By Jon Geddes

IT is the Shute Shield reunion where everyone has a point to prove.

Longstanding friendships between players and coaches will be put aside for 80 minutes when the Two Blues take on Warringah at Eric Tweedale Stadium in their crucial clash on Saturday.

In the off-season six Two Blues players made the big switch from Granville to Narrabeen and joined the Rats.

Dane Terekia, Tonga Tangitau and Peni Fainga’anuku have all featured in the Rats’ first grade pack.

On top of that, Two Blues coach Sailosi Tagicakibau and his Warringah opposite number  Josh Holmes were teammates in the Warringah team which won an emotional and memorable 2017 Shute Shield grand final.

Those factors will add extra spice to the battle as fired-up players strive to get the better of their old teammates.

“It’s always the case when you go against your old team,”  Tagicakibau told Rugby News.

“And it’s the same with the old team … you want to have a good crack and never want them to get one over you.”    

 SORRY MATE, TOO BUSY TO TALK    

TAGICAKIBAU has not had any contact with opposition coach Holmes in the lead-up to the game.

“Knowing Josh, he will be working hard trying to get the better of me and I am doing the same,” he said.

“We are both competitors, we both want to win and I am looking forward to the challenge.

“You treat every game with the same mentality, you go there to perform well and put out your best performance. 

“But at the end of the day whether you are a player or a coach, that’s footy – and those friendships outside footy are something that will always continue whether you are best mates or brothers.

“You go and bash each other when you are on opposite teams, but at the end of the day you have a beer and laugh about it.

“I will catch up with him after the game.”            

 A TRUE BLUE BIG GAME

SATURDAY’S battle is very important for the Two Blues who are looking to stay in touch with the top six.

They are currently in ninth spot, but only four points away from sixth, such is the closeness of the competition.

“The last game we played we were fifth and we lose one game and we are now ninth- everyone is hot on each other’s heels,” Tagicakibau said.

“It will be a good challenge for us, they are flying high and doing very well.

“They are the team to beat and have set the benchmark and have been pretty consistent in their performances.

“If we can get this win it will put us in good stead for the run home in the rest of the season.”

 SET FOR STRONG FINISH 

ONE of the key match-ups will be between two of the Shute Shield’s most talented No.10s – the Two Blues’ Reece Suesue and Coby Miln from the Rats.

Tagicakibau said his team had a bit of a slump over their past three games – losing to Manly, Eastwood and Randwick.

He said the last week off had given the side the opportunity to reset, rejuvenate and hopefully finish strongly as they did last year.

“Put it this way, we are in a better spot this year than we were last year and we missed out (on the top six) by two points,”  Tagicakibau said.

 Tagicakibau has fond memories of his premiership win at Warringah.

“For me it is something I want to achieve with Two Blues now,” he said. “It’s been a while since Two Blues have had a premiership win and it is something we are striving to work towards.”