With uni holidays coming to a close, the NERU premiership swings back into action but Robb will rely on most of its team appearing on the day.

“They’re coming back on Saturday,” McCarthy said.

“It is a big game and I hope they come back.

“We had that game against Guyra where we had four or five players missing.”

That game ended in an upset defeat and McCarthy is hoping to keep losses to a minimum heading into the playoffs.

“We’ve got to start winning. “We’ve got this one and then the bye and then we play the top two.

“We’ve just got to start building some momentum.

“It might be the nature of this competition, that you’re already in the finals, but we’ve got to be winning.”

Last time Robb met the Baa Baas it won 24-22 in a close one and McCarthy said the two sides were likely to be evenly matched again if they’re both at full strength.

He still wonders about his side.

“People might think because it’s two uni sides we might both be away,” McCarthy said.

“But they had 15 at training the other day so one is already here.

“They’ve got a lot of locals in their side, guys who have left uni.

“Drew Campbell, our captain, played (against Cambridge University on Wednesday night) and played well so I know I’ve got one player.

“Luke McWhirter played too but he’s a second grader so I’ve still only got one.”

In the other game, Armidale hosts Dorrigo at Moran Oval.

The Blues are one of the top two Robb will face in a few weeks.

The other is St Albert’s College which, along with Guyra, has the bye in first grade.

TABLE: St Albert’s 34, Armidale 24, Robb 18, UNE Barbarians 16, Guyra 9, Dorrigo 1.