It’s been one of the most talked about topics in the lead-up to the Group 19 season, but the newly-introduced second division competition has arrived and will launch into action this Friday night with the Uralla Tigers hosting the Walcha Roos.
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The neighbouring clubs both transferred to Group 19 this year after a stint in the now-discontinued Group 4 second division competition.
The league tag competition will get the highly-anticipated local encounter underway with the second and third-placed teams from last year’s Group 4 tournament fit and ready to fire.
In the men’s the Roos hit the training paddock earlier this year in an effort to improve match fitness after a series of disappointing defeats saw them finish 2017 in second-last place on the ladder.
Incoming co-coach Steve McAlister, who shares the role with Chris Bruce, said the Roos fell away at the end of games last season and are determined to make amends when they take to the field this year.
“We have been training for a long time and the majority of the blokes have been there from day one,” he said.
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“Fingers crossed our fitness shows through at the back-end of the game.
“If they had have been fit they could have gone nearly all the way last year.
“In 90 per cent of the games they led at half-time and threw the games away.”
The competition is expected to be tough and McAlister hopes the Roos will be able to match it with the rest.
“It will just be a test because it is a bit of an unknown at the moment,” he said.
“Other than Uralla, we haven't played any of the sides.
“Hopefully this weekend will be a reasonable test for us and see how the other teams have fared.
“We have a lot of the same players and a few new ones so hopefully we will be competitive and that is all we can ask.”