The Grand Hotel Bega Roosters and Chicks travel to Pambula this Sunday to throw down the gauntlet in five matches.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
They will take on the
in-form Candelo-Bemboka Panthers and the Merimbula-Pambula combine.
Bega’s league-tag squad will play two games against both the Pink Panthers and the Hot Doggies.
The Bega Roosters first grade side knows how well its counterpart can play with the Roosters falling to the Bulldogs in the first round of the competition.
The combined Panthers-Bulldogs roster also holds outright third on the competition ladder.
Roosters president Garry Arkin said the “fast off the line defence” of the Bulldogs had frustrated the Roosters in their first round loss.
However, the club will be looking to cut down the Bulldogs’ options.
Arkin said the Bulldogs boasted a number of exciting young players.
“They have James McMillan at hooker and utility backs Aiden Aitken, Jarrod Dewberry and Blake Schafer,” Arkin said.
“With the experience of ex-Steeler Nathan Heffernan, Trent Skeers and Grant Moon it gives the pack plenty of size and mobility.”
In reply, the Roosters will be looking to keep McMillan down, while the halves will set plays for Mitch Carter, Blake Robinson, Ryan Apps, Clay Child, Scott Orr and Todd Ingram to pave the way forward.
Tate Cochrane and James Bower-Scott will be looking to hit the edges for the Bega squad.
“Bega have leaked a lot of points in recent games and their handling has been down,” Arkin said.
“Coach Apps will be looking to make sure that his side improves in the basics of the game.”
The Roosters have lost centre Scott Ingram, which could see a reshuffle with Adam Blacka making a steady return last week to the side.
Apps could well find himself in the centres with Cryer coming into the starting lineup.
The United side has several teams breathing down their necks and they will be out to maintain their top three position on home turf and coach Simon Scott has them primed for a big effort with Scott himself tipped to return to the playing field.
The Reserve grade clash will be played with plenty of flavour with Wayne Northeys side taking on the Candelo-Bemboka United (CBU) combination, who are the defending premiers.
The Panthers are coming off the back of a thrilling win in the grand final repeat over Eden and the Roosters will have to be at their best to counter the Panthers’ play makers.
Bega will look to Chris Halligan, Scott Barton and the Northey brothers to take on the front lines.
The Panthers will boast captain-coach Jake McDonald, Grant Moon, Brock Ringland, Jordan Finnerty, Jamie Glenn and Ben O’Reilly.
Along with the hard-running Wade Irvin and Luke McPaul and Jason Heffernan able to read the plays the CBU side is well-balanced.
The Roosters are in for a hard day at the office to crack the Panthers, but will look to the in-form Trent Galli and Fuller brothers to open up opportunities.
In the league-tag matches the Bega Chicks are fresh off a thrilling tie with the competition front-runners Narooma She-Devils, but will face double trouble on Sunday.
The Pink Panthers and Hot Doggies both took down the Eden Tigerettes last weekend and will look to continue their good form.
The Bega squad has been buoyed by the return of Kezie Apps to its line-up.
She combines well with Trudi Badullovich and Georgina Pearce.
Meanwhile, Madison Parbery is exciting at full back and plays well off Alliera Bower-Scott and Bronty Burhop.
“With added vibrancy from Jacinta, Olivia and Kristina Dummett, the side is coming together well under coach Kane Morgan,” Arkin said.
The Chicks are aware of their opponent’s strengths and have ear-marked Caitlin Johnson, Rebecca Darcy, Chloe Lucas and Sam Moon as the players to shut down.
The under 18s sees the Roosters take on the five-town combine and the game is set to be a cracking show.
Both clubs boast a great array of talent in Southern Stingray rep players.
James and Mitchell Duncan, Declan and James Bower-Scott, Luke Dowdle and Jackson Whitby will lead the way for the Roosters.
However, the United side also boasts an array of talent headed by Eden’s Zac Slater and fullback Peter Dadd.
Callum Sinclair plays a lead role for the combined side in the number seven jumper and Bega will be expecting another tough game.
Match times on Sunday are Chicks v Pink Panthers at 10am.
Under 18s plays from 11am, before the Chicks return to play the Hot Doggies at 12.30 pm. The reserves kick off at 1.30 and the headline first grade match plays at 3pm.
