GIANT enforcer Shane Mumford spent the end of 2019 'hanging on', but he still has the fire in the belly to compete for the No.1 ruck spot, according to Greater Western Sydney coach Leon Cameron.
The Giants traded in former Adelaide ruckman Sam Jacobs to help out in the ruck, but Mumford's contract was extended for one more season thanks to a 'games-played' trigger clause.
The 33-year-old Mumford played 20 games for the Giants last season, after he initially retired at the end of the 2017 campaign.
"No doubt there will be some competition," Cameron told Melbourne radio station SEN.
"It's a unique situation. I spoke to Shane about it and said, 'We're going to bring in a ruckman, a guy that has been around for a little while and that might mean you take a backwards step and play a certain amount of games'.
"He's fantastic about it, he understands where he's at.
"We know that his knees and his ankles are sort of old and hanging on a little bit, and he was hanging on a little bit towards the end last year.
"We started him late, gave him an extra month off and we're building him up."
The management of Mumford will be made easier thanks to the Jacobs acquisition.
"Sam has had a fantastic pre-season. He started with all the younger fellas back in November.
"Sometimes you start these guys that have been around for a while early, and you get to February and all of a sudden they can be a bit sore.
"We're mindful we only train him a couple of times a week on Monday and Thursday, and then Saturday we keep him off legs a little bit."
The Giants will trial their new-look ruck department in a Marsh Community Series game against Sydney on Saturday February 29.
