just how special the fan base in Winnipeg is, O’Shea believes it’s even more important for the new players, who if all goes well, will make the city their new home.

The Bomber boss hopes the relationships they’ve built on the field will transform into pride for the fans off it and provide “a real sense of how important it is to not only the city of Winnipeg, but to the province.”

“It will open some eyes,” he added.

And they won’t be the only one finding it hard not to blink. Friday will be O’Shea’s last chance to fully evaluate his club before he must trim his roster down from 65 players to 46. The deadline for all CFL teams is 9 p.m. Saturday, meaning for many Friday’s game against Hamilton could make or break their future with the Bombers.

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And if the expectations were high for the Bombers first preseason game against the Toronto Argonauts last week – a 34-27 win for the Blue and Gold – they’ve sky rocketed since with O’Shea looking for full execution on all assignments, from every player.

“Not just the coaching staff but the players expect a different level of execution,” O’Shea said. “And it’s not just from the vets, it’s from the rookies too, because they’ve had game experience now and they’ve had some practice to hone their skills and some time to get in the playbook so it should be better.”

O’Shea wouldn’t confirm his QB rotation for the game, leaving a question mark as to whether former University of Manitoba Bison, Jordan Yantz, will get his first chance to sling a ball as a professional.

Starter Drew Willy said the game will be all about sharpening up in time for Week 1 of the regular season, when they will head to Saskatchewan June 27 for the first of three games this season against the Roughriders.

“The best thing that we can accomplish as an offence is to put points on the board, put our defence in good situations for them to be successful,” he said. “You really just want to be sharp going in to Game 1 of the regular season so anything we can do to come out and be successful – just executing in all aspects of the offence. We’ve been working hard out here and it’s time we go put it in to game action.”