Group 3 rugby league turns for home in round eight this weekend

Wauchope continue to lead the way just ahead of Macleay Valley, but Wingham are the big movers in the last five weeks having registered five straight victories to shoot into competition favouritism.

The two Port Macquarie teams are a step or two behind the top three, but have time to stake their finals claims.

Port City have claimed two-straight wins to jump to fourth while the Sharks have been hammered with a growing injury list that has seen them slip to fifth on the back of three-straight losses.

Coach Ben Kirkland needs to find a way to rediscover the surprising early-season form his team showed.

The most intriguing battle of round eight takes place at Regional Stadium in Port Macquarie on Saturday when the Breakers look to make it three on the bounce while the Sharks need to stop the rot.

Taree City host ladder-leaders Wauchope, the winless Old Bar have a tough ask when they travel to Kempsey, while Wingham face a tricky battle with Forster-Tuncurry.

Coaches have named their sides below for this weekend's action.

Port City: 1. Trae Clark 2. Elia Glassie 3. Ricky Arnell 4. Luke Sinclair 5. Jarred Robbins 6. Josh Hyde 7. Adrian Daley 8. Ben Dickson 9. Matt Everett 10. Dan Dumas 11. Ethan Hyde 12. Dylan Hemsley 13. Bailey Connor Interchange: 14. Jordie Gibson 15. Tyler Hyde 16. Kurt Durbridge 17. TBA

Port Macquarie: 1. Mitch Wilbow 2. Ryan Long 3. Luke Ackroyd 4. Oli Nosworthy 5. Hayden Stuart 6. Keiran Gallagher 7. Josh Dwyer 8. Ben Read 9. Joey Cudmore 10. Mitch Smith 11. Koby Smith 12. Scott Grant 13. Kyle Ellison Interchange: 14. Zac Flanagan 15. Brandon Phelan 16. Mitch Evans 17. TBA

Kick-off times:

Women's league tag: 11.30am

18s: 12.35pm

Reserve grade: 1.50pm

First grade: 3pm

Taree City: 1. Callum Wesley, 2. Todd Northam, 3. Paul Campbell, 4. Shannon Mullay, 5. Toby De Stefano, 6. Sam Murray, 7. Dean Mills, 8. Matt Taupe, 9. Oscar Carey. 10. Will Clarke, 11. Ethan Currey, 12. Rob Mason, 13. Thomas Paulson. Interchange: 14. Harry Wallis, 15. Josh Northam.

Wauchope: 1. Tony Thomson 2. Sam Ylias 3. Ollie Pascoe 4. Beau White 5. Ged Roods 6. Nick McCabe 7. Tristan Scott 8. Tom Sheaves 9. Joss Cleal 10. Sam Androids 11. Josh Caruana 12. Mat Bird 13. Dylan Lund Interchange: 14. TBA 15. Kahlan Duncan 16. TBA 17. TBA

Kick-off times:

Women's league tag: 12.15pm

Reserve grade: 1.15pm

First grade: 2.30pm

Macleay Valley: 1. Jeremy Taylor 2. Cecil Lardner 3. Dylan Adams 4. Conrad Lardner 5. 6. Stephan Blair 7. Tyreece Sines 8. Dre Barker 9. Russell Lardner 10. Richard Roberts 11. Jesse Douglas 12. Tyler Roberts 13. Chris Piper Interchange: TBA

Old Bar: 1. Joel Minihan, 2. Andrew Hills, 3. Nathan Napier, 4. Brad Hart, 5. Joseph Hinton, 6. Conor Taylor, 7. Tanna Hinton, 8. Shannon Ellem, 9. Dylan Towers, 10. Carlos Kohu-Martin, 11. Corey Sheehan, 12. Jared Wooster, 13. Jonathan Tickle. Interchange: TBA

Kick-off times:

Women's league tag: 11.30am

18s: 12.35pm

Reserve grade: 1.50pm

First grade: 3pm

Wingham: 1. Matt Bridge, 2. Jared Gibson, 3. Kurt Lewis, 4. Tim Bridge, 5. Brodie Myer, 6. Danny Russell, 7. Mick Sullivan, 8. Blake Fraser, 9. Mitch Collins, 10. Joel Kliendienst, 11. Nick Beacham, 12. Jake Mullen, 13. Brendan Butler. Interchange: 14 Tate Grofos, 15. TBA, 16. TBA, 17. Jake Wheeler

Forster-Tuncurry: 1. Aaron Hill, 2. Winston McBride, 3. Ben Murray, 4. Corey Eason, 5. Dylan Clark, 6. Matt Wakefield, 7. Kye Burke, 8. Liam Simon, 9. Riley Glover, 10. Chris Coulton, 11. Jake Collins, 12. Max Elliott, 13. Matt Kirkland. Interchange: 14. TBA, 15. TBA, 16 Sam Whitbread, 17 Matthew Thomas

Kick off times:

Women's league tag: 11.30am

18s: 12.35pm

Reserve grade: 1.50pm

First grade: 3pm