THE Newcastle rugby league minor premiership could well be decided this Sunday when Lake Macquarie rivals Lakes United and Macquarie Scorpions clash at Belmont.
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The fixture promises to be the match of the season.
And the good news for local league fans is that the two grand-finalists from 2015 will meet twice in the run in to the semi-finals.
Macquarie climbed back to the top of the league ladder with their 20-14 win over Central Newcastle, at St John Oval, on Sunday.
Previous competition leaders Lakes United surrendered their lead when beaten 18-12 by Kurri Kurri on Saturday.
Sunday’s match pits team No 1 against No 2, and the winner will be favoured to secure the minor premiership and enjoy a weekend’s rest going into the semi-finals.
Scorpions coach Adam Bettridge said he was not getting carried away.
“There are still four rounds of the competition to go before the semi-finals,” he said.
“And we have to be up for all of them as we have to play last year’s premiers Lakes United twice, and South Newcastle at Townsend Oval before the semi-finals and that will not be an easy task, so we cannot get too far ahead of ourselves.
“The competition is so tight at the moment with the top six teams only separated by four points and no team can afford a slip-up.”
The competition is so tight at the moment with the top six teams only separated by four points, so no team can afford a slip-up.
- - Adam Bettridge
Bettridge said Macquarie were expected to defeat Central, but it was always going to be a hard-fought encounter - especially when rain started to fall just before kick off.
“Central had nothing to lose and had been competitive in most games during the year and especially at home,” Bettridge said.
“I was very happy with the way in which we controlled the game and possession in the second half and the kicking game from Chris Hyde and Andy Sumner was very good which gave us good field position.”
The Scorpions will take on Lakes United at Cahill Oval this Sunday at 3pm.
They will return to Lyall Peacock Field, Toronto, the following weekend to take on Maitland. They will then have a week’s break before the last two rounds of the competition.