The two NIF squads have had the perfect lead-up, hosting an interzone gala day at Johnson Fields on Saturday.

Played every month, this is the first to be hosted by Tamworth said NIF football manager Howard Stubbs.

The gala days are for U10s, 11s and 12s in both boys and girls with northern NSW split into four zones.

Northern Inland take on North Coast, Mid-North Coast and Hunter, although no finals are played or even scores kept officially.

“The day is about development alone,” Stubbs said.

“Not about winning and losing, but improving.”

The competition is the only chance that the Northern Inland sides get to play as a team before next month’s State Champs.

The NIF sides will have to compete against the Emerging Jets U14s.

The local side are not too bad themselves.

Georgia Taggart has recently played for Northern NSW and is backed up by three other representative players.

“We are on par with the other country zones,” Stubbs said. 

“The emerging Jets will test them. Show them the intensity and quality needed to go further.”

The NI U9 side are also very good according to Stubbs.

“There are four very promising players in that team.”

“They could do really well in the future.”