NARRABRI will rest up this week before beginning their finals push in earnest.
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The Eagles currently sit fourth but could finish as high as third or miss the finals altogether.
“It’s pretty tight between us, Gunnedah and Inverell for third, fourth and fifth,” Eagles coach Todd Dunn said.
Saturday’s 59-point win over the Tamworth Swans pushed them just four percentage win points off the Saints in third and pushed them almost nine clear of the Bulldogs.
“It’s important for us to try to build some momentum,” Dunn said.
He said they would take a bit of a different approach into the run into the finals to “try and be a bit fresher”.
“This time last year we had a horrific run of injuries to the point where we scraped into the finals and had about 10 out,” he said.
The Nomads and Kangaroos are a fair way above everyone but they do have the potential to cause some damage, especially if Todd Fagan can carry on the form he showed on Saturday.
“He’s a great target,” Dunn said.
“He’s playing as well as he ever has. He put in a really good pre-season.”
He’s also been getting down to training an hour early to practise his goal-kicking.
It’s paid off with seven five-goal hauls, including six against the Swans, and two best on ground performances.
Jake Stringer was also having his first game back after a few weeks out with injury and was good.
Dunn was also impressed with Connor Richardson.
He’s only 16 and will be great for them over the next couple of years.
The match of the round on Saturday will be in Armidale, with the New England Nomads hosting the Tamworth Kangaroos.
It will decide the minor premiership, with just over a percentage point separating them.
In the other games on Saturday, Tamworth Swans are at home to Gunnedah while the Moree Suns and Inverell Saints match up in Moree.
The Saints were well beaten by the Tamworth Kangaroos last round and will be looking for a more consistent four-quarter performance on Saturday.
“We sort of ran out of legs in the last five minutes of each quarter and they kicked a couple of goals,” Saints coach Haydon Chapple said.