THE Lake Cathie Raiders will go head-to-head with the Bowraville Tigers in Saturday’s all-important Hastings District Rugby League preliminary final this Saturday, 19 September, on home turf at The Sandpit.
One team will advance to the decider, while the other will hang up the boots until 2027.
Raiders coach Blake Wells and his team expect the Tigers to come to town ready to play.
“We played the Tigers in Round 12 at our home ground, coming away with a 34–24 win,” Wells said.
“I was really happy with the way our boys performed and to get the result, but Bowraville were extremely tough and fought right to the end.”
Wells acknowledged the strength and workrate of the Tigers’ forward pack.
“They’ve got a strong forward pack that works hard around the ruck, and they have some very skilful outside backs who can do a lot of damage down the edges,” the coach said.
“They’re a tough side across the park, so we know we’ll need to be switched on for the full 80 minutes.”
Wells said his charges had fine-tuned their defence in preparation for Saturday’s all-important clash.
“We’ve been focusing on doing the little things right, getting the ball in our hands and sticking to our plays and game plan,” Wells said.
“If we can execute that and keep things simple, hopefully it gives us the best opportunity to put points on the board.”
Wells was also grateful for the home-turf advantage.
“Our Raiders supporters are fantastic, and having them cheering from the hill and surrounding areas gives the boys a real lift,” Wells said.
“We know Bowraville will have plenty of supporters who will travel and they’ll be just as loud, so it should make for a great atmosphere at The Sandpit.”
Wells made the point that no team achieved finals-level success without a support network.
“I’d like to thank our committee for making this semi-final at home possible,” Wells said.
“Without the hard work of our committee, we wouldn’t be in this position.
“I’d also like to thank all of our major and minor sponsors for their continued support and for helping us get to where we are today.”
While reflecting on the season to date, Wells saluted his team’s great resilience, and what a credit that was to each player.
“Throughout the year we’ve had our fair share of injuries, but the boys have continued to work hard and we’ve still been able to put together some really good wins,” Wells said.
“I’ve been really happy with the team.”
By Eve NESMITH
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