Southern Inland Rugby 2014
- Thread starter yourmatesam
- Start date
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jb23
Allen Oxlade (6)
No doubt @yourmatesam will come through with the goods on a season and Round 1 preview, but for what it's woth (not much) here's my tips for the round 1:
Reddies
Waratahs
Temora
Griffith
Ag College
Any thoughts on the season ahead?
About time we talked about the positives rather than last week negatives / hand bag throwing contest...
I saw in the area news Griffith had snapped up the shute shield fly half from Parra Two Blues, who was leading point scorer for Fiji in the Pacific Nations cup. That's a massive gain.
Reddies
Waratahs
Temora
Griffith
Ag College
Any thoughts on the season ahead?
About time we talked about the positives rather than last week negatives / hand bag throwing contest...
I saw in the area news Griffith had snapped up the shute shield fly half from Parra Two Blues, who was leading point scorer for Fiji in the Pacific Nations cup. That's a massive gain.
yourmatesam
Desmond Connor (43)
I'm working on it @jb23, give me time mate! Probably won't have a season preview, but will do Round 1.
I'm hearing some good things coming out of Tumut. They picked up the the half that was playing at uni norths with Eaglsham. Maybe the dark horse of the comp?
Definitely not writing Albury off either they have still got the right players in the right positions ie Manion, Bright and looks like they have a couple of blokes to replace the Welsh boys. I'm heading to the tahs game. Will be interesting to see if Corkran and Armstrong turn up.
I reckon Reddies would have the shortest odds at this stage? Thoughts?
Definitely not writing Albury off either they have still got the right players in the right positions ie Manion, Bright and looks like they have a couple of blokes to replace the Welsh boys. I'm heading to the tahs game. Will be interesting to see if Corkran and Armstrong turn up.
I reckon Reddies would have the shortest odds at this stage? Thoughts?
yourmatesam
Desmond Connor (43)
#SIRU2014 ROUND ONE PREVIEW:
I’ve tipped the Waratahs Albury match as Match of the Round this week, but there are some really interesting match ups across the competition this week, Temora v Young will be tough as will CSU v City and I’m sure the punters in Griffith will be keeping an eye on Marika Vunibaka (Ex Crusaders and Fijian International) and Taniela Rawaqa (2013 3rd Highest Point Scorer in Shute Shield and Fijian International) this week.
CSU v City
Early mail says that Reddies are handy this season, they’ve lost the services of Pat Hunter and Rob McMahon but will cover these guys through their Fijian dynamo Napa Naitaluvesi. Wagga City have also named Jason Lagaali in 3rd Grade this week, I wonder what effect that will have on their 1st Grade side?
City have also lost club stalwart, ex-President and Club Captain Jarrod Bryant who has relocated due to work commitments. Jarrod has been around the Boiled Lollies for a long time now and leaves a large hole to fill in the front row. James Curgenven has moved to Wagga to play with City and this will be his first hitout for the City Men, keep an eye on how he links up with Hamish Wrafter through the centres.
For me, this game will come down to how the two forward packs can control possession and allow their backs to play footy. CSU have speed to burn out wide but City have some slick players through the middle who will be a handful also.
Waratahs v Albury – Match of the Round
It’s hard to go past the 2013 Grand Final rematch as match of the round this week. Albury have seen a significant number of players retire following their trouncing of Waratahs in the 2013 Grand Final but Waratahs have retained the vast majority of their players. I have also heard rumours of a Waratahs Reunion and a visit from the Albury Old Boys for this match which should make for some vocal sideline support.
My mail says that Nathan Bright is going around again for the Steamers and his leadership will be key for them in this match. Arguably lacking in firepower up front following the loss of James “House” Kora and Scott “Ginger” Meakins, the Steamers will look to the likes of Ryan Schishka and Tom Rowan to lead them in the forwards. Rowan’s lineout ability will be important for the Steamers to start from the set piece.
Waratahs have retained the services of Jake Eaglesham who decided that concrete wasn’t his thing and has moved back to Wagga from Canberra. Pat Barrett will be coaching from the sideline along with Hugh Palmer at this stage and this combination should provide some coaching smarts for the Tahs to build on from 2013. Euan Bonner will guide the Tahs around at 10 and his match up against Richie Manion will be a highlight.
