Gunnedah Bulldogs and North Tamworth Bears to meet on Sunday

Wins over Boggabri and Narrabri the past two rounds have given Gunnedah renewed hope of making the semi-finals.

They will go into the clash against the ladder-leading Bears in seventh place - four points behind fourth-placed Moree.

"It's a big game for us," Gunnedah coach Mick Schmiedel told Group 4 Media.

"North Tamworth are on top, and rightfully and respectfully so."

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Prop Ben Gardner returns to the Bulldogs' lineup for the encounter, but the underdogs will be without Trent Hilton, Jono Crowe and KC Edmonds. They all have to work.

"That makes it tougher," Schmiedel said.

But the experienced coach said "there's still a lot of water to go under the bridge", in reference to the season.

"Still six rounds left, another 12 points, but we are confident with what we have been doing the last two or three weeks; confident we have the composure and patience," he said.

North Tamworth sit atop the table on 20 points, and will be chasing their seventh straight win on Sunday.

"They [Gunnedah] are going to be tough," Bears coach Paul Boyce told Group 4 Media. "They are coming off two good wins as well, and Mick [Schmiedel] will have them up for this match."

Norths will be without in-form No 1 Yirrbi Jaffer-Williams for the match, but welcome back Livinai Tuicakau from suspension.

"It's disappointing we don't have Yirrbi," Boyce said. "He has been outstanding for us the last four or five weeks.

"But Levi has played there [fullback] before and can do a job for us."

Elsewhere this weekend, Moree hosts fifth-placed Boggabri on Saturday while second-placed Dungowan travel to sixth-placed Narrabri. The last-placed Tigers and the eighth-placed Magpies will clash in Manilla on Saturday.

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