This Saturday, at 1.45pm on Peter Barclay Field in Tuncurry, Gloucester's inaugural champions will come to grips in the major semi-final with the Wauchope Thunder, the team which has swept all women's sides overboard in the 10-a-side competition.

While Gloucester have experienced hard times and good, suffering five defeats, Wauchope have been almost unstoppable this year, losing only twice in the 15-round Kennards Hire minor premiership, led by their "Twin Titans", Ellie Johnston and Naomi George, big women and fast.

So powerful have this couple proved that they scored 10 of their team's 16 tries against the Forster Tuncurry Dolphins last weekend, Ellie scoring six tries out wide and Naomi notching four tries from the engine room.

Last year, the Cockies qualified for the grand final with the Wallamba Bulls firm favourites, and despite all predictions, Gloucester upset the minor premiers.

Once again, the Cockies are battling the odds with injuries plaguing the team, according to coach Chris Marchant, due to the hard grounds from the lack of rain, Bronte Wisely the latest with a fractured collar bone.

The Cockies' captain, Rhea Holstein, is striving to be fit for the game with a depressed fracture, but at least Sarah McBride is back from a dislocated shoulder after a month's absence, receiving a medical clearance this week.

Halfback Charlotte Maslen has been the club's outstanding player with five-eighth Claire Schultz another to shine, having made a wonderful return after the birth of her child last year.

Coach Marchant is realistic about the difficulties confronting the Cockies, declaring: "We will have to muscle up defensively. Wauchope have size and speed. They have been the best team this season, but play-offs see the top players emerge as happened last year."

Last Saturday, the Forster Tuncurry Dolphins men's team fulfilled its ambition of completing the minor premiership unbeaten, overcoming a tenacious Wauchope Thunder, 36-20, at Peter Barclay Field, but with none leaving the clubhouse predicting a Dolphins championship triumph by the end of August.

Without the services of their anchor men, the specialist tight-heads, Ben Manning and Austin Latu, the Dolphins found themselves under siege at the scrum. the pack of the Thunder's hooker, "J.T." Hennessy, proving most accomplished in throwing the Dolphins out of gear.

It was in the back line where the Dolphins were too mercurial in their six tries to two success, five- eighth Matt Nuku and inside-centre Mark Hagarty completing significant milestones in fine performances, Nuku celebrating his century of club appearances and skipper Hagarty his 150th.

The Dolphins' first-year utility player, Kaleb Trudgett, emerged from the role of useful utility back to pleasing discovery. The 19-year-old from Orange played halfback, winger and fullback before coach Ron McCarthy experimented with him as flanker where he was responsible for a man-of-the-match performance.

Aggressive tackling has always been Trudgett's forte and coupled with his mobility, he revelled in the close-range heavy exchanges.

With tall backrower Sean Hassett dominant in the air, claiming eight lineouts alone in the first half, the Dolphins' possession enabled their backs from halfback Hugh Sweeney to fullback Kurt Forester to improvise and utilise their skills for five tries to lead 29-6 in the first half.

Thereafter, they became disjointed, allowing the Thunder's splendid inside-centre, Aaron Robinson, to display his footwork and handling skills, proving a most adroit kicker with four goals from as many attempts as well as scoring a much disputed try.

"Super Saturday" will occur this weekend with the Lower Mid North Coast's Kennards Hire semi-final play-offs taking place at Tuncurry. The Dolphins play the second-placed Manning River Ratz in the men's major semi-final and the Thunder meet the Wallamba Bulls in the sudden-death minor semi-final.

In the women's 10's competition, Manning River play Wallamba in the elimination semi-final.