There’s plenty of feeling in this game for both teams, Waratahs are no doubt out to avenge their 2013 GF shellacking while the Steamers will be keen to compete against a Waratahs team that have been gelling for a while now. Although they won’t be where they were last year, I wouldn’t write the Steamers off, they’ll be competitive for sure.
Temora v Young
The Yabbies have really strengthened their ranks over the off-season and have been able to attract players from all over the world to the Cherry Captial of the world. My scout in the North tells me that the Seaman brothers have been training the house down under James Shannon and to expect a fit and firing Yabbies outfit on the paddock this year.
Temora are very keen to carry on from where they left off last year, an impressive win over Aggies in the Grand Final and with a strong pre-season behind them may be in a position to flex some muscle this week. The Tuskers retain their Fijian flyers which will help them build from where they were last year. Having these guys at the club from early in the year will be a bonus also.
This match will also be a litmus test for the Yabbies, how much have they improved since 2013?
Deniliquin v Coota (2nd Grade Only)
Griffith v Tumut
Marika Vunibaka. Taniela Rawaqa. These are some pretty impressive names and will no doubt have attracted some local players to the fold also. The Griffith Blacks also have signed on a handy Kiwi 2nd Row/Loose Forward into their team for this year. Consistency will be the key for the Blacks this year, they need to play week in week out and grind the season out.
I haven’t heard much out of Tumut to date, but you never know who’ll move to town in the off-season, although there were some familiar faces in the Bulls side that played at the SIRU 7’s in Wagga. Griffith will be tough to get past at home but Tumut will not lay down.
Leeton v Ag College
Bart Challacombe will not be appearing for the Phantoms for an extended period of time after suffering a nasty bike related shoulder injury and this will leave a hole in the Leeton pack. I haven’t heard much out of Ag College, other than their coaching staff has dropped from 3 to 2. Interestingly, Dave Armstrong has yet to show up for Waratahs, I wonder if he’ll be wearing green this weekend?
The loss of the Whiteley brothers will hurt the Aggies, but they have the most depth of any club in the competition at present and should be able to cover these guys no problems.
I’ve tipped the Waratahs Albury match as Match of the Round this week, but there are some really interesting match ups across the competition this week, Temora v Young will be tough as will CSU v City and I’m sure the punters in Griffith will be keeping an eye on Marika Vunibaka (Ex Crusaders and Fijian International) and Taniela Rawaqa (2013 3rd Highest Point Scorer in Shute Shield and Fijian International) this week.
CSU v City
Early mail says that Reddies are handy this season, they’ve lost the services of Pat Hunter and Rob McMahon but will cover these guys through their Fijian dynamo Napa Naitaluvesi. Wagga City have also named Jason Lagaali in 3rd Grade this week, I wonder what effect that will have on their 1st Grade side?
City have also lost club stalwart, ex-President and Club Captain Jarrod Bryant who has relocated due to work commitments. Jarrod has been around the Boiled Lollies for a long time now and leaves a large hole to fill in the front row. James Curgenven has moved to Wagga to play with City and this will be his first hitout for the City Men, keep an eye on how he links up with Hamish Wrafter through the centres.
For me, this game will come down to how the two forward packs can control possession and allow their backs to play footy. CSU have speed to burn out wide but City have some slick players through the middle who will be a handful also.
Waratahs v Albury – Match of the Round
It’s hard to go past the 2013 Grand Final rematch as match of the round this week. Albury have seen a significant number of players retire following their trouncing of Waratahs in the 2013 Grand Final but Waratahs have retained the vast majority of their players. I have also heard rumours of a Waratahs Reunion and a visit from the Albury Old Boys for this match which should make for some vocal sideline support.
My mail says that Nathan Bright is going around again for the Steamers and his leadership will be key for them in this match. Arguably lacking in firepower up front following the loss of James “House” Kora and Scott “Ginger” Meakins, the Steamers will look to the likes of Ryan Schishka and Tom Rowan to lead them in the forwards. Rowan’s lineout ability will be important for the Steamers to start from the set piece.
Waratahs have retained the services of Jake Eaglesham who decided that concrete wasn’t his thing and has moved back to Wagga from Canberra. Pat Barrett will be coaching from the sideline along with Hugh Palmer at this stage and this combination should provide some coaching smarts for the Tahs to build on from 2013. Euan Bonner will guide the Tahs around at 10 and his match up against Richie Manion will be a highlight.
