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Southern Inland Rugby 2014

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berrablue

Frank Nicholson (4)
Went in for the double header and was very impressed. I reckon city have got to be short odds to take out the Romanos cup. That Cugenvan lad playing ten would have to be one of the best backs in the comp.I thought Tumut would of had the better of Griffith with Vunibaka and Rawaka starting off the pine. Tumut played to good structures but Griffith took all their chances. I think the teams that starve the blacks of broken play opportunities will be able to hold them out. Must be one of the closest comps for a long time.
Anyone go to Albury?
 
Independent

Independent

Herbert Moran (7)
The competition fro the top 4 spots really heats up this week. The jigsaw for the finals will be a little clearer at about 5pm on Saturday, but I think some clubs will see this weekend as make or break. Waratahs are the only certainties for the finals. With Ag College destined for the Romano's Cup for the second year in a row, what isn't as clear is who will accompany them. Will it be Tumut or CSU or Griffith? I think Albury are too good to miss out.

Waratahs V Reddies
With Waratahs seemingly hitting their straps & Reddies somewhat on a plateau, I think the Tah's will win and win well. I read with interest in the DA that Reddies are uncertain of a number of players their starting XV a day out from a very important match. Is this normal?
TIP- Waratahs by 20+

Griffith v Ag College
I have said it since I began writing on G&GR Forum; If Griffith hit their straps, they will be very, very difficult for any club to beat. It looks as though they have. It will literally be men V's boys this weekend. At least the bus trip will be enjoyable for the students!!
TIP - Griffith by 20+

Albury V Tumut
Albury will be very difficult to beat at home and they won't loose two in a row down on the border. Tumut are the big improvers in 2014 & they will test the Steamers at times, but I think the blue & golds will be too strong.
TIP - Albury by 15+

Looking at the draw going forward, I think that if results go as I expect & true to form, the 4th place into the finals will be decided by Tumut v CSU in the final round.

Thoughts?
 
yourmatesam

yourmatesam

Desmond Connor (43)
#SIRU2014 Round Fourteen Preview:
Plenty to play for again this week in what has been a really exciting competition this season. I'm sure some teams will be looking forward to the General Bye next week which is an opportunity to take another deep breath in preparation for the 2014 finals series and also allow some of those bumps and bruises time to heal.

A special mention must go to the Temora Tuskers this weekend as they host Wagga City in what is one of the best days of regional rugby going around. Dizey's Day is in it's 10th year of running and the Temora community has been able to raise over $80k since the inception of Dizey's Day and are aiming to pass $100k this year. If you're in the mood for a drive and enjoy country rugby, get over to T-Town for what is a cracker of a day!

I have been reliably informed that GAGR's own Bob Dwyer will be in attendance for a charity dinner this evening also.

Premier Division:
Griffith (4) v Ag College (6)
A tough ask this week for the gallant Aggies boys to travel to the MIA and take on the Blacks as they start hitting their straps at the pointy end of the season, particularly after the Blacks ran out convincing winners over Tumut.

Seru Rogo strapped himself into the drivers seat at 5/8 last weekend which is an impressive effort for the coach (I wonder how much pre-season he had under his belt? :)), but he guided his troops around the paddock pretty well from what I have heard. Although he played well, I'm sure he'll be keen to hand the reigns back to his boys this weekend at home.

Aggies were well served by their 5/8 Tom "Skins" Hobbs last weekend and will be looking for him to emulate that effort again this week.

Waratahs (1) v CSU (2) - Match of the Round
1v2 is an obvious choice for Match of the Round this week and one which I believe will be a showy affair. For Waratahs, this match is probably more about building momentum into the Finals Series and working on those one percenters a bit this week. That's not to say that they'll take CSU lightly (and nor should they) but just that they have some breathing space compared to CSU.

Reddies have worked hard to get where they have this season and are probably starting to show shades of 2013 again, Brett Wendt is back running again, Andrew Dutton has returned home and added some spark to cover at halfback and Declan Oke has been playing about 30kgs above his weight division.

Being equal with the Steamers on competition points is not where Mick Wakeling will want his guys to be sitting at this stage and this match presents a real opportunity for CSU to gain some ground on Waratahs and hopefully put some distance between themselves and either Griffith or Albury.

CSU were guilty of leaving some points on the park against Aggies last week and were actually held up over the line twice in the first half which is testament to Aggies resolve on their line. I think Mick Wakeling may want his guys to show a bit more patience in attack and continue to build into those scoring opportunities becuase when they do take their time and soak up the defence, they have the ability to create space in attack.

Euan Bonner and Andrew Dutton will play key roles at halfback for their respective clubs as will Jake Eaglesham and Sterling Ross at Number 8.

Albury (3) v Tumut (5)
I have absolutely no idea what to make of this match, particularly after last week's results but I think it lends itself to an enthralling encounter between these two teams down on the border this weekend.

Both clubs are traditionally strong in the forwards, but have equally strong backlines this season. A wet track (again) at Murrayfield this weekend will surely make the legs weary and force the coaches to be smart with their substitutions on the field.

Maybe @namtrak could add some more on this tussle?

