IF their opening win was a breakthrough, a second consecutive victory could mark a considerable step forward for Warners Bay in the women's Black Diamond Cup on Saturday.
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Last year's wooden-spooners, winning just two of 15 games, Warners Bay opened their account last week with a 44-32 victory on the road over Maitland.
The win, in their fourth match this campaign, came after heavy losses to competition heavyweights Newcastle City, Killarney Vale and Cardiff, in the opening rounds.
"We were very excited about it," Warners Bay player-coach Amy Pittman said.
"Especially after playing the top three ... that hurt a bit.
"We had approximately 14 debuts round one, and then three to five the week after.
"Every week, I think we've had some new ones.
"So we've got a very new team this year.
"Some have played previously at other places, and had a few years off in between, but it's quite a fresh team."
Pittman, who spent three of the past four years with Newcastle City, has returned to Warners Bay this season, where she played in 2018, and taken charge of the side for this season and the next.
Her partner also plays at Warners Bay, but she said she made the switch to coach a senior side for the first time and to try and help other players, and the league more broadly, improve.
She welcomed the promotion of Maitland and The Entrance-Bateau Bay to Cup this year, making for an eight-team competition. But there is a vast gap between the top three or four sides, and the bottom four, with regular blowout scorelines.
"I actually like being the underdog," Pittman said.
"I played at City for three, four years, and that obviously wasn't an underdog scenario, but it was a good way to develop. I'm just keen to strengthen the competition across the board. I think a lot of the clubs have recruited some new or pre-existing talent, so there's a lot of fresh girls within the competition.
"The top-six finals series will give at least two of the bottom-four teams a chance to have a finals experience, which is pretty cool."
Pittman is hopeful Warners Bay can secure back-to-back wins, something they haven't achieved in years, when they face The Entrance-Bateau Bay at Bateau Bay Oval from 1pm.
In other women's games, there's multiple local derbies with Terrigal Avoca hosting Killarney Vale, Maitalnd at home to Singleton and Newcastle travelling to Cardiff.
Newcastle and Cardiff also face-off in the men's competition at 2pm following the women's game at midday.
The two other men's fixtures are both on the Central Coast. The Entrance-Bateau Bay host Warners Bay, while further south Terrigal Avoca meet winless Killarney Vale. Both matches are at 3pm.
