Narwan Eels missed out on playing their round six fixture against Moree Boomerangs but will hit the field this Saturday when they host the Glen Innes Magpies.
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The Armidale-based rugby league team sit equal first on the ladder with the ‘Rangs and hope to add another win to their record against the Magpies. It poses as a difficult task for the side with several players unavailable through injury.
“We talked at the start of the year about the depth in the club and we have players who can replace them,” coach Peter Moran said.
“We might be losing our captain this week, Alistair Faulkner. We are going to give him until Saturday to see if he is alright but if he isn't someone from reserve grade is going to step up for him.
“Paul Quinlan will play at hooker this week if our captain isn't playing.”
Moran said the team are confident they can knock over the visitors and one of the keys to doing that is shutting down Magpies’ playmaker Jayden Ehsman.
“I know a few of the players they have got there, I know Jayden Ehsman, my nephew just played with him and he is probably a key for them,” he said.
“We spoke about basing our attack around him, trying to work him over a little bit.
“We are just going to try and play them up the middle and on the fringes and go wide.”
Glen Innes suffered a number of injuries in their defeat to the ‘Rangs two weeks ago including the season-ending one of forward Sam Schiffmann.
The Magpies had the bye in the round six, giving the team a much needed chance to rest up their casualty ward.
Glen Innes coach Nick Ehsman said his side will be close to full strength this Saturday and hopes his side don’t switch off in stages against Narwan, like they did against Moree.
“That's another side where we just have to stay for the full 80 minutes and not switch off,” he said last week.
“We lost the Boomerangs game in the last 10 minutes of the first half where they had 11 players and they scored two tries.
“Basically that is where we lost the game.
“It is just that aggression too.”