First Division:
Temora (9) v City (7) - Dizey's Day
While this weekend always has a buzz about it off the field in Temora, it's high stakes on the field for the Tuskers this weekend. Temora and City both have three games in hand over the final three weeks of the split and Temora need to take maximum points to stake a claim for the final two positions in the First Division finals.

Injuries have been cruel to the Tuskers this season and this game is prime for Wagga City to flex some muscle. although some punters will tell you that the Tuskers grow an extra leg on Dizey's Day!!

With 280 people booked in for the Captain's Dinner tonight, getting through this evening may be just as tough as playing 80mins of rugby tomorrow!!

Deni v Young (8) - 2nd Grade Only
Coota (10) v Leeton (11)
This battle of the cellar dwellars will be a hard fought contest on a particularly heavy Cootamundra Country Club track which is not known for it's drainage capacity. Cootamundra have got a front row that can mix it with the big guns when it matters, but may be a weakened team this week without the likes of Alex Hardie playing.
 
yourmatesam

yourmatesam

Desmond Connor (43)
SIRU Round 14 Scores - Waratahs 45 d CSU 33, Griffith 48 d Aggies 21, Albury 21 d Tumut 17, Coota 25 d Leeton 5, Temora 25 d City 12
 
Independent

Independent

Herbert Moran (7)
Before anything, Congratulations must go to the Albury Steamers club. The gesture of wearing Albury Tigers AFC jerseys on the weekend in support of James McQuillan was fantastic. Just demonstrates that sport knows no boundaries.

No real surprises this weekend in the Premier Division.
The bye weekend will surely give some of the coaches a bit of extra time to evaluate where their club has to go & what needs to happen going forward.
I'm reliably informed two coaches (one from each division) are seriously considering changes that need to be made, even at this late stage. Better late than never?

My spies tell me that Tumut really stuck it to Albury & were unlucky. It is obvious that the clubs with momentum (Tah's, Griffith, Albury) really charge into it this time of year, as opposed to some clubs who find 5 tough games too taxing.
Talk about separating the men from the boys!
True to form, I think the final round matches between Albury & Griffith will sort second spot & the match between Tumut & CSU will decide who joins Ag College in the Romano's Cup.
 
Independent

Independent

Herbert Moran (7)
namtrak said:
Pretty well on the money, if tbings go the way you're suggesting - then the other big clash of the last round will be Griffith and Albury vying for a top 2 spot
Click to expand...


That match will be a cracker & I will definitely make a day trip out to the MIA for it. And the food & wine!
 
yourmatesam

yourmatesam

Desmond Connor (43)
The General Bye this weekend in SIRU gives us all the chance to watch the Brumbies smoke the Waratahs tomorrow in Sydney. It's also a great chance for everyone to take a deep breath and strap themselves in for the final 5 weeks of rugby! Go the Brumbies!
 
dargwad

dargwad

Bob McCowan (2)
yourmatesam said:
The General Bye this weekend in SIRU gives us all the chance to watch the Brumbies smoke the Waratahs tomorrow in Sydney. It's also a great chance for everyone to take a deep breath and strap themselves in for the final 5 weeks of rugby! Go the Brumbies!
Click to expand...
Your dreaming mate....
 
yourmatesam

yourmatesam

Desmond Connor (43)
#SIRU2014 Round Fifteen Preview
Some teams will be refreshed by the bye last week, while some teams may be unhappy with the break-up of their momentum leading into the closest finals series SIRU has seen in recent years. We really won’t know who sits where until the final round which is a very refreshing position to be in.

The 3v4 matchup is a pretty straight forward pick for the Match of the Round this week, but each game has an impact on the make-up of the final placing in some manner in both divisions. Young v Temora is also a big game for the First Division and will almost decide who makes the finals for the First Division.

The weatherman is tipping another coll possibly wet weekend this weekend which could easily impact on the game plans, patterns and outcomes of some games.


PREMIER DIVISION:
Ag College (6) v Albury (2)
Aggies are playing for pride now and must start working on their systems prior to the First Division finals coming up, while the Steamers are still sitting precariously in 2nd position on the ladder, they know that this weekend is important for them to stay in the hunt for a second bite at the GF cherry.

Albury Coach Mick Raynes has been asking his guys for consistency all year and will be keen as mustard for his boys to show him that full 80min performance this weekend.

Waratahs (1) v Tumut (5)
Tumut have been building well over the past 5-6 weeks but must really start to pressure the top sides for 80mins if they are to be taken as serious title contenders and this is their chance to do it – against the competition front runners. My mail says that Tumut will be short on a fullback this weekend which may hurt their counterattacking ability, but they have enough muscle in the forwards to control this game.

Waratahs are the only team who can afford to slip up at this stage of the competition but will surely be keen to work on their game leading into the finals. Like most coaches, Hugh Palmer believes they have plenty to work on at the moment and will be looking to see a more polished performance from his charges this weekend.

CSU (4) v Griffith (3) – Match of the Round
I’m sure that the bean-counters at CSU have been crunching the numbers for the remaining weeks of the competition and the auditors will show that the Reddies need one bonus point out of this match to guarantee themselves a place in the Premier Division Finals. This match is genuinely important as the winner has the ability to finish 2nd, while the loser can potentially finish 5th if they lose again next week.

