Buoyant Bears Ready To Rip
By DAVID ROWLANDS
NORTH SHORE TIMES - 18/6/2004

With a handful of teams breathing down their neck, North Sydney’s hugely- improved under-20s team has a wonderful chance to give themselves some relief from the heat tomorrow.

As the team that presently occupies the semi-final cut off position of eighth spot, Norths are the team under the most pressure in the Jersey Flegg Cup at the moment. Below them are five sides waiting for the Bears to slip up.

Surely it won’t happen tomorrow, when they welcome the last-placed Central Coast Rip to North Sydney Oval. After producing their best half of football to blow Newcastle away last Friday night, coach Josh White is wary of a let-down against a side that was belted 42-12 by the Bears a month ago.

Unfortunately for Norths’ Premier League squad, there are no teams below them. As they look up the ladder they find the New-town Jets in an identical position to the Bears’ Jersey Flegg brigade, desperately clinging on to eighth spot.

That should make for a difficult assignment when these two teams meet tomorrow at North Sydney Oval at 3pm.

The Grizzlies can still salvage something by regaining the Frank Hyde Shield, which is contested every time these two clubs meet.
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