Port Macquarie Magpies and Coffs Harbour Breakers to meet at Wayne Richards Park

But there's no room for complacency as these teams face off against each other in the first match after the competition bye this weekend.

Both will see winning this match as critically important as it not only strikes a psychological blow, but also starts their run to the finals in the best fashion possible.

The Magpies return home and will look to leverage off this to gain the upper hand.

However, the last meeting between these two teams was also in Port and it was the Breakers who emerged as victors on that day so the Coffs team will go into this match knowing they can best the Magpies in their own nest.

The women's fixture also sees a top of the table clash and a match that will have a huge bearing on the last spot in the race for the finals.

Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour have been involved in an epic race for top spot on the ladder all season.

The two teams have played three times already this season with the ledger standing at two wins to one in favour of the Breakers.

The Coffs team holds down top spot by just two points so a win to Port Macquarie would see them leapfrog their opponents again.

With university exams behind them the Magpies can expect to be close to full strength, a luxury that hasn't been afforded them in their last few matches.

Breakers are in the midst of a breakout season, going from a team that won only once last season to a genuine contender this year.

Their focus during the break will have been solely on this match, knowing that it will be the biggest and toughest encounter in the team's short history.

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