Sneak peek at Semi Final matches for Seniors and Women
Coffs Harbour Breakers and Port Macquarie Magpies meet in both the Seniors and Women’s grades, with the two clubs about to face each other twice in two weeks.
Through a quirk of the draw, the top teams line-up against each other in round 15 which is the last of the home and away rounds. They then meet up again next week in the Qualifying Semi Final where places in the respective Grand Finals go on the line.
With standings in both competitions already settled, the results of the round 15 clashes have no bearing on either the ladder or the make-up of the Finals Series. However, the winners of these matches will take a psychological advantage into the Semi Finals when they meet just seven days later.
The matches are being played at Wayne Richards Park, Port Macquarie which should give the Magpies a distinct home ground advantage. However, the two clashes already staged at this venue in 2019 have seen both the Breakers Men and Women hit the highway with a pair of wins. Considering that the Semi Final will be played at the neutral C.ex Coffs International Stadium it is doubly important to the Magpies teams that they prove a point with positive outcomes at home this Saturday.
Reserve Grade will be a huge clash between these clubs. In what is the tightest race across all grades, third placed Port need to claim a victory over top ranked Breakers to be any chance of securing a double chance in the Finals Series. Even then, a win may not be enough as Breakers and Northern Beaches Blues both hold a one win gap to Port and a positive percentage difference.
A preview of the round 15 fixtures between Grafton/Northern Beaches and Sawtell will appear online on Friday (16 August).
Round 15 fixtures – Saturday 17 August
Port Macquarie Magpies v Coffs Harbour Breakers at Wayne Richards Park, Port Macquarie (Under 17 at 10:00am, Women at 11:50am, Reserves at 1:20pm, Seniors at 2:50pm)
Grafton Tigers / Northern Beaches Blues v Sawtell Toormina Saints at Ellem Oval, Grafton (Under 17 at 10:00am, Women at 11:50am, Reserves at 1:20pm, Seniors at 2:50pm)
