Mid Western are hoping to send off their playmaker, Lachie Munro, this weekend with a win over the Western Sharks in Dargaville that will secure their position in this year's playoffs.
The Northland first five-eighth has been an inspiration for the team and he will be sorely missed when the front-line
Northland players are withdrawn from club rugby next week, ahead of the opening Air New Zealand Cup warm-up match against North Harbour on July 15.
Mid Western captain Adam Clarke said he knows Munro would like to go all the way with the Maungakaramea-based team but he has commitments to Northland to consider.
"A lot of players in his position don't always take their club rugby seriously but he's played every game this season with sore knees and sore ribs and that's exactly what a rugby player's all about," Clarke said.
He said they were expecting a tough battle against a hungry Shark side desperate for points, with the match between the second and the fifth-placed teams the feature match of the weekend.
"We beat them 21-6 last time but they've got a good track record at their home ground," Clark said.
Sharks assistant coach Roger Rowse said his side couldn't afford to make mistakes on Saturday after a couple of handling errors cost them dearly in their defeat against Hora Hora last weekend.
"It's a make-or-break weekend for us. It's going to be hard but we'll try and take them on up front and we're going to be trying out a few different things so you never know," he said.
The match is another "must-win" match for the Sharks, who are one of three clubs jockeying among themselves for the final playoffs position.
Wellsford get a chance to press their playoff credentials with a match against Marist at Kensington Park, while Hikurangi take on Old Boys, who may be still celebrating their first win of the season last week.
Competition leaders Mid Northern visit Kamo while third-placed Hora Hora visit Waipu at Caledonian Park.