There’s plenty of feeling in this game for both teams, Waratahs are no doubt out to avenge their 2013 GF shellacking while the Steamers will be keen to compete against a Waratahs team that have been gelling for a while now. Although they won’t be where they were last year, I wouldn’t write the Steamers off, they’ll be competitive for sure.
Temora v Young
The Yabbies have really strengthened their ranks over the off-season and have been able to attract players from all over the world to the Cherry Captial of the world. My scout in the North tells me that the Seaman brothers have been training the house down under James Shannon and to expect a fit and firing Yabbies outfit on the paddock this year.
Temora are very keen to carry on from where they left off last year, an impressive win over Aggies in the Grand Final and with a strong pre-season behind them may be in a position to flex some muscle this week. The Tuskers retain their Fijian flyers which will help them build from where they were last year. Having these guys at the club from early in the year will be a bonus also.
This match will also be a litmus test for the Yabbies, how much have they improved since 2013?
Deniliquin v Coota (2nd Grade Only)
Griffith v Tumut
Marika Vunibaka. Taniela Rawaqa. These are some pretty impressive names and will no doubt have attracted some local players to the fold also. The Griffith Blacks also have signed on a handy Kiwi 2nd Row/Loose Forward into their team for this year. Consistency will be the key for the Blacks this year, they need to play week in week out and grind the season out.
I haven’t heard much out of Tumut to date, but you never know who’ll move to town in the off-season, although there were some familiar faces in the Bulls side that played at the SIRU 7’s in Wagga. Griffith will be tough to get past at home but Tumut will not lay down.
Leeton v Ag College
Bart Challacombe will not be appearing for the Phantoms for an extended period of time after suffering a nasty bike related shoulder injury and this will leave a hole in the Leeton pack. I haven’t heard much out of Ag College, other than their coaching staff has dropped from 3 to 2. Interestingly, Dave Armstrong has yet to show up for Waratahs, I wonder if he’ll be wearing green this weekend?
The loss of the Whiteley brothers will hurt the Aggies, but they have the most depth of any club in the competition at present and should be able to cover these guys no problems.
yourmatesam
Desmond Connor (43)
This match has been postponed due to rain in Griffith. Updates will follow when I know more about what's doing.
yourmatesam
Desmond Connor (43)
From what I've heard around the grounds, I would expect an even competition this year with strong competition from the front runners through to mid-table teams.
There is a really positive vibe around the competition this year with plenty of off-field talk, some teams lose a few, others gain a few. Increased numbers in the Under 17's competition will hopefull push more juniors through to their senior club. A larger 3rd grade competition will allow more social footy players a hitout and also provides the larger clubs with up to 5 home games which is great for rugby.
Scrums will be interesting as teams adapt to the new scrum laws and the de-powering of the hit. Expect the effects of the change to take some time to settle in.
yourmatesam
Desmond Connor (43)
#SIRU2014 Round One Results:
1st Grade;
Albury 32 d Waratahs 29, Temora 14 drew with Young 14, CSU 33 d City 23, Ag College 38 d Leeton 15, Griffith v Tumut (postponed)
2nd Grade;
Waratahs 27 d Albury 0, Young 39 d Temora 21, CSU 29 d City 12, Ag College 19 d Leeton 10, Cootamundra 14 d Deniliquin 10, Griffith v Tumut (postponed)
3rd Grade;
Waratahs 29 d Albury 15, CSU 10 d City 7
Under 17s;
Waratahs 30 d Albury 0, Young 38 d Temora 17
Womens' 7- A-Side;
City 36 d CSU 10, Leeton 34 d Ag College 0
1st Grade;
Albury 32 d Waratahs 29, Temora 14 drew with Young 14, CSU 33 d City 23, Ag College 38 d Leeton 15, Griffith v Tumut (postponed)
2nd Grade;
Waratahs 27 d Albury 0, Young 39 d Temora 21, CSU 29 d City 12, Ag College 19 d Leeton 10, Cootamundra 14 d Deniliquin 10, Griffith v Tumut (postponed)
3rd Grade;
Waratahs 29 d Albury 15, CSU 10 d City 7
Under 17s;
Waratahs 30 d Albury 0, Young 38 d Temora 17
Womens' 7- A-Side;
City 36 d CSU 10, Leeton 34 d Ag College 0
yourmatesam
Desmond Connor (43)
http://www.dailyadvertiser.com.au/story/2208376/turnbull-new-siru-coach/?cs=149
Richard Turnbull has been appointed as SIRU Coach for the 2014 Brumbies Provincial Cahmpionships in Jindabyne on the June Long Weekend which is great news for the zone.
