NORTH West finished last at last year's State PSSA Girls' Basketball Championships.
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They didn't win a game, North West manager-coach Melinda Shadlow said before Sunday's training session at the Anne Street Thunderdome in Tamworth.
"Hopefully we can improve on that – we didn't win a game last year but I'm confident they can do it this year."
She said Coonabarabran's Tahlia Kable and Gunnedah's Meredith Braby give the side a bit of size to compete against expected tall timber from the other 12 regions in Wollongong this week.
Tamworth's Cassie Long and Bridie Lea are also off to the State Carnival.
The pair of Thunderbolt juniors will be representing Polding in Wollongong.
While the young basketball side was going through its paces at the Thunderdome, just up the road at Ken Chillingworth Oval, the North West CHS rugby union side was having a morning training run to prepare for its State CHS titles in Parkes.
Narrabri's Allan Tame and Wayne Knight are the coach-managers of the young side.
The pair were sifting through a side which was struggling with injury and a busy program in the past week or so.
"It's going to be a tough week," Knight said.
"If we can get somewhere around 50/50 ball we'll be right."
Tame said the scrum and lineout were crucial areas.
"The scrum worries me more. If we can hold our own in the scrum and the lineout we'll be right.
"We may shorten the lineout and work on a few other little things.
"But we'll be trying to play a quick game."
They said the fact Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School supplies 10 of the squad is a positive and hope their familiar combinations will give the side plenty of cohesion.
Mick Lewis has a talented bunch of young rugby league players all ready to impress in their State PSSA 11 Year Rugby League Championship at Cabramatta from today.
He has a side brimming with natural talent from all over the region. Moree East, Ashford, Bingara, Warialda, Coonamble and Inverell public schools have two players each in the side.
Moree East has Clayton Blacklock and Chris McIntosh in the squad, Michael Rolfe and Ben Cook are from Warialda, Nicholas Monckton and Scott Robinson are from Inverell and Nelson Smith and Brandan Robinson are from Coonamble.
Harry Hosegood and Matthew O'Rourke represent Bingara while Chris Lewis and Kyle Hartley are from Ashford.
