OLD Bar coach Jamie Moorehead said his side's inability to bounce back from defensive lapses is the main cause of their problems in this season's Group Three Rugby League competition.
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The Pirates sit in last place and are without a win from six matches. They head to Port Macquarie on Saturday to play Port City.
Moorehead claims the Pirates are competitive in most of their matches. He cited last weekend's game against Wingham, where Old Bar matched Wingham for the much of both halves, but lost 38-4.
"We just don't seem to be able to bounce back when we lapse,'' Moorehead said.
He said the Pirates tend to concede points in clumps and quickly go from being right in the contest to well behind on the scoreboard.
Inexperience is the side's biggest problem but Moorehead paid tribute to the work captain Shannon Ellem is producing each week.
Moorehead wouldn't be drawn on whether the Pirates need to beat the Breakers if they are going to have any chance of playing semi-final football this year. As it stands they're six points behind Port Macquarie and Forster-Tuncurry, the fourth and fifth placed sides.
"We're not thinking about semi-finals at the moment,'' he said.
"We just want to get a win. Then hopefully we might be able to get on a roll-on and see what happens.''
Moorehead has named much the same side to take on the Breakers as played Wingham last weekend. Nathan Napier comes into the starting 13 in the back row with Jarad Wooster moving to lock. North Coast representative Conor Taylor remains on the bench.
Hyde has been with the club since its inception.
