THE South Coast rugby league season’s most awaited match-up between the Batemans Bay Tigers and Moruya Sharks has arrived.
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On Saturday, the two local rivals will face off in Group 16 for the Donna McClelland Charity Shield at Mackay Park.
It will also be the first time the clubs have played for the Shield since 2010, which Batemans Bay won.
McClelland was a nurse from Batemans Bay who worked at Moruya Hospital and her father, Ken, was a devoted Tigers supporter who helped get the clubhouse built, and served on the board.
The Shield is played in their honour and a $7 entrance fee will be charged with $2 going to the hospital auxiliary.
Two points are also up for grabs in the Group 16 competition.
Last Saturday, the Sharks went down by two points to Bega at the buzzer while the Tigers roared against Eden.
Sharks’ captain/coach Tim Weyman said he expected the Tigers to play passionately.
“They’ll certainly come at us,” Weyman said.
“It’s always a tough game.”
Weyman said his side wasn’t at its best last week in a tense game but that it should improve for the clash against Batemans Bay.
“We sorted a few things out at training and we should be ready,” he said.
The Tigers will be relying on its forwards to match the strong Moruya pack.
“The likes of Sam Cunningham, Gerard Dennis, Marcus Golman, Matt Cross and the Leggett boys (Kane and Jack) are ready to go,” Tigers’ president Bob Mitchell said.
The first grade fixture has been evenly shared between Batemans Bay and Moruya but the Bay’s reserve grade side has not lost to the Sharks in the 30-year history of the Shield.
The Tigers also praised the effort of club secretary Trinity Malinski over the past nine months.
“Our club and committee will be the poorer following her
resignation,” Mitchell said.
The under 18s kick off proceedings at 2.30pm, which should begin a cracking afternoon.
The home side will look to turn its fortunes around after Moruya won a match in mid-April, 28-22.
A friendly women’s league tag match has been organised and will follow at 4pm.
The reserves will kick-off at 5pm and first grade is set to start at 6.30pm.