DESPITE the winter chill St Pat’s are looking to heat things up when they take on the Lithgow Workies today in Group 10 premier league action.
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With seven rounds left to play this season, the Bathurst side are potentially just two wins away, depending on other results, from securing their place in this year’s finals series as they hold on to second place.
The team can expect more of the same wet and cold conditions at Lithgow as the ones they played in at their home ground in last week’s 20-12 win over the Blayney Bears.
Workies have become a shadow of their former selves, sitting 12 points adrift of Pat’s, and a loss would cast a huge doubt over any remaining finals hopes, if not erasing them altogether.
They’re currently tied on the bottom of the Group 10 ladder with the Blayney Bears, with just two wins to show from this season’s efforts.
Despite that, Pat’s coach Kurt Hancock says their opponents’ position on the ladder means very little to him.
“Lithgow are a tough side especially at this time of year. In saying that, it is a game that we should be winning ... Apparently they played a really good first half against Mudgee but towards the end fell away, so I don’t really know what to expect. It’s hard to create a specific game plan around that, so we’ll focus more on ourselves,” he said.
“The forecast in Lithgow is similar conditions to last week, so that could be good for them but it doesn’t really suit us.”
The Saints are in a good section of the draw at the moment, with a handful of games against sides battling to stay in touch with the top five before they face the likes of Mudgee, Orange CYMS and Cowra.
Making the most of the more winnable games will go a long way to ensuring that they lock up their own top-three spot.
Joey Coughlan is the only change for Pat’s this week as he replaces Cam Neville, rested to look after a broken hand he’s carried over the past few games.
Hancock was left unimpressed by last week’s win, and knowing similar weather could hit once again, he’s got his team sharpening their focus.
“There’s still a few things I’m looking at in the side, still some tinkering I can do. One thing that we will need to change is to be more direct in our play. We’ve been playing a bit too much sideways in our past few games,” he said.
“I’m looking for a bit more commitment and improvement in the little things.”
The match begins at 1.45pm today.
ST PAT’S: 1 John Hanscomb, 2 Mick Armstrong, 3 Cyp Ale, 4 Dane Howard, 5 Jake Bright, 6 Garry Reilly, 7 Antonio Ale, 8 Luke Single, 9 Benjamin John, 10 Brent Dennis, 11 Paleatime Ale, 12 Luke Newsome, 13 Chris Boardman, 14 Joey Coughlan, 15 Ben Thompson, 16 Daniel Bain, 17 Campbell Scott