Thunderbolts ready for Coffs Harbour to 'lift a gear' at home

Both sides sit roughly mid-ladder with the last third of the season approaching, but have not yet played back-to-back games against the same opposition.

After two wins and a loss in their last visit to Sydney on the weekend of July 2 and 3, women's coach Tony Higgins said the Thunderbolts are "coming along brilliantly".

"From where we were at the start of the season to where we are now is 100 per cent improvement," he said.

But, he said, the Coffs Harbour Suns are the "benchmark for this competition", and cannot be underestimated.

"When you play them at home, they lift a gear over there," Higgins said.

"We played them in a trial match at the start of the season and they gave us a bit of a touch-up. That kind of set us up for the rest of the season, knowing where we need to improve."

Crucial to the Tamworth women's success will be Emily Tudman, who has scored a whopping 94 points from three games, and Dhalara Knox, who Higgins said is "the quickest of any player in the league".

The Thunderbolts men, meanwhile are unsure as to what to expect from the Suns, who coach Mitch Balderston said have been mercurial in the past.

"We're not quite sure what we'll be walking into," Balderston said.

"Coffs have had some really cracking games where they've managed to knock off the top of the table Manly. But they've had some shockers where they've lost to teams lower than us on the table."

Regardless, the Thunderbolts will come out guns blazing and only looking for a win.

After their shock loss to the Central Coast Waves on June 26, the Tamworth men "pretty much have to win" all of their remaining games, Balderston said, if they still hope to make finals.

"It's a tough ask, particularly when we've got to play [top-ranked and unbeaten] Manly again," he said.

"Realistically, we're still aiming for that top four spot and hoping to get there. We're going to treat every game as it comes and try to put a win on the board, because that's the culture we've built."

While most of the squad is healthy, they will be without key playmaker Ben Pearce, who is unavailable.

The Thunderbolts will travel to Coffs Harbour this Saturday. The women's game will get underway first from 5.30pm, with the men to follow at 7.30pm.

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