While the Sharks host their annual carnival at the City Pool on Sunday the NSW Under 14 Girl’s and Boy’s Water Polo Club Championships will be held at the City pool (today and Saturday), South and West War Memorial Pool, Scully Park (today, Saturday and Sunday) and 360 Gym and Fitness (Sunday).

Almost 40 teams will compete from right across the state.

The hosts will open proceedings in the boys competition when the tournament swims-off at Scully Park at 8am against UTS Balmain Gold.

They’ve then got Cronulla Blue in what will be tough start for the inexperienced side.

“They’re pretty new and pretty raw,” coach Craig Salter said.

None of them have played in a State Championships before and only a few had played rep water polo before they went away to Gosford last weekend.

“We virtually put these guys together from scratch,” Salter said, adding that at one stage it didn’t look like they’d have a team.

“We didn’t think that was appropriate given we were hosting the championships.”

They have been training for about three months now and, Salter said, took a lot away from last weekend.

“It gave us the opportunity to play against three teams that will probably be in the top eight in Hunter, UNSW and Central Coast,” he said.

The boys have been dubbed the Meerkats by the association and include two boys from Armidale in John George and Harry Rowbottom.

Salter isn’t expecting them to figure in the finals but said he’d be disappointed if they don’t push to or win a couple of their games.

The boys will play at Scully with the girls at City.

Ross White will coach  the Tamworth girls’ side.

They jump in the water at 9.45am against UTS Balmain, followed by UNSW Yellow at 1.50pm.

Sunday’s City Swimming carnival is the final one of the season after big carnivals at Kootingal and Werris Creek pools in recent weeks, culminating in last weekend’s New England and North West Championships at Werris Creek.