The United Fitness Studio Bega Roosters Rugby League Football Club heads to Ack Weyman Oval, Moruya, on Sunday.
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The club will take on competition juggernauts, the Moruya Sharks, in all four senior grades.
Garry Arkin said the Moruya line-up will be a hard one to beat.
“The Sharks have swept all before them and their senior men’s sides are unbeaten after two rounds of competition,” Arkin said.
Bega first grade team manager Jeff Apps echoed his sentiment.
“We are up against a very formidable opposition in both first and reserve grade this weekend,” Apps said.
“Our boys know they are in for an 80 minute battle.
“Despite us only having one pre-season game and coming off a bye from last weekend, we will be up for the game.”
Apps said the Sharks were a solid line-up throughout.
“They are strong across the paddock with danger players Pietsch, the Brierley boys and Jake Clarke while their forward pack takes no prisoners.”
However, Apps said a few key additions and rotations to the Roosters squad will have it ready for the challenege.
“We have got a young side keen to upstage them.
“With the addition of Blake Robinson into our halves and Todd Ingram, Jarrod Tamatea and Hayden Parbery all starting to rise to another level this season, we will be in the mix.
“We would like nothing more than to end the Sharks unbeaten run,” he said.
Meanwhile, reserve grade captain-coach Steve Luff faces another tough ask this weekend.
The reserves will be looking to turn it around after a loss to the Panthers.
“We made far too many basic mistakes and we will be concentrating on eliminating our error rate this Sunday,” Luff said.
Luff said the squad will look to its play-makers for results.
“Butch Curtis, Luke Hoskins and Sean Bateman will lead the way.
“And with Jason D’Arcy and John Parbery improving with each outing, we hope to make a real game of it,” he said.
Luff said the Sharks had benefitted from the Group 7 fold of the Batemans Bay Tigers.
“[After the fold] the Sharks’ numbers have swollen and they will be a tough opponent.
“They were big winners in the cold at Cooma last weekend, so at home we know we will have a game on our hands,” he said.
Luff said the squad had trained hard, concentrating on “doing what we know we can”.
In the league-tag clash, the Chicks are warm favourite after a strong win last week.
Team manager Trudi Badullovich is looking forward to her new side showing more improvement against a Moruya Sharkettes team that is also on the up.
“We have several new faces who are still on a big learning curve,” Badullovich said.
“But they are being led extremely well on the paddock by Joccoaa Rogers whose move from fullback to pivot has seen her own game reach new heights.”
Badullovich said Rogers had strong “goal kicking prowess”, but could also score tries and make plays.
Meanwhile, combinations are coming together well in the Chicks’ line-up.
“The likes of Long, George, Orman and Holmes are all gaining in confidence.
“And senior players Burhop, Warby, Umback, Pearce and Jessop are sliding into their roles and making their presence felt,” she said.
Under 18s team manager Craig Britten was full of praise for the way his side stuck to their guns against a fierce Merimbula-Pambula side last weekend.
“We got off to a good start and hit the ground running, but following a flare up seemed to lose our way before consolidating again,” Britten said.
“It was the boy’s first outing, so coaches Grant [Dowdle] and James [Bower-Scott] were not too hard on them this week.”
After a flying start, Britten said good form will see the 18s in the thick of action.
“Playing well, our side is looking to staying composed and focused for the full contest.
“We have a good playing base with interest high in the 18s,” he said.
New members Braiden McIntosh and Jye Aldridge trained with the team this week and are hoping to make the squad in the games ahead,
“We lost Mike Owens due to his study and work commitments,” Britten said.
“But overall, the boys are responding to their coaches and we are going to Moruya on a mission to grab the two points on offer.”