GROUP 2 Junior Rugby League’s best players are on the verge of playing finals football as they represent the North Coast region in prestigious representative competitions.

The North Coast Bulldogs under 18s and 16s representative teams are still in contention for semi-final spots in their respective SLE Laurie Daley Cup, and SLE Andrew Johns Cup competitions.

The Bulldogs under 18s sit in fourth spot on the ladder with three wins and a draw, while the Bulldogs under 16s side sit in seventh spot with two wins from four games, but can still make the semi-finals with the fourth placed side sitting just one point ahead of them.

Both the Bulldogs sides were victorious in Round 4, which was rescheduled to last weekend due to the recent flooding.

The Bulldogs under 18s had a comprehensive 34-16 win against the Illawarra South Coast Dragons in Newcastle, while the under 16s Bulldogs had a 26-16 win against the Dragons to keep their finals hopes alive.

The Bulldogs under 16s were the first team to beat the ladder leading Dragons this season.

The two Bulldogs teams will try to earn semi-final spots in their final game of the season, when they take on the Central Coast Roosters.

Bulldogs under 18s coach Matt Freebairn was looking forward to taking on the ladder leading Roosters.

“It will be tough as Central Coast are a really high-quality opposition and we’ll have to be at our best,” he said.

“It’s potentially for top spot and if we win, we play finals.”

The Bulldogs coach highlighted his team’s great culture and attitude.

“Our positive team culture is one of our main strengths, and we’re big on positivity and have the ability to fight back,” he said.

 

By Aiden BURGESS