RUGBY LEAGUE

TUESDAY night saw the Whitsunday Brahmans kick off their pre-season for the 2014 with French rugby league player Mounir Eljaghmati one of the more interesting new faces at the club.

Eljaghmati is the latest international recruit to be invited to join the Whitsunday Brahmans for their 2014 season and will join a foreign legion that includes former super league player and Welsh international Anthony Blackwood.

Eljaghmati started his career in the junior international France competition and went on to play for French elite rugby league club Limouxin.

The 22-year-old arrived in the Whitsundays two weeks ago and is eager to represent the Brahmans for his first time playing on foreign soil.

"I'm really looking forward to testing myself in Australian rugby league," he said.

Blackwood is serving as the A grade coach this year and is excited about the season and the prospects of Eljaghmati.

"He plays back row and lock and will be a force to be reckoned with this season," Blackwood said.

Blackwood, who was a stand-in coach for the under-18s last year, said his method of coaching his players had changed with the A grade team.

"The A grade have a different skill level so you don't necessarily have to worry about coaching them about the game, but they really just need to know the correct way of playing the game," Blackwood said.

His goal is to take his players skills to "the next level", he said.

"And with the players in the Whitsundays area, I just want to be able to coach them a bit better. We really need to work together as a team and progress together as a team."