The pair of midfielders, inside-centre Toby De Stefano and goal-kicking outside-centre, Bruwyn Tisdell, have appeared periodically for the Ratz this season and with three Kennards Hire premiership rounds remaining are registered for the semi-finals.

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Both De Stefano and Tisdell adjusted to their new code and occupied their positions with aplomb in last  weekend’s 40-14 defeat of the Old Bar Clams.

In the process, the Ratz scored six tries, three to their rampaging No 8, the 20-year-old James Howard. Tisdell converted five of the tries.

Tomorrow, the third-placed Ratz are away at the Tuncurry home ground of the second-placed Forster Tuncurry Dolphins at Peter Barclay Field in what should be a fabulous game.

In the clubs’ last encounter at Taree Rugby Park, the Ratz won an engrossing affair, 20-12. If anything, tomorrow’s clash will be even more gruelling.

It has been a remarkable turnaround. Early in June the Dolphins comprehensively defeated the Ratz, 31-7. Through the drive of coach Danial Stone and now captain-coach, Jake Maurirere, they have built a team no club can under-estimate.

From the evidence of last weekend’s game the Ratz will attempt to win superiority through a heavy onslaught up front against the Dolphins’ pack before utilising their pace out wide, a common enough practice in rugby and league.

It worked well against Old Bar with the Ratz out-muscling and then out-running the Clams with four converted tries in the first 22 minutes. Thereafter, the game became locked two tries each.

Now that the Taree City Bulls have been eliminated, the pair of “leaguies”, Tisdell and De Stefano, have made a most comfortable transition to rugby union.

But a back line is only as potent as the forward pack providing it ball-possession from the scrum, lineout and breakdown….and the Dolphins have a fine scrummaging pack with Scott Walmsley as hooker and dangerous runners in backrowers Colin Harris and Troy Haines.

At the lineout, the Dolphins have accomplished jumpers in Jack Woods and Sean Hassett although Sam Hartnett is returning to counter their ball possession as well as providing a dependable second-string goal-kicker.

Old Bar will host Wallamba at their home ground of Richard Crook Field where they inflicted their famous 27-26 defeat on the Bulls in June. Is it too much to expect the teams to break the drought again?

The Gloucester Cockies have the bye tomorrow in which time it is to be hoped they can rebuild their forces and recharge their batteries after last weekend’s forfeiture to the Dolphins.

Mid North Coast executive officer, Bob Wilson, has ruled that the Cockies have forfeited two games, not three, as some had assumed, which would have made Gloucester ineligible for the semi-finals, a morale-crushing blow for a splendid club.