Tamworth will take a truncated line-up to Port Macquarie on Saturday, with several players set to miss the clash.
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Despite that, Tamworth coach John Ireland hopes the round 14 match against the winless Dolphins will serve as a springboard for the second-placed Thunderbolts’ run to the finals.
Any group we put on the floor, we know we play hard and we play together.
- John Ireland
The Thunderbolts will be missing senior players Chris Skilton and David Bourke, as well as youngsters Riley Murphy, Toby Whale and Matt Gambrill.
“So we’re only heading over with nine,” Ireland said. “But in saying that, we’ve got the confidence in the group that we can still get the job done.
“Any group we put on the floor, we know we play hard and we play together. That focus and that team synergy won’t change.”
It will Tamworth’s first match in three weeks.
But Ireland said Tamworth “pretty much” played every weekend for the rest of the season, as they eyed a second straight Waratah League Division 1 grand final appearance in early August and redemption for last season’s 77-76 loss to Bankstown in the season finale.
He said: “We’ve got the opportunity to really build some momentum. In saying that, some of those games are going to be really tough games away on the road.”