Also, Peter Armstrong has confirmed that he is relocating to Wagga, I wonder if he will follow his brother (Dave) to Waratahs or end up at Ag College again?
Richard Turnbull has been appointed as SIRU Coach for the 2014 Brumbies Provincial Cahmpionships in Jindabyne on the June Long Weekend which is great news for the zone.
Also, Peter Armstrong has confirmed that he is relocating to Wagga, I wonder if he will follow his brother (Dave) to Waratahs or end up at Ag College again?
yourmatesam
Desmond Connor (43)
#SIRU2014 Round Two Preview:
Another tough round this week in the local competition with some solid matchups in Albury, up at Young and at Beres Ellwood when Aggies take on the Blacks. It’s tough to pick a Match of the Round again this week, but I’ve opted for the Albury v CSU clash as it has the potential to show us how the front runners of the competition will look later in the year.
*Griffith v Tumut Round One postponed.
Albury (3) v CSU (2) – Match of the Round
The trip to fortress Murrayfield will be a defining moment for the Reddies this week as the Steamers showed their mettle against a handy Waratahs outfit last week. The wet conditions no doubt play into the hands of Albury, (particularly with thecesspit cricket pitch in the middle of the ground) and will test the ability of the CSU forward pack. This match will be a good test for both teams, CSU were the most threatening team for Albury in the competition last year, so it will be good to see how they fare in this match.
My mail says that Paul Hood had a great game for CSU last week and Mick Wakeling will be keen for him to lead them again this week. Albury welcomed back to (retired) James Kora to the front row and will be looking for him to bookend their set piece again this week. From what I saw of Albury last week, they were able to grind it out against Waratahs and they will take confidence from that ability into this week.
Two completely different styles of play will be on show this week, with Albury looking to their tight five to lead them through the rough stuff and CSU keen to play wide of the ruck and utilise speed on the fringes. The weather will let Albury play tight, but could also have the effect of compressing their defensive line and allow a strong kicking game to flourish for the Reddies. I would also be keeping an eye on short side moves from CSU with their two speedy wingers involved.
This match will shine a light on where these two teams are at and will let them both know where they stand for later in the year. @namtrak might have something to add on this?
Young (4) v Waratahs (5)
@berrablue should be able to give us a wrap of what’s happening at Cranfield Oval this weekend. The BOM tells me that there hasn’t been as much rain up north as there has in other parts of the zone, but even a little bit of wet weather up there will let the ground chop up.
The Yabbies will get their first major test of the season when they come up against Waratahs this week and will get the opportunity to assess whether they can mix it with the big boys. My scouts at Temora last week tell me that the Yabbies swooped on a Temora mistake on full time to score a great team try that ran 105m to score under the posts and convert to draw the match. This sort of effort will give them confidence this week.
Spectators at the Waratahs v Albury match last week would agree that Waratahs had the Steamers on the ropes but couldn’t put them away last week and allowed Albury to slowly creep back into the game. This would be an area that Coaches Palmer and Barrett will be keen to stamp out and I would suggest that the message will be to keep the pressure on all game this week.
Cootamundra (8) v Temora (4) Friday Night under lights
Coota Beach has seen a rising tide this week and the teams might need to pack their gumboots or at least some long sprigs for this one. Temora had the chance to win the game on the bell last week but let the Yabbies snatch a draw at the death knell and I would suggest that Apenisa Tudulu will not be keen to allow the Tri-Colours the same grace this week. All the talk from T-town has been about their keenness to play Premier Division in 2014 and finals, if they want to get there, they need to stand up in these games and build a platform for the season.
The Tri-Colours are coming off a first round bye and will probably be blowing a few cobwebs out of the system this week. There won’t be an opportunity to ease themselves into this game as the Tuskers pride themselves on toughness in attack and particularly defence.
Tumut* (-) v Deniliquin – 2nd Grade Only
Ag College (1) v Griffith* (-)
First match of the year for the Blacks here following the wash out at Griffith last week. I don’t really have much mail on the Blacks other than their star recruits and it will be interesting to see what they bring to town in the wet. Traditionally not a great travelling club, it will be important for them to show up this week against Aggies.
Aggies are arguably going through a re-building period, although they have retained the majority of their players from last year, they are still taking time to gel.
