South West Rocks Marlins set to face the Lower Macleay Magpies at Smithtown Oval

At this stage, the Magpies are in third place on the Hastings League ladder with 12 points, while the fifth-place Marlins are on ten points.

Currently in round nine of the competition, which is roughly halfway through, both teams have more than bragging rights on the line; with only two points separating them on the ladder, this game could prove crucial moving forward.

"This should be a good hard game of football, with some great local talents on both teams, " South West Rocks Marlins coach Alfie Drew said.

"The boys will be out there looking to win, but also have a bit of fun with family and friends from the Magpies.

"It will be a great game to watch, and I hope to see a lot of supporters and spectators there on Saturday."

First-time coach of the Magpies, Mike Davis, says his team is confident, but ultimately, the day will be won by whichever side works together.

"The Magpies have come a long way this year; I'm very proud of the boys and how they have found their feet in the last few games," he said.

"We have our structure and game plan, but I think it's going to come down to whoever can play together best as a team.

"It should be a good fun competitive game of rugby league; everyone is welcome to come down and watch."

After their dust-up over the weekend, the South West Rocks Marlins and Lower Macleay Magpies will play one more time at the South West Rocks Sports Ground in round 18, the last game of the regular season before the finals start later in the year.

Only a few points separate the top five teams on the Hastings League ladder.

Leading the pack are the Beachwood Shamrocks with 16 points; in second are the Kendall Blues with 12 points.

Close behind Kendall are the Lower Macleay Magpies on 12 points, followed by the Long Flat Dragons on 11 and the South West Rocks Marlins on ten.

In sixth place are the Comboyne Tigers on 8 points.

Rounding out the last few positions on the competition ladder are the Laurieton Hotel with 7 points, Harrington Hurricanes on 2, and dead last, the Lake Cathie Raiders on 0.

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