The rugby team is still reeling from the shock death of its lock, Roach, who died in a fiery car crash in Unanderra on Friday night. Yesterday, team coach Greg Madigan said the death had hit the team hard.

"It was very quiet in the dressing room on Saturday," he said.

Roach's third-grade team held a sombre meeting before the weekend match-up with Woonona Shamrocks.

Players, devastated by news of the death, tossed around the idea of forfeiting the game.

"But we decided we were going to play, and play for him," Mr Madigan said.

Avondale Wombats won the game, 21-10.

The team will now play in the grand final on Saturday.

Mr Madigan said Roach was the life of the Avondale third-grade side and was well liked by his team-mates.

Early in the year, Roach decided to stop playing.

But he could not resist the lure of the game and, five weeks into the season, he signed back up.

"He was a very energetic and effervescent sort of person and would ... bring the best out in his team-mates," Mr Madigan said.

He described Roach as someone who had "natural talent" on the field.

"The boys miss him so much ... Roach was always full of life when he went to training, he was always a lot of fun."

Roach, the son of rugby league identity Iain Bannerman and his wife Karen, was due to become a father this week.

His girlfriend, Skye Leonard, is expected to give birth on Thursday.

Police are still investigating the accident that killed Roach and two of his mates and left another seriously injured.

Witnesses reported seeing an HSV Clubsport R8 travelling south on the Princes Hwy at high speed just before it lost control, struck a power pole and ruptured a gas main.