THERE'S nothing like a derby victory to fill a side with confidence ahead of a grand final.
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The Bathurst Panthers under 13s league tag side are ready for a big test against minor premiers Orange CYMS this Sunday, with the two sides coming together for the first time this year on the last day of the season.
Panthers' huge second quarter took them to a 22-6 win over St Pat's last week and coach Anthony Nicol said that was a great performance at the right time of the year.
"This is probably the best we've ever felt going into a game. Training on Tuesday was really positive and all the girls came to it feeling really really good. It's a great way to be as we get ready for Sunday," he said.
"I think the girls definitely feel happy with what they've already achieved this year, especially last week, but they're not feeling like they're done yet though. They want to go out and prove a point in this game."
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The result was a huge turnaround from a week earlier where they Saints thrashed them in one of their most disappointing games of the season.
CYMS are undoubtedly the favourites for the grand final given the excellent season they've had.
That doesn't faze Nicol and his group of rising stars, who aren't short of confidence for the big day.
"These teams haven't played each other yet. They know how good CYMS are but they want to show what they're capable of, and go out on a high note by playing the best that they can," he said.
"Anything can happen on the day so we can only control what we can control so we'll see what happens from there."
If Panthers can recapture the fast-paced gameplay they brought in the first half of their game against Pat's then they will be in with a great shot.
Kick-off is at 11am.