City (6) v Leeton (7)
My scout tells me that the Leeton forward pack is solid and City might have their work cut out for themselves here, particularly at scrum time. This game will test both teams, City have lost a couple of players from last year and will need to be on their game against a proud Phantoms outfit this week. The Phantoms will probably be happy about the wet weather this week and should be looking to make the most of these conditions. I’d be interested to hear what @Bubba has to say about this match.
Another tough round this week in the local competition with some solid matchups in Albury, up at Young and at Beres Ellwood when Aggies take on the Blacks. It’s tough to pick a Match of the Round again this week, but I’ve opted for the Albury v CSU clash as it has the potential to show us how the front runners of the competition will look later in the year.
*Griffith v Tumut Round One postponed.
Albury (3) v CSU (2) – Match of the Round
The trip to fortress Murrayfield will be a defining moment for the Reddies this week as the Steamers showed their mettle against a handy Waratahs outfit last week. The wet conditions no doubt play into the hands of Albury, (particularly with the
My mail says that Paul Hood had a great game for CSU last week and Mick Wakeling will be keen for him to lead them again this week. Albury welcomed back to (retired) James Kora to the front row and will be looking for him to bookend their set piece again this week. From what I saw of Albury last week, they were able to grind it out against Waratahs and they will take confidence from that ability into this week.
Two completely different styles of play will be on show this week, with Albury looking to their tight five to lead them through the rough stuff and CSU keen to play wide of the ruck and utilise speed on the fringes. The weather will let Albury play tight, but could also have the effect of compressing their defensive line and allow a strong kicking game to flourish for the Reddies. I would also be keeping an eye on short side moves from CSU with their two speedy wingers involved.
This match will shine a light on where these two teams are at and will let them both know where they stand for later in the year. @namtrak might have something to add on this?
Young (4) v Waratahs (5)
@berrablue should be able to give us a wrap of what’s happening at Cranfield Oval this weekend. The BOM tells me that there hasn’t been as much rain up north as there has in other parts of the zone, but even a little bit of wet weather up there will let the ground chop up.
The Yabbies will get their first major test of the season when they come up against Waratahs this week and will get the opportunity to assess whether they can mix it with the big boys. My scouts at Temora last week tell me that the Yabbies swooped on a Temora mistake on full time to score a great team try that ran 105m to score under the posts and convert to draw the match. This sort of effort will give them confidence this week.
Spectators at the Waratahs v Albury match last week would agree that Waratahs had the Steamers on the ropes but couldn’t put them away last week and allowed Albury to slowly creep back into the game. This would be an area that Coaches Palmer and Barrett will be keen to stamp out and I would suggest that the message will be to keep the pressure on all game this week.
Cootamundra (8) v Temora (4) Friday Night under lights
Coota Beach has seen a rising tide this week and the teams might need to pack their gumboots or at least some long sprigs for this one. Temora had the chance to win the game on the bell last week but let the Yabbies snatch a draw at the death knell and I would suggest that Apenisa Tudulu will not be keen to allow the Tri-Colours the same grace this week. All the talk from T-town has been about their keenness to play Premier Division in 2014 and finals, if they want to get there, they need to stand up in these games and build a platform for the season.
The Tri-Colours are coming off a first round bye and will probably be blowing a few cobwebs out of the system this week. There won’t be an opportunity to ease themselves into this game as the Tuskers pride themselves on toughness in attack and particularly defence.
Tumut* (-) v Deniliquin – 2nd Grade Only
Ag College (1) v Griffith* (-)
First match of the year for the Blacks here following the wash out at Griffith last week. I don’t really have much mail on the Blacks other than their star recruits and it will be interesting to see what they bring to town in the wet. Traditionally not a great travelling club, it will be important for them to show up this week against Aggies.
Aggies are arguably going through a re-building period, although they have retained the majority of their players from last year, they are still taking time to gel.
City (6) v Leeton (7)
My scout tells me that the Leeton forward pack is solid and City might have their work cut out for themselves here, particularly at scrum time. This game will test both teams, City have lost a couple of players from last year and will need to be on their game against a proud Phantoms outfit this week. The Phantoms will probably be happy about the wet weather this week and should be looking to make the most of these conditions. I’d be interested to hear what @Bubba has to say about this match.
yourmatesam
Desmond Connor (43)
http://issuu.com/renewalbrochure/docs/jid_stampede_-_round_2_2014/19?e=2071621/7435494
Scott Meakins gets a start for Uni-Norths this week against Tuggies, well done Scott.
