WPL: Defending champions’ schedule eased
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The pressure on Warners Bay was eased a little on Friday when one of the four Herald Women’s Premier League games they were set to play in an eight-day period was rescheduled.
The defending champions’ past two WPL matches against Adamstown and Mid North Coast were washed out and both rescheduled for next week.
It meant they were set to host Wallsend on Sunday then Rosebud Wednesday before a weekend double-header against Mid North Coast (July 1) and Thornton (July 2).
But the Adamstown game was rescheduled to July 12 after a miscommunication between Northern NSW Football and Warners Bay was rectified on Friday.
“When we got told about the four games I thought we’d just dig deep and have to show a bit of character,” Warners Bay player-coach Cassidy Davis said.
“But in terms of player welfare then the change is a good thing; it gives us a bit more of a recovery.”
Warners Bay have beaten Wallsend 5-3 and 8-0 this season and Red Devils coach Jason Harrison said the game plan would be “defence first” at John Street Oval.
“We’ve conceded 28 goals in all, but 13 of that 28 have been against Warners Bay,” he said. “We definitely need to make our defensive effort strong.”
Adamstown play Merewether at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility and South Wallsend meet Mid North Coast in Port Macquarie on Sunday.
Basketball: Batkovic urges Hunters dig deep
Suzy Batkovic has challenged the Newcastle Hunters to fight their way out of the corner they have painted themselves into.
The defending Waratah Basketball League women’s champions are in danger of missing the finals, and a chance to defend the breakthrough title they secured in 2016, after their 83-50 loss to Bankstown last Sunday left them languishing in sixth spot with a 4-7 win-loss record.
Newcastle need to win their final five games of the regular season and hope for favourable results from games involving teams above them on the ladder if they are to sneak into the semi-finals at Maitland on August 12.
The first of those five assignments are the Illawarra Hawks, the team they defeated in the title decider last year, at the Snakepit in Wollongong on Saturday.
Illawarra (1-10) are in worse shape than Newcastle, sitting at the bottom of the ladder, but Batkovic said the Hunters were taking nothing for granted.
The triple Olympic medallist and five-time Women’s National Basketball League Most Valuable Player hopes her young teammates embrace the challenge facing them in the next five weeks.
Both teams were beaten by Bankstown last weekend, as the Bruins disposed of the Hawks 57-38 just 24 hours before blitzing Newcastle.
“We’ve put ourselves in a tough position after last week’s loss to Bankstown, so every game is must-win for us now, starting with this one against Illawarra,” Batkovic said.
“We’re a young team so we need to be more composed at both ends of the floor and be prepared to compete hard for 40 minutes.”
Netball: Second place on the line
Souths Lions and Forsythes Business Advisors will battle it out for outright second spot on the Greater Open Championship ladder in round 10 at National Park netball courts on Saturday.
The two sides are level-pegged with 27 points each, two adrift of competition leaders West Leagues Balance and two clear of fourth-placed BNC Whanau.
The Lions, the three-time defending champions, are coming off a two-goal loss to BNC while Forsythes have been unbeaten since going down 46-33 to West in round five.
When these two sides met in round three, Souths emerged victorious 52-45.
Meanwhile, BNC will attempt to keep their good form going when they take on Maryville Tavern.
West play Souths Pride and Nova Thunder take on Junction Stella.
Leaguetag: One-sided affairs likely
If the opening round of the Newcastle Rugby League Ladies Leaguetag is anything to go by, there will be some big scorelines in round nine this weekend.
Unbeaten leaders Central Newcastle host fifth-placed Kurri Kurri at St John Oval on Sunday. The last time these two met, Central won 26-6.
Second-placed Lakes United travel to Peacock Field on Sunday to play winless Macquarie. United won 44-0 in round one.
Third-placed Wests Newcastle are away to seventh-placed Cessnock on Saturday. Wests won 56-0 last time they met.
South Newcastle, fourth, play Maitland, sixth, at Coronation Oval on Saturday. The Lions won 54-0 in the first round.
All games are at 11.10am.
Rugby: Blacks, Two Blues out to make amends
Maitland and Wanderers will be out to make up ground on Merewether Carlton and University respectively in Hunter Women’s Rugby Union on Saturday.
The Greens thrashed the Blacks 92-0 on May 27 and The Students downed the Two Blues 52-12.
AFL: Bulldogs look to get bite back
Warners Bay will look to get their season back on track after last week stumbling in their quest to make the Women’s Black Diamond AFL finals series.
The Bulldogs slipped from fourth place to sixth after a 65-point loss to Gosford and could find themselves outside of the six if they sustain another loss this weekend.
But it will be a tough ask to topple unbeaten competition leaders Newcastle City at Feighan Oval on Saturday.
The Blues showed they are a class above the rest with an 85-point win over defending champions Nelson Bay last weekend.
The Marlins will look to bounce back from their big defeat when they host fifth-placed Wyong Lakes.
Second-placed Gosford take on fourth-placed Killarney Vale at Adcock Park, Maitland play Lake Macquarie, Singleton are at home to Cardiff and Muswellbrook take on Newcastle Novas at Weeraman Field.