Adamstown coach Ryan Campbell does not expect the midseason departure of three players to derail Rosebud as they face a firing Newcastle Olympic in a must-win NPLW Northern NSW clash at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility on Saturday night.
Adamstown go into the round-13 encounter (7pm) desperate for points. Olympic (21 points) have surged into third place with five straight wins while Rosebud (11), sixth, have taken just one point in their past three outings to be nine adrift of the top four.
They have lost Kiarra Lewis, Jemma Lawson and Maddy Howard to Maitland in that period. Lewis and Lawson departed after a 0-0 draw against Mid Coast on June 4 and Howard after last weekend's 6-2 loss to the fifth-placed Magpies (19).
A "disappointed" Campbell was concerned "how easy" players could switch clubs halfway through a campaign.
"None of those players paid a cent all season to play for us so it's cost us a lot of money to have them in the team and then they're able to request to deregister on the Saturday night then Monday morning sign for Maitland," Campbell said.
"I don't blame the players because they had their conversations with me. They made their decisions ... I just think from a competition's point of view, the rule needs to be reviewed.
"But we're not in dire straits. I just don't like the way it looks to the outside. It looks like there's a major problem, when there's not. From our point of view, it gives someone else an opportunity and gives us an understanding of who really wants to play for Adamstown."
Olympic, who beat Rosebud 4-1 in round six, are without several players. Midfielder Paige Kingston-Hogg (Achilles) and goalkeeper Natalie Wiseman (shoulder) are injured while forward Georgia Little (groin) is in doubt. Versatile Zoe Burnley (sickness) plus striker Georgia Amess and defenders Brooke Summers and Danielle Nicol (unavailable) are also out.
Broadmeadow (25) host Mid Coast (7) on Saturday (3.40pm). On Sunday (3.40pm), Charlestown are at home to New Lambton and Maitland play Warners Bay at Cooks Square Park.
