Gundagai are determined to keep their nine-year winning streak against Tumut alive when the minor premiership goes on the line at Anzac Park on Sunday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Tigers need to bounce back from a 34-28 loss to Southcity against their arch rivals in the last round of the season.
While it was likely the Tigers were always going to need to win the clash to unsure they finish on top of the ladder, the loss to the Bulls means even a top two finish is in doubt.
Off the back on a seven-game winning streak the Blues are one point clear of the Tigers, while the Bulls are a point behind heading into their tricky clash against Brothers.
A loss could mean Gundagai lose home ground advantage in the first two weeks of the finals as well.
Ladder position hasn't been a focus for coach Adam Perry all season, but he admitted Gundagai need to improve if they are to defend their Group Nine crown next month.
"Obviously they beat us so we need to be better," Perry said.
"We are not miles off the mark and as long as we learn from mistakes and make sure we work towards improving in the week then I think we will be ok."
Gundagai were flattered by the six-point margin at Harris Park, with two late tries closing the gap.
Southcity went out to 28-10 lead in the early stages of the second half and despite having plenty of possession the Tigers couldn't make it count until it was too late.
"We didn't play great, they played alright," Perry said.
"I thought they controlled the ruck a lot better, they were slowing our play-the-balls down really well and on the flip side they were playing the ball really quick.
"It made it hard to do too much.
"We turned that around a little bit halfway through the second half, and were better in that patch."
It's something they will need to address against Tumut.
The Blues' winning run included a 16-10 win over Southcity at Harris Park, and they've got the best defensive record in the competition, mostly due to their forward dominance.
Tumut has conceded 293 points in their 17 games, 57 less than the second-best Tigers, however they have scored the least amount of points of any of the top five teams with 475.
Only 10 points separated the teams earlier this season and Perry expects it will be a massive day.
"Obviously it's to see who is minor premiers, there will be a big crowd and it is always a big clash anyway," he said.
"I think it should be a good weekend."
READ MORE
