WARATAHS aren’t taking last week’s win for granted as they prepare for a rematch tomorrow with defending premiers Olympians for first spot in the Tamworth women’s first grade grand final.
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Waratahs got the points 4-1 to cement the minor premiership but know they weren’t playing a full-strength Olympians line-up and know they will have to be better tomorrow.
“Now the fun and games begin,” Waratahs coach Graeme McKenzie said.
He was really pleased with the way they moved the ball last weekend, if not so much their finishing.
That’s something they need to do better tomorrow.
“We’ve got to make sure we’re creating, and putting away our opportunities,” McKenzie said.
Up the other end they need to be particularly careful of the likes of Alice Arnott.
She caused them a lot of trouble last week and she was without a couple of her amigos in Dana Constable and Kim Resch.
“We have to be really switched on in defence,” McKenzie said.
And when they have the ball.
“The key is not turning the ball over,” he said.
“The longer we have the ball the longer we keep them out of the game.”
Olympians coach Andrew Farmilo isn’t too worried about last week.
Having Constable and Resch back will stiffen the defence and also change the dynamics.
“It just gives us more control and allows us to have more attacking options,” he said. “We can push Alice up front – have her scoring goals, not having to try to create them.”
He can also push Namoi Spark up the front and Em Chaffey back into the middle.
“Everyone a line higher gives us a bit more creativity,” he said.
The main thing they need to do is control the middle.
“We probably didn’t control the middle at all,” Farmilo said.
It is arguably where Waratahs’ strength is.
“They have got a good midfield,” he said.
“We’ve just got to put them under a bit more pressure.”
They will play at 3pm following the minor semi-final between Flames and Services at 1pm.