Men about town have been talking up the Blacks and this talk is becoming harder to deny, they’ve been toying with some combinations in recent weeks and must be close to settling on a starting XV by now. The worrying sign for other clubs in the competition is the depth (and physical stature) of their bench. This has hurt some clubs over the past few weeks as they tire late in the game, Seru Rogo is able to pull out some Will Skelton like humans to lay guys down like ten pins.

Player availability has hurt CSU at key times this year but it appears that they have some good news in this department at the moment. It appears that Justin Wakeling’s collarbone was a mis-diagnosis and Rob McMahon will also be black this weekend. These two guys will really bolster the Reddies who need these type of players to tighten up those loose ends around the set-piece and give them some extra spark in broken play.

Griffith will more than likely play Dan Rawaqa at 5/8 for this match and his ability to ignite the backline will be a highlight of the game. Brent Merritt will have his hands full in the centres up against Marika Vunibaka but should be able to handle the big guy. I’ll be interested to hear how both teams handle the broken play running games as they can both exploit this style well, but I wonder if they can defend against it for 80mins. Watch out for Semisi Rogoyawa injecting himself into the backline.


FIRST DIVISION:
Coota (10) v Deni – 2nd Grade Only

Leeton (11) v City (7)
The Phantoms will no doubt be glad to be playing at home this weekend after what was a very, very boggy Country Club Oval last round. City’s focus in the second half of the competition appears to have been on blooding players for 2015 and exposing their up and comers to the rigours of first grade footy. While they are presently sitting pretty at the top of the First Division, it’s probably time to cement some positions leading into the final two rounds before the finals.

Young (8) v Temora (9)
Do or die time for the Yabbies here, the Tuskers are breathing down their necks with only one competition point separating these two teams. The Tuskers seem to be hitting some form at the right end of the competition and will be keen to welcome back some more players to the fold this week.

If you have read the DA, you will know that the Yabbies are welcoming back some players this week which is good news for their 2014 campaign but I reckon Temora will come into this game with all guns blazing.
 
namtrak

namtrak

Johnnie Wallace (23)
Good write-up. Some consistency from Albury would be nice. I think Griffith are looking particularly threatening and I suspect the Reddies will be looking to next weeks game already. I think Tumut have the muscle to pull an upset and put themselves back in the game.
 
Independent

Independent

Herbert Moran (7)
PREMIER DIVISION:
Ag College (6) v Albury (2)
Albury will be far too strong for the students. Albury will be looking to build momentum for the finals & will not let this opportunity for a glorified training session go by. The Aggies seem to lacking some genuine leadership, disappointing for their supporters, who expect more.I heard a whisper about some major shake ups at Ag College that are in the wind for 2015. Two years in a row in the 2nd Division is not going to be tolerated it seems.
TIP - Albury by 25+
Waratahs (1) v Tumut (5)
In my opinion, the match of the round. Tumut will push the Waratahs, but I think the Tah's will be too strong in the end. It will be close in parts, as they are reasonably well matched around the pitch, but the experience level of many of the Tah's players might edge out the Bulls. The Bulls will have one eye on the following week when they play off for 4th spot against CSU.
TIP - Waratah's by 10
CSU (4) v Griffith (3)
This game is easily summed up. Griffith in form and looking very, very dangerous. Rawaqa playing at #10 will cause mayhem on his own, let alone having Vunibaka inches away. CSU have tasted victory once in about 2 months. CSU seem like they are playing the injury card, but really I have come to think they aren't on the same level as Albury, Griffith or Waratahs regardless of injuries.
TIP - Griffith by 25+
 
yourmatesam

yourmatesam

Desmond Connor (43)
#SIRU2014 Round 15 Results:

Premier Division:
First Grade:
Griffith 48 bt CSU 22
Albury 40 bt Ag College 17
Waratahs 33 bt Tumut 19

2nd Grade
Ag College 41 d Albury 7, Waratahs 50 d Tumut 0, CSU 38 d Griffith 24...
First Division:
First Grade:
City 64 bt Leeton 21
Temora 20 bt Young 14

2nd Grade
City 22 d Leeton 19, Deniliquin 24 drew with Coota 24, Young 39 d Temora 0

3rd Grade
Waratahs 22 d Tumut 0, Hay 26 d City 14

Under 17s
Waratahs 39 d Temora 19, City 25 d Leeton 5, Young 32 d Griffith 0

Womens'- 7-A-Side
Leeton 27 d City 5, Ag College 27 d Albury 10, Griffith 20 d CSU 14

Next Week:

Premier Division: Tumut v CSU, Griffith v Albury, Ag v Waratahs
First Division: Deni v Leeton (2nds only), City v Young, Temora v Coota
 
yourmatesam

yourmatesam

Desmond Connor (43)
Independent said:
Any whispers in the corridors of power as to the venues of the finals? Trying to organise my schedule!
Click to expand...

Week One of the Finals will be split between Conolly Park and Kapooka, Week Two will be decided after the SIRU Board meets on 11th August, Grand Final will be at Conolly Park.
 
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