There will be little to separate the Bega Roosters and Merimbula-Pambula Bulldogs when senior rugby league heads to Eden for the only time this year.
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In a one-off deal with the Eden Tigers, the Bulldogs will host Bega at George Brown Memorial Oval and both clubs know it will be a good contest.
Both clubs boast polished, classy football with a keen focus on some of the outside flankers.
Neither the Roosters, nor the Bulldogs have the biggest front row in the competition, but instead are packed with agility, power and a gritty 80-minute determination that will see both clubs battling for the points down to the final seconds.
“We are keen to take on the Roosters, it will give us a really good idea of how we’re tracking,” Bulldogs coach Nathan Heffernan said.
“Bega have only lost a couple of games and they’re always a good opponent.
“And most of our clashes with them have been within a try of each other. Coming into the back end of the season, this will be a great indication of where we stand.”
Both clubs match up flawlessly in many facets of their roster and gameplay style.
Up front, Jarrod Tamatea and Mitch Carter have been putting in big metres for the tri-colours, while Ryan Becker and Grant Moon have been the spine of the Bulldogs’ forwards for a couple of seasons now.
The forwards lay the groundwork, but it’s the machinations of the two clubs’ halves combinations that really set the game apart.
Both boast well versed and tactically sound combinations in the halves; they read play well, and set it up even better.
Not to mention scooting out of dummy half.
Heffernan said Blake Schafer has just played his two best games of the season, working out of hooker, while Bega number nine Hayden Parbery has been a standout performer for most of the year.
Then the backs would be in the top odds for a foot race, Zac Cuzner and Joel Tamatea for the Roosters pack plenty of pace.
While on the Merimbula-Pambula side of the fence, Luke Rixon has been a gun in his first senior year of football and Kyle Shepherdson caught Parramatta’s attention with his mean step-and-go sprints.
Sunday’s feature match should come close. I would tip it could come down to the kicking game with the Roosters maybe to take the edge 22-20.
There will also be a full card of games including two league-tag match-ups with the Bega Chicks on field from 10am.
Then at 11am the under 18s will contest the Dick Horton and Shane O’Neill Shields in an Eden v Bega clash.
12.30 the Tigerettes play a second round against the Pink Panthers, before the reserves at 1.30pm and first grade between the Bulldogs and Roosters at 3pm.