KFS Major Semi Final Preview
The Belconnen derby takes centre stage in the Major Semi-Final, with the Belconnen Sharks and West Belconnen Warriors facing off at Seears Workwear Oval.
Not only will this be a top two battle, but it will also be a grand final rematch from last season.
Sharks’ Eliza Taylor has been and will be a major threat to the Warriors’ playing mechanisms, scoring 26 tries in 12 games, putting her first in the top try scorers leaderboard but also sitting in third with a total of 104 points so far this season.
After missing a number of players in last week's contest, the Warriors went down to the Blues 34-18; with the squad returning to close to full strength and ready to bounce back and get the win against their fellow rivals.
"Although we didn’t have a bench, we still kept going, showing up for each other and still were able to put some points on the scoreboard," said Nirvana Ngan Woo.
"We’re all very ready. We’ve got a few people carrying some injuries, so they’ll be looking after that leading up to Saturday. But, other than that, we’re very keen to rip in."
With a tough 40-6 loss in the grand final last season, Taylor is confident the team will come back stronger than last.
"We went in there with so much confidence, but we just lost it in the end. Westies were very strong, but we just want to come back stronger this year and get it done," Taylor said.
With the Sharks gaining a bye in the Washout Round, the energy around the team, let alone the club, has been positive.
"There has been such a good energy around the whole club; everyone’s spirits are high, so training this week will be good. We’ll get around everyone, and hopefully we can get it done."
Even though both teams have come up against each other multiple times this season, both have similar but polarising strategies when it comes to shutting down their opposition.
"Shutting them down nice and early. We’re a very physical side, so we want to get physical right from kick-off, and just defence wins games," said Ngan Woo.
"We will focus on that middle pack; we’ll probably compress and tighten up in the middle, and then we trust our backs and our speed to get them on the edge. So, we’ll just make sure we’re nice and tight and can shift when we need to," said Taylor.
The victorious team from this match will book their grand final spot, while the loser will have another shot at their grand final spot in the preliminary final on the 12th September.
