The final month of the 2016 Group 11 regular season has come down to a four-week shoot out for two spots in the competition’s top three, with Forbes, Nyngan, Dubbo Macquarie and Parkes – all locked on 12 points – vying for higher rungs on the ladder.
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Two-time defending premiers CYMS have the minor premiership all but locked up, well clear on 20 competition points, but the rest of the make-up of the finals will be determined over the course of the next month.
And Macquarie coach Steve McLellan is treating every match from here on out as a must-win.
McLellan and his side are determined to finish in the top three and following a win at Parkes last week, victory this Sunday at the home of the in-form Nyngan Tigers would go a long way to helping make that happen.
“Every game is sudden death when you want second or third and and last week the players responded and played accordingly,” he said.
“I’ve got no doubt it’s going to come down to for and against so we don’t want to be dropping points. We’ve got about the second best defence behind CYMS so we’ve got to maintain that and get a few more points in the for column.
“But the most important thing is winning games.”
Winning at Nyngan is easier said that done.
CYMS, a side which has only lost once since the start of 2015, just escaped Larkin Oval with a win last weekend when holding off the Tigers in an 8-7 thriller.
McLellan said he was impressed by the Tigers when his side played against them in a pre-season trial so their recent form has come as no surprise to him and the Raiders.
“They play for each other and that’s hard to play against,” he said.
“Their forwards are workman-like but I’ve got a very high opinion of (halfback) Jacob Neill, he controls everything they do so we’ve got to take away his options and we need good line speed to nullify his running game.”
McLellan added his side will need to “step up” if they are to win at Larkin Oval against a Tigers side which has won five of its past six games by an average of almost 20 points.
But the Raiders have rediscovered their own form and have scored back-to-back wins in the past two rounds.
Their attack has been formidable with five-eighth Josh Merritt particularly outstanding in the win over the Spacemen.
Merritt will partner the returning Etuate Gusuivalu in the halves on Sunday while Damien Wells moves to fullback in the absence of Mason Williams.
“It’s our job to step up and match it with them (Tigers) but I’m confident we can do it,” McLellan said.
Sunday begins with the League Tag at 11am at Larkin Oval while the first grade match will kick off at 2.30pm.