Tamworth could leap Rams into finals

While Quirindi holds the aces, should they slip-up against Gunnedah, the winner of the clash at Barraba will finish on top of Tier 2 and claim the final, finals spot.

The Rams will be holding a 30th reunion of the 1986 premiership-winning team and also commemorating Geoff White's 400th game.

The must win match will be pretty tough according to Magpies outside centre Dylan Cross.

They only just got over them in the first round, courtesy of a late try.

It's been an all too familiar script for the Magpies this season and was again the case against Gunnedah on Saturday, with the Magpies scoring two tries in the last five minutes.

"I don't know what we do," Cross said.

"We seem to always finish strong."

That inconsistency has hurt them though.

"If we could play a whole game like we played the last 10 or 20, we'd be up there with the Pirates," he said.

One of the things they did struggle with on Saturday was their discipline.

"The penalty count was very high for doing stupid things," he said.

"It's just little things like that."

The other thing that hurt them early on was their inability to convert their breaks.

They were making some good breaks, but rather than holding the ball and setting up the play, going for the miracle offload.

Cross made a couple of incisive early runs, and had one of his best games in a Magpies' jersey.

His efforts saw him earn the zone three best and fairest points.

"I felt like I had a couple of good runs," he said.

A Tamworth boy originally, he moved back from Brisbane two years ago.

"I just started played with these guys this year," he said.

"I was playing oztag with a few of the guys."

They coaxed him into having a run.

"I haven't played for six years," Cross said.

"The biggest thing I'm struggling with is fitness and new injuries each week."

His pre-game strapping requirements have earned him a bit of ribbing from his team-mates.

In the other final round games Narrabri will be looking to notch their first win for the second round and bounce back from their shock loss to Walcha when they host Inverell.

Meanwhile the Rams and Pirates clash at Walcha in a game that could have big finals implications.