Macleay Valley Mustangs reserve grade co-coach Allan Lockwood is confident his side, which finished in fifth place, has the ability to take out the premiership in an "open competition".
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The Mustangs were fortunate to sneak into the finals after they were stripped of four competition points mid-season.
The side is arguably better than their position and Lockwood claims his side will prove it in the finals if they can get past the Port Macquarie Sharks at Forster this Saturday.
"I think the premiership is up in the air for any team, it's anyones to win," Lockwood told the Argus.
"If we can get over the first hurdle this weekend then I think we can give it a good crack. The boys can beat anyone on their day, they just have to turn up with the right attitude."
Lockwood is wary of a strong Sharks outfit, which defeated the minor premiers the Wingham Tigers in the final round of the season.
"They have a big forward pack and roll up the middle of the field," Lockwood said.
"We will need to compress in the middle, show them the space out wide and trust that our defence and speed in those areas will be able to shut them down."
The Mustangs have the formula to tackle the Sharks, as they earned victories in the two regular season meetings. However, Lockwood claims his side enter the clash as the underdogs.
"They finished higher than us on the table and they beat the minor premiers last week so they deserve to head into the game as favourites," Lockwood said.
The co-coach expressed his gratitude to the club's sponsors, supporters and players and hopes a large crowd will make the trip to Forster to support the local team this Saturday. Kick off is at 1.25pm.
Stay ahead with local news by signing up for the Macleay Argus newsletter here.
Also making the news:
