JOHN NOBES is not ruling out a return to action at Sylvans. Nor is his brother Paul. The Nobes lads stepped aside after the westerners’ Priaulx title-winning 2004-5 season.

Since then 30-year-old former island captain John has been out with persistent groin problems, but the rumour mill has been rife with suggestions he may return under new coach Martyn de Garis.

The defender yesterday added fuel to the fire by saying: ‘I’m going to start off training on my own.’

He added: ‘Then I’m going to start training with the team to see how it goes. But it’s still up in the air.

‘It really depends if I can get fit.’

He light-heartedly ruled out any gruelling pre-season fitness training that all the clubs in the island are undertaking at the moment.

‘I didn’t fancy training in the summer when I was playing so I certainly don’t fancy it now,’ he said.

Nobes has 18 Muratti caps to his name and his return to the centre of the red-and-whites’ defence would be a major boost for the new coach.

‘Too right it would,’ said de Garis.

‘It would be great. He’s an ex-island captain and he’s got loads of experience.

‘That’s what we need. It would be great if his brother came back as well.’

Nobes’ older brother, Paul, 31, has been keeping himself busy over the summer playing cricket for Riva Irregulars in the Barclays Evening League.

‘I’m going to get the rest of the cricket season out of the way first,’ he said.

‘If I come back, I’m going to take it seriously. I’m going to pop down for a chat, have a couple of training sessions and see how it goes.’

But Ian Potter, operations director of King’s Life, is less likely to return, despite suggestions he might.

‘I’ve been asked and as much as I’d like to, it’s doubtful because of my work commitments,’ he said.

‘I said to Digger I’d see how it goes.’

De Garis has a message for the trio.

‘I want them to play but at the end of the day they have to be committed.

‘They are going to have to want it. It would be nice if they did come back. Then I would have selection problems.’

De Garis has known nothing but good news since he took over from Joel Avery at the end of May.

The former successful youth coach has picked up quality signings in Ben and Tom Duff, Michael Wilson and his own brother Paul.

All of them have come from North along with juniors Sam Matthews and Anthony O’Regan.

‘I’m in seventh heaven,’ he said.

‘It’s taken me by surprise. I never expected it all.

‘I can’t wait for the season to start.’

The only blackspot for Sylvans over the close season has been losing island striker Neil Clegg to Bels.

Meanwhile, Bels coach Micky Ogier is planning for a season without his hot young forward, Billy Page.

The Junior Island star, for whom this was to be a final season in the youth ranks, has been ruled out of the entire campaign with cruciate ligament problems.

‘They have got to rebuild it [the knee],’ said Ogier. ‘It is blow. Thank God for Cleggy.

‘We’ve still got Cleggy, Duffy, McGrath, Felbabel and Toussaint, so we’re OK, but we would have wanted Billy there as well for sure.

‘He did it during the Collins Cup semi-final and it’s got worse.

‘He’s gutted.’