The Kristen Glanville-led Bullettes kept Tumut scoreless in their last outing and will likely front up against Gundagai in the high-stakes clash.

Byrne said the team had developed immeasurably since the start of the year and would be ready for any opponent.

“Our elimination final at Twickenham will probably be against the Tigers but either way, it’s a pretty big effort just to be here,” he said.

“From having no side last year to playing finals, we’re just so proud and the girls have worked really hard at training for this opportunity.”

Byrne noted the stark contrast between the four finalists (Albury, Temora, Brothers Wagga, Gundagai) and his side, highlighting Cootamundra’s impressive 2017 run without an established foundation.

“Gundagai have had two very good seasons where they’ve been premiers and semi-finalists but they’ve been blessed with a good core group of players during that time.”

‘Similarly, those teams like Albury and Brothers have had that ongoing success and used a core squad for the past few years.

“In our case, it’s just been working really hard and the girls have fought to come this far into the competition.

‘We deserve to be where we are and go deep into this League Tag finals series.”

The Bullettes will no doubt relish the opportunity to avenge their 6-4 loss to Gundagai in Round Eleven and can take confidence from two tight draws with second-paced Temora over the season. 

However, a firing Tigers outfit featuring star halfback and leading try-scorer Chelsea Tout will be hard to contain and Cootamundra must front up in defence to allow their classy backline to work in attacking territory.