Also, ex-locals Ed Garraway and Seth Stoltenberg are running around for Uni Colts.
No mention of James Olds though for the Owls?
Scott Meakins gets a start for Uni-Norths this week against Tuggies, well done Scott.
Also, ex-locals Ed Garraway and Seth Stoltenberg are running around for Uni Colts.
No mention of James Olds though for the Owls?
yourmatesam
Desmond Connor (43)
Olds will be back in a few weeks. Royals definitely have a strong SIRU flavour!
yourmatesam
Desmond Connor (43)
#SIRU2014 Round Two Results
FIRST GRADE:
CSU 36 bt Albury 24
Waratahs 47 bt Young 21
Griffith 42 bt Aggies 29
Temora 12 bt Coota 5
City 64 bt Leeton 15
2nd Grade;
CSU 29 d Albury 24, Waratahs 17 d Young 7, Griffith 23 d Ag College 19, Coota 14 d Temora 12, City 36 d Leeton 5, Tumut 12 d Deniliquin 10
3rd Grade;
Albury 19 drew with CSU 19, Young 17 d Waratahs 11, City 30 d RARC 0, Ag College 15 d Hay 10, Tumut 34 d Junee 22
Womens' 7-A - Side;
Leeton 17 d City 14, Griffith 36 d Ag College 5, CSU 21 d Albury 10
Under 17's
City 32 d Griffith 7, Waratahs 26 d Young 0, Temora 17 d Coota 5
FIRST GRADE:
CSU 36 bt Albury 24
Waratahs 47 bt Young 21
Griffith 42 bt Aggies 29
Temora 12 bt Coota 5
City 64 bt Leeton 15
2nd Grade;
CSU 29 d Albury 24, Waratahs 17 d Young 7, Griffith 23 d Ag College 19, Coota 14 d Temora 12, City 36 d Leeton 5, Tumut 12 d Deniliquin 10
3rd Grade;
Albury 19 drew with CSU 19, Young 17 d Waratahs 11, City 30 d RARC 0, Ag College 15 d Hay 10, Tumut 34 d Junee 22
Womens' 7-A - Side;
Leeton 17 d City 14, Griffith 36 d Ag College 5, CSU 21 d Albury 10
Under 17's
City 32 d Griffith 7, Waratahs 26 d Young 0, Temora 17 d Coota 5
Bubba
Fred Wood (13)
Some interesting results over the weekend. I'll be honest and say I didn't see one of the results coming!
When was the last time Albury lost at home? I'm thinking a few years possibly? Reddies are certainly going to be a team to watch this year!
Very pleasing to see Connolly hold up and provide a great surface to play on.
When was the last time Albury lost at home? I'm thinking a few years possibly? Reddies are certainly going to be a team to watch this year!
Very pleasing to see Connolly hold up and provide a great surface to play on.
Looks like Reddies will be the ones to beat. Although tahs lost to Albury in round one, they had the wood over them for probably sixty minutes before injury and fitness got the better of them. At one stage there were four front rowers on the field. Palmer even subbed himself on for the last ten. From what I saw there is potential there but it will not be easy. Didn't get to Young on the weekend but the lads said the Yab's are looking like they could cause a few upsets. A bit Temoraesque. A Fijian sevens international on the wing??
Any comments on Griffith and Vunibaka? Definitely going home when the tahs play them just to see the big fellah run around.
Any comments on Griffith and Vunibaka? Definitely going home when the tahs play them just to see the big fellah run around.
yourmatesam
Desmond Connor (43)
#SIRU2014 Round Three Preview:
So, it's probably clear by now that this weekend crept up on me! The General Bye and back to back long weekends have caught me on the hop! Check out the (brief) preview below:
*Griffith and Tumut yet to play their washed out game from Round One.
CSU (1) v Young (8)
The Yabbies have definitely improved on previous seasons with some international flavour adding some starch to their pack and some spark to their backs. Aaron Seaman will lead the Yabbies from the front in the pigs and will need to be wary of a CSU team that will exploit the fringes.
CSU have not really changed much from 2013 other than the loss of Pat Hunter so should be able to continue to build for the 2014 season. Most teams should be aware of what the Reddies bring to the table which may mean that CSU can't "fly under the radar" as much as they did last year.
Waratahs (2) v Coota (9)
Every team loves to beat Waratahs and Coota will be no different. Waratahs had plenty of opportunities against the Steamers but failed to put them away when it mattered and let them back into the match. From all reports the Tri-Colours have played some tough matches recently which should hold them in good stead for this match.
