Women’s teams are ready for second half of the season

The Women’s competition swings back into action with two intriguing clashes.

The balance of power between Coffs Harbour Breakers and Sawtell Toormina Saints shifted slightly after the last encounter when the Breakers claimed their first win against their nearest rivals. The Breakers will want to reinforce their status as the rising force in the competition and extend the gap on the ladder over the Saints by making it two wins on the trot in the derby.

Sawtell have had a torrid time with injuries to key players and will be hopeful of getting several of these individuals back on the park. Their depth in both quality and quantity has been sorely tested and, after being the dominant team last season, find themselves in unfamiliar territory. They will want to win this weekend to remind everyone that they are the reigning premiers and won’t be giving up that title without a fight.

Northern Beaches/Grafton host Port Macquarie Magpies as they continue the hunt for their first win.

The “Blue Tigers” have been steadily improving week on week and will get great value from having seven players involved with the representative team on Saturday. All came through that fixture relatively unscathed and will be keen to use the learnings from that experience as a springboard to launch their club season. Meanwhile, those members of the team that weren’t involved in the representative match will have appreciated the week’s rest to get bodies fit and firing again.

The Magpies had five players of their own involved in the representative team and it will be a strange feeling for all players to now face off against each other. The Magpies team comprises a significant number of university students and a key to their performance on Saturday will be how many are available with exam period upon them.

The Magpies are perched on top of the ladder and will be wanting to make sure that they safely navigate this potentially tricky encounter.

Round 8 fixtures – Saturday 15 June

Sawtell Toormina Saints v Coffs Harbour Breakers at Richardson Park, Sawtell (Under 17 at 10:00am, Women at 11:50am, Reserves at 1:20pm, Seniors at 2:50pm)

Grafton Tigers / Northern Beaches Blues v Port Macquarie Magpies v at Centennial Oval, Woolgoolga (Under 17 at 10:00am, Women at 11:50am, Reserves at 1:20pm, Seniors at 2:50pm)

For full fixture details, click here.