The Glen Innes Magpies league tag side are aiming for back-to-back Group 19 titles.
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Their semi-finals campaign begins this Sunday when they face minor premiers the Moree Boars.
The Magpies haven’t landed a win against the Boars this season but captain Amelia Tunamena said they “have something to prove” and have been preparing well in the lead up to the match.
“The girls are all equally excited and nervous,” she said.
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“We haven't won either of the games that we versed the Boars in so that is always going to be a confidence boost for them coming into it.
“We have been working on our defence a lot over the last three weeks and just getting everyone set and well-conditioned coming into finals.
“We did have a few younger girls come up and this will be their finals debut in the major league so having the experience of the senior players and having them taking them under their wings as such will be really good.”
The Magpies experienced a slump in form heading into the second-half of the season with their attack not up to scratch.
Hard work at training saw them regroup their attack and land three big wins from their final three games.
“It has definitely settled down a lot more in the ruck and we are not pushing our passes, rushing ourselves and taking that extra breath which has definitely helped,” Tunamena said.
“We have put that into play in the last few games which has helped us a lot.
“We have gotten up on our opponents by quite a bit in the last three games.
“We are definitely up in the confidence.”
The major semi-final fixtures will be hosted by the Moree Boomerangs.
The trip to Moree is often touted as the toughest in the competition but Tunamena is confident her side can make the trip over and lift for the occasion.
“We are all well prepared to travel over,” she said.
“We have organised a big bus which is always good for the camaraderie for the team, we all travel over together and get up together.
“As I think every team in Group 19 finds, going over to Moree and playing a Moree team is always hard.”
The side will be close to full-strength.