17s Yabbies smash Tahs, 1^st and 2^nd grade to finish strong in last home game of the season

By Luke Eldridge

Last weekend saw the yabbies with a general bye in all grades. The weekend before saw the 1^st and 2^nd grade outfits put in big efforts against the well drilled undefeated Wagga Waratahs club while the under 17s ran their opponents off the paddock. The under 17s ran out victors on the day by 47 points to 12, a scoreboard which flattered the Wagga team with the Yabbies looking like they could have won the game by in excess of 70 points if not for the game being cut short from the normal 1 hour to just 50 minutes. Best performers for theYabbies were number 8 Peter Curlewis ( who crossed for 4 tries ) and James Cant who played out of position at 5/8. The win by the 17s sees them extend their lead at the top of the premiership table and with only 2 rounds left the players are looking to fine tune their performance and are prepared to step to the next level prior to the finals series.

Coach of the under 17’s Al Shoard seems to think the players are in the correct frame of mind to be competitive come the finals series “ the boys know that we are assured of playing finals football but the good thing is they realise they need to do a lot of hard work if they are to make it all the way. The players are continuing to work hard and need to be commended for that, numbers are good at training and the players are really setting the example in the club showing where hard work on the training paddock can get you. The boys just need to keep there mind on the job at hand and not get too bigfor their boots and they should reap the rewards they deserve come the finals”. The club is looking forward to the 17s going as far as they can in this years competition and the attitude of the players has been a highlight for many of the clubs members and supporters throughout the season, everyone involved in the club is looking forward to the boys reaching their full potential, good luck guys and keep working hard.

This weekend sees all grades tackle Griffith at the mighty home of the Yabbies, Cranfield Oval. This weekend sees the last home game of the season for the Yabbies with only 2 competition rounds remaining. While the 17s are assured of a semis final position the senior grades find themselves still needing to win their remaining games to gain a finals birth. With this in mind, Saturdays games Vs Griffith are crucial games, 1^st grade is a must win if they are to try and sneak into the finals while a win from second grade would see them secure 4^th spot on the ladder and assure them a start in the finals series. This Saturday is also the annual team photo day, players from all grades are reminded to be at Cranfield from 12.30pm this Saturday as photos will be taken for all grades around this time, not just prior to kick off for each grade as done in previous years, also all club members need to be aware that a club photo will be taken of all club members / players and sponsors in the grandstand at Cranfield, this will be taken at 1.30pm, just prior to 2^nd grade kick off.

The 17s game will hopefully see some direct ball running and solid defensive efforts in an attempt to bash the opposition team out of the contest. Players to watch for this Saturday are flankers McGrath and Shoard along with outside centre Alex Pirie.

Second grade will need to be up for the test this weekend and will need to dominate in the forwards, especially set pieces to get them on the front foot and try and do battle with a backline that has a history of being slick but notorious for making mistakes under pressure. Club captain Thackeray is due to return from injury this week and his aggression and intensity will be a welcome inclusion, another impact player will be Jason Smith who has seemed to have found his home at scrum half and has been just as good in defense as he has been in attack during the last 2 games.

The 1^st grade game will see Young try and achieve a feat they have not been able to complete this year, to beat the same club twice. Young beat Griffith at Griffith earlier this year with by far their best performance of the year. On that occasion the players ground out a gutsy 80 minute performance and saw them take the points on the day, which is a massive challenge with the game being at Griffith. Since this performance the 1^st grade team has struggled for consistency and effort for an entire 80 minutes, there is a feel in the club at the moment that this weekend can be the game to get back to putting in a full 80 minute performance, all the players are focused and aware that the responsibility to put in the effort is on their shoulders, the 1^st grade squad are aware that the opportunity to progress their season is in front of them and this weekend presents the first challenge of the upcoming weeks. Captain McAlister has been outstanding for the club this year and this will be no different this weekend as he will lead from the front to try and get his chargers over the line. Expect solid contributions from Reid and Hogan in the forwards and the locals are keen to see whether “ city slicker “  Sam Bunny can dominate on his return to the Yabbies after spending most of the season playing in the colts grade of the Sydney Rugby Union competition.

Hopefully as many supporters can get to this weekends games, it will be the last chance for locals to see the boys go around on home soil this year and all the players in the club have made a pact at training this week to perform well in front of the home crowd after a few meagre performances early in the year on home turf. The after match presentations will be held at the yabbies water hole, the Empire hotel. This weeks presentations will be accompanied by a feed and all players, supporters and family members are encouraged to get down and support the club off and on the field.

The scene is set for 3 very entertaining games on Saturday, this is the ultimate test for the players in the club as they can prove whether they are good enough to remain in semi finals contention. The club would love to see plenty of supporters at Cranfield This weekend to cheer the players on as they try to put in a good performance for their last home game for the year