Macleay Valley Mustangs’ reserve grade coach Sam Drew is confident his side can win the three straight matches required to book a spot in the Group Three Rugby League grand final.
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The run will have to start this week when the Mustangs take on the Port City Breakers in an elimination semi final, to be held at Taree’s Jack Neal Oval on Saturday.
Coach Drew said it’s likely his young team will again lean heavily on experienced co-captains, centre Paul Ritchie and fullback Beau Russell-Docherty.
“They’ve both been in this position before so I’m hoping their experience can help lead the boys around,” Drew said.
Drew said that the pair were crucial in “helping bring the young blokes along,” particularly given the injection of u18s players that had been promoted into the reserve grade side through the year.
“We’ve got a good mix between youth and experience but we’ve probably got more young blokes, which keeps the older blokes motivated.”
They've been aided by under 18s coach and interchange prop Owen ‘Buddy’ Blair.
“He's been phenomenal,” Drew said of Blair.
“He’s been around and played a lot of first grade.”
Blair’s importance to the side was highlighted shortly into the season when the Mustangs lost four front rowers to injury.
“We had five wins from five games before four front rowers went down with injury and we lost some firepower,” Drew said.
Drew said the side had finished the season “reasonably well,” following their strong start.
Drew said the Mustangs side had beaten every other team this year, with the exception of Wingham and competition leaders Old Bar.
“We had Old Bar beaten twice and let them back in to the match,” he said.
The Mustangs have beaten Port City once this year and, if they get through this month, Drew is confident they can push on to the grand final.
“We’ve got to win three in a row to get to the big one,” he said.
The winner of the clash between Port City and the Mustangs will then play the loser of Sunday’s match between the Wingham Tigers and Port Macquarie Sharks.
Other matches to be played on the Saturday will see the Taree City Bulls and Forster Tuncurry Hawks clash in first grade and the Wauchope Blues and Port City Pirates in under 18s.
The Ladies League Tag will kick the day off at 10.55am, with Forster Tuncurry Hawks and Old Bar playing to keep their season alive.
The Mustangs 18s will have the week off after finishing the season in first place.