GREATER Northern Tiger Under 16s must tame the Bidgee Bulls in Dubbo today if they are to play in next weekend’s Country Rugby League Under 16 Country Championship Final in Tamworth.
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It won’t be an easy task, coach Gary Jones said.
They (Bidgee) are going to be very hard to beat.
“Most of our boys have played some of them in the Academy Games when they played as Riverina Academy but they now have added some Canberra players.
“That will make them even stronger.
“They are a big side too so it means we will have to move the ball around in the traditional Northern Division (now Greater Northern) style.
“It’s going to be a big test for us.”
Jones is looking to skipper Max Altus to lead the way on the field too.
“I am looking for another big game from Max, as well as two starting front rowers, Lachlan Fry and Alek Hall.
“We also have Max Greacen coming off the bench to give us some extra aggression.
“Our halves are going to have to play well.”
Jones is in his fourth year coaching the GN 16s and reckons this might just be their biggest test yet when they kick off just before noon (11.50am) at Caltex Park, Dubbo.
Tiger Under 18s coach Peter Stevens is in a similar frame of mind as he prepares his Tigers for a massive semi-final against host side Western Rams.
They are timed to take the field at 2.40pm in the fourth and biggest game of the day.
Western Rams are favourites, having won all three games while Stevens’ Greater Northern Tigers went down to a Newcastle Rebels side in Cessnock who will play Bidgee Bulls in the other semi (1.10pm).
The Tigers lost 26-14 last Saturday against a big Rebels outfit but Stevens saw plenty to enthuse him for today’s semi.
“The effort from all the boys was very good last week against a bigger side,” Stevens said.
“We just let ourselves down with our finishing and under pressure from Newcastle.
“At one stage we were down 16-14 and the game was there for the taking.
“We had two or three great opportunities but couldn’t take them – a couple of dropped balls and a couple of mistakes and that was the game.
“In saying that though, we have to be at least 10 per cent better against Bidgee – have to get those little things right.”
He is hoping skipper James Fisk can lead by example again today.
“He was outstanding last week,” he said of his lock.
The Tigers are also giving fullback Hayden Loughrey until this morning to prove his fitness and will reshuffle the side to fit him in if he does overcome his foot injury.