The decision to shorten the War Veterans Cup and conclude it before Christmas means Tamworth will be without a host of top juniors for the final away to Narrabri on Sunday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
With the final of the Ross Taylor Cup in Tamworth on Sunday and the Country Colts Championships in Bathurst from Monday, Tamworth will be without four players who played in last weekend's thumping of Inverell.
They are Jack Hamilton, Callum Henry and Matthew Holmes.
Read also:
No 3 Michael Rixon will also be missing.
On the plus side, dangerous allrounder Harrison Kelly, quick Tait Jordan and the experienced Ben Middlebrook are returning to the side.
Undefeated Narrabri got some measure of revenge when they they beat Gunnedah, their conqueror in last season's final, last weekend.
Following the match, Gunnedah captain Mitchell Swain said the result in Sunday final would hinge on the side Tamworth picked.
However, Tamworth captain Jye Paterson believes that Narrabri are favourites to win the match.
"I think the pressure's probably in Narrabri," he said. "They've gone undefeated all year."
He added: "Everyone thinks we're going in as favourites, but I think we're going in as the underdogs.
"They've won all their games, and won all their games pretty convincingly ... It at Narrabri - it's their home. So I definitely think we're going into as underdogs."
Paterson said Tamworth would look to duplicate their performance away to Inverell last weekend, when they batted first and score 260 and then dismissed Inverell for 110.
"Hopefully build some pressure and make them try and score something, and hopefully get wickets that way," Paterson said.
Narrabri captain Lachie Cameron does not believe Tamworth are underdogs. He insists the match is evenly poised.
But in a selection blow, he will not have the services of his bowling spearheads, Dylan Smith (Country Colts) and Ryan O'Neill (injury).
"Pretty tough to replace those kind of guys," he said. "But, yeah, we're pretty happy with what we've got on the field."