New competition leaders Corrimal will look to defend top spot when they host Collegians in a crucial Harrigan Cup Round 14 clash on Saturday afternoon.
The Cougars sit one point clear of Thirroul after extending their winning streak to seven matches, while Collegians are two points behind the second-placed Butchers and desperately need a victory to keep their top-two hopes alive.
Brad Morkos returns to the centres for the Cougars after missing last week’s game due to a call-up to the St George Illawarra Dragons NSW Cup team. Ben Murdoch-Masila has again been named on the interchange bench after making his comeback from injury last week.
The teams have split their two meetings this season. Collegians recorded a 34–18 victory in Round 4 before Corrimal emphatically reversed the result with a 40–10 triumph in Round 9.
Defending premiers Wests will meet a buoyant Sutherland Loftus side following the Pirates’ breakthrough victory over Dapto last weekend.
The Devils have slipped to fourth and will be searching for a response after their loss to Corrimal, but face a Pirates outfit carrying renewed confidence.
Dapto will attempt to produce an upset of its own when it hosts Thirroul at Dapto Showground. A loss would consign the Canaries to a sudden-death match in the opening week of the finals, while a Butchers victory would keep them firmly in contention for a top-two finish and the minor premiership heading into the final round.
Thirroul ran out convincing 44–4 winners when the teams met in Round 4, but Dapto turned the tables with a 26–16 victory in Round 9.
File Image Credit: Denis Ivaneza