THEY boast the most fearsome backline in the competition but Queanbeyan Whites women’s coach Ron Giteau says it’s in the forwards where the side’s title hopes will be decided.
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The Whites will take on the Uni-Norths Owls in this Saturday’s Women’s Division grand final as Queanbeyan goes in search of back-to-back premierships.
It’s a rematch of the major semi-final a fortnight ago that saw Uni-Norths secure a 27-25 victory.
On that day Queanbeyan was outplayed at the breakdown and Giteau said there was no secret as to what the Whites would need to do to turn the tables on their grand final opponents.
“We need to turn things around in the forwards,” he said. “It’s pretty simple and the girls know what they need to do.
“We’ve had a few season ending injuries in the front row which has been crucial but I’m confident the girls who’ve come in will be able to step up.
“We know the opposition are pretty good at the breakdown but we’re aware of that so there’s no excuse not to aim up. But it’s one thing to identify where we need to improve, it’s another to act on it.”
While Queanbeyan has suffered a number of key injuries up front, the Whites welcomed back star centre pairing Kristy Giteau and Nikki Stanley in the side’s 55-12 demolition of Royals last Saturday.
Alongside the likes of in-form fullback Nikki Ayres and half Carly Hill, Queanbeyan will boast plenty of strike power out wide against the students.
“We’ve got a pretty handy backline so if we can hold our own in the forwards and get reasonable service to the backs, we should be able to sort it out,” Giteau said.
“Having Kristy and Nikki back gives us a bit of punch out wide but you’ve got to be able to create that momentum up front first before you can take advantage of that.”