The $30,000 event is usually held at the end of the year, but having been rescheduled to just two months until the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, it means the Australian men’s and women’s Games teams gladly accepted a place in the four-day event.

The format is five players per team competing in Singles, Pairs, Triple and Fours. The 20 teams will face 12 opponents, with the Aussie teams not eligible for the $15,000 winner’s cheque.

Hosts Warilla, along with Kiama, Woonona, Towradgi and Wiseman Park will take on the Aussie Commonwealth Games Men’s and Women’s teams, plus top Sydney clubs including Cabramatta, St Johns Park and Belrose.

South Coast superstar and Australian bowls legend Karen Murphy has earned the coveted Singles spot for her fifth Commonwealth Games; having won a Pairs gold medal in Melbourne in 2006, plus silver medals in fours (1998), singles (2002) and triples (2014).

Murphy is joined in the Australian women’s team for the State five-a-side by Kelsey Cottrell, Carla Krizanic, Natasha Scott and Rebecca Van Asch, who will be back at Warilla in March to represent Australia at the World Cup.

The Australian men’s Commonwealth Games team of Barrie Lester, Nathan Rice, Aron Sherriff, Brett Wilkie and Aaron Wilson will be keen to fine-tune their game at Warilla in the NSW 5-A- Side.

‘’It’s a massive event,’’ Warilla bowls coordinator and defending World Cup champion Jeremy Henry said.

‘’To get the Aussie mens and womens teams here on the eve of the Comm Games and having local teams involved is huge for bowls in our area. Everyone will want to be sharp and try and win the event.’’

Aaron Teys will play Singles and Pairs for Warilla in the 5-A- Side, with Jesse Noronha to feature in the Pairs and Fours. Jeremy Henry, Matt Miles and Harley McDonald will play Triples and Fours.