Junior Competition takes the limelight
This week’s focus turns to the Junior Competition as the Finals Series looms large on the horizon. With just three rounds of the home and away season to go, teams are jostling to claim the all important top four places.
In the Under 11 competition, the match of the round sees the sixth placed Dockers hosting ladder leading Port Macquarie Swoopers. The Dockers will be aiming to become the first team this season to beat the Swoopers and, in so doing, give themselves the chance to sneak into the top four.
Fourth placed Coffs Harbour Breakers are at home in the local derby with Sawtell Toormina Saints, Bellingen Bulldogs host the Northern Beaches Blues, and the Macleay Valley Eagles make the trip south to play the Manning Valley Mustangs at Johnny Martin Oval.
The Under 13 competition sees first play second when ladder leaders Northern Beaches Blues travel to Bellingen to take on the Bulldogs. A win to the Dogs would see them level with the Blues while a reversal would all but guarantee the Blues top spot.
Third placed Nambucca Valley Lions are away to the Grafton Tigers who are in sixth, the derby between Coffs Harbour Breakers (8th) and Sawtell Toormina Saints (7th) is at Fitzroy Oval, Manning Valley Mustangs (10th) play host to Macleay Valley Eagles (9th), and the South West Rocks Dockers will be trying to inflict the upset of the season on the fifth placed Port Macquarie Swoopers.
The match between Coffs Harbour Breakers and Bellingen Bulldogs in the Youth Girls competition sees second place go on the line. A win for the Breakers will all but give them a stranglehold on second spot and a double chance come Finals time, but a win for Bello sees them draw level and the race heat up.
The resurgent Sawtell Toormina Saints host Macleay Valley Eagles knowing that a win keeps their hopes of a top two finish alive. The unbeaten Grafton Tigers have the bye.
Most intrigue in the Under 15 competition centres around the clash between Sawtell Toormina Saints and Macleay Valley Eagles. The Saints are reigning premiers and are enjoying another successful season in second place, while fourth placed Macleay Valley are really hitting their straps after a slow start.
Grafton Tigers will look to extend their unbeaten run to 13 matches when they host Port Macquarie Magpies, while third placed Bellingen Bulldogs enjoy a home match against Coffs Harbour Breakers.
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