Action Heats Up as Finals Approach
With only three rounds remaining in the home and away season the intensity is really ramping up in the Senior competition as all teams turn one eye towards the Finals Series.
Ladder leaders Coffs Breakers host the struggling Grafton Tigers at Leisure Park and will be looking for a handy percentage boost to strengthen their grip on the top spot. Breakers are on a three match winning streak, with their last loss coming against Northern NSW powerhouse Byron Magpies in the middle of last month. During this winning streak they’ve beaten competition heavyweights Sawtell Toormina Saints and have assumed the premiership favouritism.
Grafton have a good team on paper, but getting those names off the page and onto the ground at the same time has proven to be their big struggle this season. The club will be hoping that the lure of a Finals campaign will draw the players to training and matches and see them start to turn the tide ahead of the Finals Series.
Port Macquarie Magpies are also struggling but will rate themselves a chance against the Saints who are still trying to get injured players back on the park. The road trip to Port will also rule out a few Saints players so now is the time that the Magpies need to put down a marker that indicates that they can do some damage in the Finals and aren’t just there to make up the numbers.
Sawtell finds itself in the unusual position of having lost two matches on the bounce and will be desperate to get back to winning ways. Their first half last week against Byron was outstanding and saw Byron in the unaccustomed position of going to the sheds trailing at half time. Unfortunately for the Saints they couldn’t maintain the intensity after the long break and this will be the key area that they will be looking for improvement in against Port.
Round 14 Fixtures – Saturday 22 July
Coffs Breakers v Grafton Tigers, Coffs Coast Sport & Leisure Park, Coffs Harbour at 2:20pm
Port Macquarie Magpies v Sawtell Toormina Saints, Wayne Richards Park, Port Macquarie at 2:20pm
