Six teams have become four in the Mojo Homes Illawarra Cup, with Collegians Sporting Complex to host both semi-finals on Saturday as part of a bumper day of local rugby league.
The same four teams that qualified for the finals last season have again made it through, but in reverse order, with minor premiers De La Salle taking on Collegians in the major semi-final, while Wests play Thirroul in the minor semi.
The Devils and the Butchers finished in the top two last season but will play off in a do-or-die match from 3pm on Saturday. Wests have won two of their three games against Thirroul this season, however, one of the Butchers best performances of the regular season came against the Devils in Round 9 when they triumphed 24-16.
We’re ready for final challenge | Dickson
Western Suburbs hooker Joey Dickson says his side is eager to face the challenge of finals football in this sudden-death match.
“I definitely think it’ll be a step up in physicality and speed with it being the finals. Thirroul are always a good side, and I think we’ll just have to match them physically and try to go after their pack early,” Dickson says.
“We want to keep building and playing better footy, so if we have to go the long way, that could be good for us to play two games before getting to the big one.”
Butchers belief
Thirroul Butchers skipper Hayden Crosland says his side is also full of belief and come in off the back of a well-rounded win over Dapto in their last start.
“The attitude now is just next job, next training session, next game, just making sure we’re playing our best footy. We’re not focussing too much on the opposition. We’re just focussing on finding our best because we think our best is good enough to beat anyone,” Crosland says.
“The main target will be an 80-minute performance no matter what. We can’t be giving them anything, and we’ll have to be disciplined in defense and clean with the ball.”
The First Division competition’s semi-finals will also be played out at Collegians on Saturday, with Corrimal coming up against Helensburgh in the minor semi from 12pm, followed by Wests against Collies at 1:30pm.
The Tigers came up against the Cougars last weekend, with Helensburgh winning a thriller 24-22 to secure third spot on the ladder. Wests and Collies also played against one another in Round 15, with Wests winning 22-12 to further consolidate their position at the top of the table.
There have been tight match-ups between these two teams throughout the season, with two entertaining games expected to be played out.
Read More>>Road To The Grand Final
Harrigan Shield double-header
A double-header of Harrigan Shield action is also on the schedule for this Saturday, with Berkeley playing Figtree in the major semi at 3pm, while Avondale takes on Windang in the knockout match from 1pm.
Figtree has come the closest to knocking off the undefeated Eagles this season and will be keen to avenge their 22-18 defeat in Round 12 when they battle the minor premiers this weekend.
Avondale and Windang have clashed twice this season and have won a game each, with the sides looking evenly balanced in the lead-up to their match at Berkeley Sports Club.
Women and Girls Tackle
Ziems Park will also host a finals match this weekend, with Corrimal taking on the Como Jannali Crocodiles in the Southern Corridor Open Women’s competition.
The last time the teams met, the Cougars ground out a 10-0 victory. However, Como Jannali has put on some big scores this season and will come out all guns blazing as both teams vie for a grand final spot.
The winner meets the winner of the Milton Ulladulla v Stingrays clash, which will be played on Sunday at Bill Andriske Oval, Mollymook.
The Cougars are also looking to secure a place in the Grand Final in the U18 Girls Tackle Preliminary Final when they take on Collegians. The winner will meet Stingrays, who advanced last week after accounting for Collies.
Read More>>Grand Final Spots On The Line
Words | Russ Haylock