Bulldogs v Bears: Sides will meet at Kitchener Park on Saturday

Sharpley injured his ankle in the first half of last Sunday's loss to Narrabri at Narrabri but played on in a courageous effort to help the Bulldogs, who trailed 18-12 at half-time but lost 36-18.

Narrabri claimed the Dallas Donnelly Cup with that win at Collins Park to kick-start their season while the Bulldogs came off a 48-16 first round win over Werris Creek.

Sharpley had scored the first try for Gunnedah against Narrabri with a scything run from a scrum and was looking dangerous.

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"He injured his ankle 10 minutes before half-time," Gunnedah coach Mick Schmiedel said.

"It's amazing he stayed on as long as he did, he didn't come off whinging or complaining about his ankle, just said he couldn't put any weight on it."

Schmiedel has named Mitch Fletcher in the centres with Zak Turnbull while also welcoming back KC Edmonds, Trent Hilton and Liam Ireland to his pack.

However, he did have a few 50-50 players, fitness wise.

It is also the club's Old Boys Day on Saturday.

North Tamworth, meanwhile, will be missing three key Bears for the match.

Scott Blanch, Jake McManus and James Cooper are all away at a wedding and leave a major hole in the Bears' lineup.

Bears coach Paul Boyce has handed three young Bears their first grade debuts at Norths - Josh Sweeney, Lachlan Etheridge and Yirripi Jaffer Williams.

"Really happy with our squad," Boyce said. "We've got a lot of depth coming from Jay Graham and his reserve-grade side.

"Lachlan hasn't played rugby league since the juniors, came back against Manilla and performed really well. He's earned his first grade spot (bench).

"Josh played a little bit of first grade at Dungowan last year and has worked hard in the pre-season.

"He was very strong in reserve grade, very tough. [He] has a background in rugby with the Pirates and runs the ball at a hundred miles per hour.

"Yirripi turned up at the start of the season. He left town to take up a rugby scholarship at St Josephs. He had two runs to show that he was a first grader."

Williams will stars on the wing while Sweeney and Etheridge will come off the bench in a side also featuring new prop Tevita Kalou.

"Tevita played last year but injured his knee," Boyce said.

"He's a big body, very strong, very physical. He loves Norths and is a great addition to the squad. He was solid for us against Manilla (first round)."

Norths will be skippered by backrower Josh Schmiedel, and includes outstanding clubmen and first graders Mitch Sheridan and Ben Jarvis.

Sheridan has been outstanding and Jarvis has been a rock in a pack, where young hooker Liam Ball has been in glittering form.

GUNNEDAH: 1 Dylan O'Brien, 2 Joel Martin, 3 Mitch Fletcher, 4 Zak Turnbull, 5 Jared Heinrich, 6 Aiden Davis, 7 Dylan Lake, 8 Lincon Smith, 9 Nick White, 10 Clay McCann, 11 Trent Hilton, 12 KC Edmonds, 13 Liam Irleand, 14 Jono Crowe, 15 Braydon Talbot-Hatch, 16 Tony Griffiths, 17 Ben Gardner. Coach: Mick Schmiedel

NORTH TAMWORTH: 1 Adrian Graham, 2 Amachai Roberts, 3 Misaele Vakacegu, 4 Jeremy York, 5 Yirripi Jaffer Williams, 6 Ethan Collins, 7 Mitch Sheridan, 8 Ben Jarvis, 9 Liam Ball, 10 Tevita Kalou, 11 Josh Schmiedel (capt), 12 Livinai Tuicakau, 13 Kobe Bone, 14 Jake Bennett, 15 Josh Sweeney, 16 Lachlan Etheridge, 17 TBA. Coach - Paul Boyce.

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