Stand Cass and Ash Ward next to each other and it’s nigh on impossible to tell them apart.
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So tough, the identical twins believe their Parkes teammates, who they’ve trained with since the start of the year and played alongside since April, still don’t know one Ward from the other.
“They just yell out ‘Wardy’,” Cass laughed.
“Everyone says we have the whole twin-telepathy going on, I don’t know about that … but we do some cheeky things sometimes.
“We’ve been known to switch around and pretend we’re the other one, that sort of thing.”
Which, aside from giving their teammates a few headaches, has actually proved pretty handy this season for the Spacecats.
The Wards have been brilliant for a Parkes outfit that has dropped just one game in 2018 and head into Sunday’s Group 11 league tag grand final against Westside confident of winning the one game that matters.
The duo has scored a combined total of 25 tries this season, and defensively they’re as good as any taggers in the region, ahead of the big dance and as a right-side combination is one of the deadliest in Group 11.
“We’ve grown up so close, it definitely helps having Ash there,” Cass added.
“We’ve prepared well and the lead-up has been enjoyable. We’re looking to play our best this Sunday.
“We play next to each other. She’s on my right. We just support each other and work off each other.”
Cass will line-up at five-eighth on Sunday while Ash is in the centres.
“We’re all pumped up and we want to bring home the win,” Ash fired.
We’ve grown up so close, it definitely helps having Ash there.
- Cassie Ward on twin sister Ashleigh ahead of the 2018 Group 11 league tag grand final.
“I feel like we’ve had a good preparation and we’re excited for the game.”
The pair isn’t shy of the big stage, having contested grand finals in junior grades a number of times coming through the ranks.
But Sunday’s Group 11 decider will be the 16-year-olds’ first senior grand final, in their first year with the Spacecats, too.
“I didn’t know how we’d go coming into it, we’ve got a young side and there’s been a few changes but I think we’ve gone really well,” Ash said, adding she’s thrilled to be running out alongside her sister.
“It’s good to have her next to me because I always know what she’s going to do. I’ll know when she’s going to kick for me.
“And it’s always fun because we can have a bit of a joke around … but if I ever need to let out some anger on the field I know who to go for,” she laughed.
Westside qualified for the grand final after a thrilling 12-10 preliminary final victory over premiers Dubbo CYMS.
It was the Rabbitohs’ second win over the defending champs in three weeks after also knocking over the Fishies in the qualifying semi-final at the start of the post season.
It’s the first time in two seasons the Group 11 league tag decider won’t be a Parkes and CYMS affair but that doesn’t mean it’ll be any easier for the ‘Cats.
Westside knocked over Parkes in the 2015 Group 11 league tag grand final 22-0.
“I know they’ve got some strong key players and they look inside a lot to try and trick us a bit but we’ve got a strong team too – it’ll be a good match,” Ash added.
“But I feel like our whole team is going well.
“We’ve got India, as well, and she can burn anyone. Cass and ‘T’ are really good halves, Erin Dwyer goes hard in the middle and Daisy at hooker, we’re just really solid.”
The 2018 Group 11 league tag grand final kicks off at 10am at Apex Oval, Dubbo.