#SIRU2015 Round Thirteen Preview:
The top of the table clash is clearly the Match of the Round this week, but in an interesting twist to the draw, 3rd also plays 4th and 5th is playing 6th in the Premier Division which is almost a preview of what the finals could look like in a few weeks’ time.
PREMIER DIVISION:
Albury (1) v Leeton (2) – Match of the Round @ Murrayfield, Albury
Steamers v Phantoms at fortress Murrayfield this weekend will be a corker and will really set the tone for these two teams over the coming weeks. With only two points separating these teams on the competition ladder, this game could see a change in the competition front-runner.
The Phantoms are the only team to have beaten the Steamers this year and are also the only undefeated team remaining in the competition, will they be able to maintain this record this week? A quick look at the For and Against for these teams shows that the Steamers have scored more points than the Phantoms, but the Phantoms have a marginally better defensive record.
Albury are the club that really pride themselves on playing well at their home ground and they really thrive on that “siege mentality” to motivate at home. I have said before that you get the sense that the Steamers are building and this is an opportunity for both Albury and Leeton to have a crack at each other before the finals series kicks off.
The Steamers front row has been a class outfit in recent years and will look to set that platform from the outset tomorrow, this is one area of the game that Albury probably have the edge on the Phantoms. Both tight fives are evenly matched with Joe Penne-Kafua being an important player for the Phantoms.
Players like Farrell Moata and Richard Manion will be good to watch through the backlines and it will be interesting to see how both teams fare through the middle of the park. Liam Krautz will be one to watch in support through here also as he will be an key player in defence for the Steamers.
This game will be the best indication of how these two teams match up against each other and could ultimately decide the Minor Premiership. The Phantoms have the wood over the Steamers from earlier in the year but I’m confident that the Steamers will be looking to turn that previous result around this weekend when they have their full roster on the pitch.
Waratahs (4) v Griffith (3) @ Conolly Rugby Park, Wagga
Again, not much separating these teams and these guys are really jostling for positions as we get closer to the finals and this game is the best chance both teams will get to decide their own fate.
Where have Waratahs plucked this latest run of form from? 4 wins on the trot and starting to look like a structured team, although Aggies did gift a lot of possession to Waratahs last week. The Blacks on the other hand appear to be in a bit of a downer, a close loss to Leeton last week probably won’t hurt them but their roster has taken a bit of a battering in recent weeks.
Euan Bonner and Steve Tracey combined well for Waratahs last week and could prove to be a handful this week against the Blacks. Tracey looked very fast on his feet last week but may find the going a little tougher this week.
Two keen playmakers in Euan Bonner and Sonny Saleopolu going head to head this week will be a highlight, Bonner’s kicking game really allows Waratahs to defend in the attacking half of the field while Saleopolu is a strong runner who likes to combine with his centres.
Waratahs appear to be finding their feet at this stage of the competition and will probably be pretty happy to be playing at home again this week, particularly against Griffith who have to travel across. The Wagga clubs have all had a bit of a disrupted week of training here this week due to the rain and that inclement weather may leave the surface a little slippery this week.
Ag College (6) v Tumut (5) @ Beres Ellwood Oval, Wagga
Aggies dropped too much ball against Waratahs under nil pressure to be a real threat to the team in Blue. When they had their structures sorted, they could compete but too many simple errors allowed Waratahs to capitalise and put Aggies to the sword.
Tumut will travel down for this game after taking on a pretty confident Steamers outfit. My scouts tell me that the Bulls were competitive with the Steamers for the first 50 odd minutes of that game and maybe that will hold them in good stead this week.
If you look at the ladder, we’ve gone from a clear top three and second three to three pairs of teams who are separated by very little. Albury (51), Leeton (49), Griffith (37), Waratahs (35), Tumut (28) and Ag College (27). This shows me that the winner of this game will almost guarantee themselves a spot in the finals in 2015 which makes this a pretty important game!
FIRST DIVISION:
City (9) v Deni – 2nd Grade Only @ Conolly Rugby Park, Wagga
Temora (10) v Young (8) @ Temora Recreation Ground, Temora
This game is a bit of a local derby and one that will see two competitive teams having a crack this weekend. While the Tuskers are not where they were last year, they still have the bones of a strong team there and they always pride themselves on their defence.
The Yabbies have slipped a bit from where they would like to be but have some players in their ranks who gel well together and they appear to be doing this with their recent victory over Coota last week.
Coota (11) v CSU (7) @ Country Club Oval, Cootamundra
From what I have heard, Cootamundra seem to be getting some more consistency back since the split. I’m sure they would have liked to get up over the Yabbies last week but my mail tells me they have been a lot more settled in the past two weeks.
CSU will be looking to continue their recent winning ways but will not want to take the Tri-Colours lightly as there is nothing that Coota love more than knocking off a more fancied rival at home. While I’m sure the Reddies are not happy about playing in the First Division, they need to approach these type of games the same as any other.
