MANNING River Ratz have been hit hard by unavailability and injury before the biggest game of the Lower North Coast Rugby Union competition-proper on Saturday.
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The Ratz meet Forster-Tuncurry at Taree Rugby Park. Forster currently leads the ladder with the Ratz in second place. Winner tomorrow should pocket the minor premiership and also clinch a home major semi-final.
However, the Ratz will be without Clint Walker and Ricky Campbell who are both unavailable. Flanker Reece Holden is likely to be out for the season after sustaining a neck injury last match against Wallamba while No 8 and captain Sam Hartnett is battling a knee injury and will be struggling to be fit.
"At best Sam is only 50 per cent,'' coach Danial Stone said.
However, there has been some good news with centre Kye Mauiriere receiving a caution after being sent off last match against Wallamba.
Stone admits he has no idea who he'll use tomorrow but was relieved to have the consistent Mauiriere available. He's developed a strong midfield combination with his brother, Jake, this season.
"Izaak Solomon played fullback last match and he's pretty versatile, so I can use him in a couple of places. But I haven't got a clue what the side's going to be yet,'' he said.
The Ratz had the week off with the by last weekend and Stone gave his players a rest from training.
"They trained pretty well this week so that might have freshened them up,'' he said.
The Ratz and Forster have played the last two grand finals. Forster won both after first winning the major semi-final at Tuncurry.
"It would be good to get the minor premiership. But that's not our goal - getting to the grand final is,'' Stone said.
He said cutting the options to Forster's potent three quarter line will be paramount. Stone is also wary of Forster's radar-like goal kicker Lee Crozier.
"We can't afford to give them any penalties in goal kicking range. Otherwise it's three points,'' he said.
By Phil Wilkins
THE minor premiership is at stake, and when all the firepower is needed from their arsenal tomorrow, the front-running Forster Tuncurry rugby union Dolphins have temporarily lost their leading try-scorer, winger Jack Nicholson.
Five minutes before the end of the game against Wallamba at Nabiac last Saturday, the teenaged Mid North Coast Colts representative fell awkwardly in a tackle, straining his neck, and as a precaution was transported to Manning Hospital.
Although Nicholson's injury is not considered serious, he has been advised to rest from rugby on Saturday, consequently missing the clash with arch-rivals, the second-placed Manning River Ratz, at Taree Rugby Park.
Two rounds of the Brokenwood Wines rugby premiership remain before next month's semi-final play-offs, but with the Dolphins leading the seven-club competition by eight points, their last-round bye on Saturday week makes it essential they defeat the Ratz tomorrow to claim the minor premiership and the reward of a home ground venue for the major semi-final.
Coach Ron McCarthy has two choices to replace Nicholson - utility players, Jonathon Paff and Dylan Barrett, Paff the more experienced back, having already appeared at five-eighth, wing and fullback this season, and Barrett more accustomed to breakaway.
With the Ratz having assembled their swiftest back line in a decade and Nicholson's MNC Colts team-mate, Izaak Solomon, returning successfully for the Ratz at fullback after a bady broken nose from the NSW Country carnival at Bowral, the game is looming as an acid test for all concerned.
The Gloucester Cockies' seven wins from their last eight games have elevated them to third position on 38 points and made them genuine threats for this year's title.
They have the bye tomorrow, but in the event of Manning River losing to the Dolphins it would threaten the Ratz second position as they are now just three points ahead of the Cockies with a testing last-round away game against Wauchope to confirm them as major semi-finalists.
As it stands, the Dolphins have 49 points, the Ratz 41, Gloucester 38, Myall Coast 20, Wauchope 15, Wallamba 13 and Old Bar one point.
Tomorrow's 13th round is: Manning River v Forster Tuncurry at Taree Rugby Park; Wallamba v Wauchope at Nabiac; Myall Coast v Old Bar at Tea Gardens. Bye: Gloucester.