First win for Saints or Blues up for grabs

Sawtell/Toormina's Brandt Lee is about to fire out a handball against Northern Beaches. Photo: Green Shoots Marketing

ROUND 4 PREVIEW: Both the Northern Beaches and Sawtell/Toormina men’s teams will be chasing their first wins of the year when they meet during Community Umpiring Round at Richardson Park.

The Saints came close to their first win last week at Port Macquarie and will be favoured to claim the points on Saturday to get their season moving.

The Northern Beaches women’s team are at the opposite end of the spectrum with the reigning premier undefeated after three rounds.

The Saints women will enter their contest against the Blues with some confidence gained from a strong performance against Northern Beaches during a pre-season practice match.

It will be a battle of the Magpies when Byron Bay and Port Macquarie meet on neutral soil at Woolgoolga.

Even at this early stage of the season, the men’s contest at the new venue shapes as a season defining one.

Byron is unbeaten after three matches while Port Macquarie has had just the one loss which came about from just one poor 15 minute patch of football.

The women’s match will see a Byron Bay team buoyed with victory number one under its belt taking on the top of the ladder Port Macquarie.

Grafton’s women are rating themselves a sneaky chance of recording their first win of the season when they meet the Coffs Breakers at Fitzroy Oval.

The Tigers were neck and neck with Byron Bay for the last three quarters of their Round 3 match to show that things are starting to click for the Tigers.

The Breakers women also have a lot of new players in their team and are starting to find some cohesion.

The result of this match could simply come down to which team is able to show further improvement when it comes to connection.

Sitting atop the men’s ladder, the Coffs Breakers have set the early pace so far in 2023 but Grafton will be prove a tough test for the home team.

Round 4 – Saturday, May 13 (COMMUNITY UMPIRING ROUND)

BYRON BAY MAGPIES vs PORT MACQUARIE at Wiigulga Sports Complex, Woolgoolga

(12.30pm – Women, 2.30pm – Men)

SAWTELL/TOORMINA vs NORTHERN BEACHES at Richardson Park, Sawtell

(12.20pm – Women, 1.50pm – Men)

COFFS BREAKERS vs GRAFTON at Fitzroy Oval, Coffs Harbour

(11.50am – Women, 1.20pm – Reserves, 2.50pm – Men)

COFFS BREAKERS vs PORT MACQUARIE at Fitzroy Oval, Coffs Harbour

(10am – Under 18s)

NAMBUCCA VALLEY vs PORT MACQUARIE at E J Biffin Playing Fields, Nambucca Heads

(1.20pm – Reserves) 

NEXT WEEK

Round 5 – Saturday, May 20 (INDIGENOUS ROUND – WEEK 1)

BYRON BAY MAGPIES vs COFFS BREAKERS at Cavanbah Centre, Byron Bay

(1.00pm – Women, 2.30pm – Men)

NAMBUCCA VALLEY vs COFFS BREAKERS at E J Biffin Playing Fields, Nambucca Heads

(1.20pm – Reserves)

SAWTELL/TOORMINA vs GRAFTON at Richardson Park, Sawtell

(11.50am – Women, 1.20pm – Reserves, 2.50pm – Men)

SAWTELL/TOORMINA vs PORT MACQUARIE at Richardson Park, Sawtell

(10.00am – Under 18s)

NORTHERN BEACHES vs PORT MACQUARIE at Wiigulga Sports Complex, Woolgoolga

(12.20pm – Women, 2.20pm – Men)