Temora (3) v Tumut (11)
The Tumut Bulls should come out all guns firing in this match - it will be their first game for the season! Following the wash out at Griffith, they copped the Bye which lead into the General Bye and will only lace up the boots for this first time this season tomorrow. Temora have made their intentions clear - Premier Division or bust and this game will be another step forward in that campaign.
Deni v Ag College (4) - 2nd Grade Only
Griffith (7) v Leeton (10)
The battle for the MIA, was a Saturday game, went to Friday night, then to Saturday night and then back to Saturday. I hope both teams show up for this one! From what I have heard, Taniela Rawaqa is a machine, if you've got the time, get down and see him have a run around. One rumour I heard was that he's not playing seriously at the moment because he's playing with a broken nose! Only 13 rounds to go!
Albury (5) v City (6) - Match of the Round
Whilst the Steamers may not have the stars of 2013, they are still a handy outfit and have enough cattle in the right positions to be competitive this year. Whilst there hasn't been as much talk about City, they are in a very similar position to the Steamers in that they have also lost some significant 1st Grade experience and also had a change in their coaching structure.
Arguably two of the biggest forward packs in the competition in recent years, a few changes in personnel have probably brought these two packs back to the bunch and this match will be a key to showing these teams where they need to be this year. Watch out for Justin Sheridan and Nathan Bright this weekend.
In the backs, word on the street is that James Curgenven has been a revelation at City but he will have his work cut out for him against Richard Manion at #10. The handy SIRU follower would also have noticed the lack of Lagaali's in the City lineup, my mail tells me that Jason and Gordon will be playing Thirsty Thirds when they are available this year - look out if you're a Third Grader!
So, it's probably clear by now that this weekend crept up on me! The General Bye and back to back long weekends have caught me on the hop! Check out the (brief) preview below:
*Griffith and Tumut yet to play their washed out game from Round One.
CSU (1) v Young (8)
The Yabbies have definitely improved on previous seasons with some international flavour adding some starch to their pack and some spark to their backs. Aaron Seaman will lead the Yabbies from the front in the pigs and will need to be wary of a CSU team that will exploit the fringes.
CSU have not really changed much from 2013 other than the loss of Pat Hunter so should be able to continue to build for the 2014 season. Most teams should be aware of what the Reddies bring to the table which may mean that CSU can't "fly under the radar" as much as they did last year.
Waratahs (2) v Coota (9)
Every team loves to beat Waratahs and Coota will be no different. Waratahs had plenty of opportunities against the Steamers but failed to put them away when it mattered and let them back into the match. From all reports the Tri-Colours have played some tough matches recently which should hold them in good stead for this match.
Temora (3) v Tumut (11)
The Tumut Bulls should come out all guns firing in this match - it will be their first game for the season! Following the wash out at Griffith, they copped the Bye which lead into the General Bye and will only lace up the boots for this first time this season tomorrow. Temora have made their intentions clear - Premier Division or bust and this game will be another step forward in that campaign.
Deni v Ag College (4) - 2nd Grade Only
Griffith (7) v Leeton (10)
The battle for the MIA, was a Saturday game, went to Friday night, then to Saturday night and then back to Saturday. I hope both teams show up for this one! From what I have heard, Taniela Rawaqa is a machine, if you've got the time, get down and see him have a run around. One rumour I heard was that he's not playing seriously at the moment because he's playing with a broken nose! Only 13 rounds to go!
Albury (5) v City (6) - Match of the Round
Whilst the Steamers may not have the stars of 2013, they are still a handy outfit and have enough cattle in the right positions to be competitive this year. Whilst there hasn't been as much talk about City, they are in a very similar position to the Steamers in that they have also lost some significant 1st Grade experience and also had a change in their coaching structure.
Arguably two of the biggest forward packs in the competition in recent years, a few changes in personnel have probably brought these two packs back to the bunch and this match will be a key to showing these teams where they need to be this year. Watch out for Justin Sheridan and Nathan Bright this weekend.
In the backs, word on the street is that James Curgenven has been a revelation at City but he will have his work cut out for him against Richard Manion at #10. The handy SIRU follower would also have noticed the lack of Lagaali's in the City lineup, my mail tells me that Jason and Gordon will be playing Thirsty Thirds when they are available this year - look out if you're a Third Grader!
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