GROUP Three will look to secure back-to-back Country Rugby League championships when the under 15s take on NRL Victoria in the final at Wyong tomorrow.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Last year under 14s Group Three overwhelmed NRL Victoria 26-0 at the same venue.
However, coach Doug Ferguson is expecting a tougher game this weekend in what should be a physical confrontation.
"We blew them away with our line speed last season,'' Ferguson said.
"So I'd say they'll be looking to counter that on Saturday.''
Group Three gained a berth in tomorrow's game after scoring the first try in the 10-10 draw against Maitland in the Northern Zone final played at Port Macquarie last weekend. Maitland scored two tries to one.
"I would have loved to have gone through as outright winners but we're through to next week so that's the main thing,'' Ferguson told the Port Macquarie News after the northern zone matches.
Ferguson said the side started training about two months ago.
"We were training once a week but moved that up to two sessions a week before we played at Port,'' he said.
Ferguson is again expecting to again give away size and weight to the Victorians. Line speed, he said, will again be an advantage he will be looking to exploit.
Ferguson is confident Group Three has the class around the ground to overcome Victoria.
Group Three will also be represented in the under 14s Plate Final where they'll meet Illawarra.
The 14s were the Plate winners at the Northern championships.
They were placed in the same tough draw as the 15s and only lost one game, to eventual winners Central Coast 18-8, at Port Macquarie.
In the first game Group Three defeated Group Four 20-0 before going down to Central Coast.
A 20-6 win over Group Two was followed by the Plate final, where Group Three blew Maitland away 30-6 in an impressive performance.
Winger Josh Lee finished as the age group's leading scorer with 26.
"We were very confident going into the carnival but unfortunately the Coast boys benefited from some questionable calls,'' Group Three coach Jayson Carr said.
"We picked ourselves up and came away with the Plate title."
A win against Illawarra will mean Group Three will finish third overall. Blake Steep, Connor Latham, Josh Lee and Blair Hamilton were outstanding.
"It's been a pleasure to be involved with such a tight unit, " Carr said
The under 15s will kick off tomorrow at 11.15 with the 14s underway from 10.10.
