FINALS are the first goal for the Port Macquarie Makos at the 2019 NSW Junior State Cup when the action starts on Friday.
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The top eight teams from both the northern and southern conferences will earn the right to be invited to the national finals at Wollongong in April.
We caught up with the Makos' 10 coaches for this weekend's competition and asked for their thoughts on their sides.
Under-10 boys (coached by Ben Thompson)
"I reckon we'll make the finals, but it will be a big test to win it.
"The Sydney teams will be tough, but because the tournament is split into a northern and southern conference we only have half of them.
"Captain Toby Quinn and Joey Thompson will provide the spark for the side."
Under-10 girls (coached by Anna Gleeson)
"The girls preparation has been fantastic. The Northern Eagles champs was a great confidence booster. If the girls can make the finals day on Sunday I’ll be happy."
"Claire Morris and Tilly Sinclair have the experience of a previous State Cup last year, so I’ll be looking for these girls to show some direction on the field."
Under-12 boys (coached by Warren Lorger)
"Defensively the boys are very good which should push them into the top four; it's probably their strength.
"Lucas Scott, Billy Gleeson, Joe Carrick and Cooper Lorger will lead the team around the park.
"Our pool is so open so it's hard to tell who the strongest will be,"
Under-12 girls (coached by Linda Bryan)
"We'd love to make the finals; we had a good tournament at Taree where the girls showed their potential when we came third.
"It's my first coaching gig, so every team we play will be a bit of a learning curve for me."
Under-14 boys (coached by Bec Howard)
"They played well at the Northern Eagles gala day and I'm more than confident they'll go well.
"We have a good mix of players including Ethan Tombs and Blake Steep who is our captain and go-to player.
"The main thing we focus on is working as a team and everyone doing their job individually."
Under-14 girls (coached by Louise Hopkins)
"Knowing State Cup, I expect us to make the finals and then we will roll the dice and see what happens.
"Evie Wignall is the captain and top age, so she will direct the girls around the field.
"Along with Emily Prince and Liv Boys, those girls will step up when Evie is off the field, or even when she isn't."
Under-16 boys (coached by Brendan Prince)
"They're a strong chance this weekend. They won the Northern Eagles championships at the end of January and are combining really well at training.
"Based on scores in lead-up tournaments our division will be really tight at the top so from quarter finals onwards the games will be intense.
"I’ve got a team with a lot of leaders in it and am expecting a big tournament out of Jacob Prince, Billy Sprague, Nathaniel Fox and Aston Pollard who all have plenty of experience."
Under-16 girls (coached by Cath Eichmann)
"This group of girls has never not made a quarter-final so they're probably feeling a bit of pressure this year.
"They only have a few more years at junior level so the goal is to make a final before they finish."
Under-18 boys (coached by Peter Vincent)
"We've had a few that came up from the under-16s so we're a bit of a developing side.
"They certainly have the potential, but it's about concentration and patience; we'd like two wins on Friday."
Under-18 girls (coached by Toni Gibson)
"Manly are the ones to beat, but we've got Renegades, Nelson Bay and Macksville in our pool; they're all really tough.
"We lost to Macksville in the Northern Eagles final, so that gave us an idea of where we're at because they're usually very strong.
"Sarah Stewart will provide the direction for the girls."
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