THE Grafton Redmen will be out to resurrect their season on Saturday when they take on competition front-runners Hastings Valley Vikings on home soil.
It’s a crunch game for the Redmen who will be desperate to stay in final’s contention.
The cards have not fallen well for Grafton in recent times with a mounting injury toll and some players working away from home.
Vikings sit comfortably on top of the Mid North Coast ladder, 14-points clear of their nearest rival Coffs Snappers. Grafton on the other hand is hanging onto fourth place with Marlins and Cannonballs breathing down their neck.
The last time the two sides met, the game went right down to the wire with Vikings claiming a narrow 19-12 victory.
Grafton Redmen first grade coach Gary Powell had one simple message for his players this week, “bring plenty of enthusiasm and high energy” on Saturday.
“Last time we played Vikings they were more enthusiastic than us,” Powell said at training during the week.
“We need to play a more up-tempo game and be more disciplined.
“In saying that, it was only our second game of the season and our second trip to Port Macquarie in a row, so we were a bit flat.”
Grafton has lacked continuity in the backs for most of the season either through injury or players being unavailable for selection.
Powell admits not having a settled backline has been frustrating. The lack of cohesion and coming up with the right combinations has made his job that little bit harder.
“I don’t think we’ve had the same backline two weeks in a row and that’s no different this week,” he said.
“It’s making it difficult, but all you can do is deal with it and move on.”
Vikings have been a powerhouse of the competition this year and have blown most teams off the park including a 41-24 drubbing of Port Pirates two weeks ago.
Led by veteran halfback Adam McCormack and exciting fullback Jeffery Ismail, Hastings have had no trouble racking up points.
“They (Vikings) are a good side and have been putting scores on opposition teams each week,” Powell said.
“Last time we played them they only beat us by seven points. Our attack was ordinary that day, but I thought our defence held up.
“I also think the home ground advantage is a big plus for us…it’s a long road trip from Port.”
Powell was under no illusions Saturday’s game was crucial to staying in touch with the top-four teams, and a win against Vikings would be the perfect tonic to launch a serious run home to the finals.
“It’s a crucial game for us, we have a lot of home games leading up to the semi-finals, so we need to take advantage of that,” he said.
“We can’t afford to drop too many more games between now and the end of the season.”
