IT IS not often a club is forced to make multiple changes to a team that wins by 134 points but that is the unfortunate case for Wagga Tigers ahead of Saturday.
Tigers have been hit hard by a couple of early-season injuries and will make three changes to the team that destroyed Turvey Park in the opening round.
Canberra-based recruit Drew McGrath has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and will miss the rest of the season.
Lahn Shephard has fractured his finger and will be spend some time on the sidelines, while Jacob Osbeiston is unavailable.
Nathan Cooke, Rory Redfern and Nick McCormack will all come in.
McCormack, particuarly, is a good story as he comes back in for his first senior game since seriously injuring his kidney in first grade against Leeton-Whitton last year.
Wagga Tigers captain-coach Matt Rava is disappointed to lose McGrath for the season.
“Yeah, obviously we didn't get a lot of recruits this year and we thought Drew was going to be pretty handy for us,” Rava said.
“He had shown glimpses that he could have been pretty handy.
“It’s a bit of bad luck but that’s the way it goes sometimes.
“It gives a couple of others an opportunity and there is pretty good competition for spots at the moment.”
While Tigers were big winners over Turvey Park in round one, Collingullie-Glenfield Park went down comfortably to Mangoplah-Cookardinia United-Eastlakes.
Rava is not too sure how much to read into the round one results.
“It’s pretty hard to take too much out of it,” Rava said.
“Round one is all about blowing out the cobwebs.
“Obviously our game, it’s good to get that first blow out...and Gullie started slowly last year then motored on and didn’t look back.
“We’ve always had close games against them and they’ve just got over the line and we want to turn that around and win those close games.”
Rava is looking forward to the special game, which features as part of a dual-code Anzac Day Commemorative Games.
“There will be a fair bit of spirit and passion involved, as their always is in the Anzac Day game,” he said.
“Everyone lifts for the game and we’re really looking forward to it.”
The game will get underway at 1.30pm on Saturday and is followed by the Group Nine local derby between Brothers and Kangaroos at 4pm.
The Last Post will be played between games at 3.45pm.
