#SIRU2016 Round Seven Preview:
Another solid round this weekend and some juicy matchups in the top and bottom half of the ladder with all games important for the later stages of the season.
Albury (6) v Griffith (7)
This match will highlight the character of each of these clubs; there have been a few hurdles for them both to overcome recently, Griffith with the departure of Willie de Meyer and Albury with the departure of key playmaker and all-round nice guy James Olds.
The Blacks responded well to the demands of their new coach Aled Francis on the weekend and showed plenty of promise on their home turf at the Exies (sensational venue guys). Their ability to turn up on the road will be tested in this match though.
The Steamers will also be tested as they look to fill the void left by Olds’ departure, however I’d be reasonably confident in the ability of Richard Manion, Blake le Cornu et al to fill that gap. The weather is getting to that stage of the year where Fortress Murrayfield really starts to come into it’s own. Cold, dreary afternoons on the border is just how the Steamers like to welcome teams to a tough game of footy.
CSU (8) v City (5)
Reddies threw everything they had at Aggies last week and will need to step up again for this match against a City team who have found that winning feeling.
Wagga City were threatening to win a game for the first few rounds of the competition and are now in a position to put three wins on the trot on the ledger which would probably let the ladder reflect their actual position this season.
I reckon this has the potential to be a bogey game for City though, they’ll need to stay alert for the entire game as CSU love nothing more than scalping teams at Beres Ellwood Oval!
Waratahs (1) v Ag College (4)
Another tough game for Waratahs this week, will they have their halves combination back in action for this game? How will the young Ag College team approach this game? Turn back into their shells or come out swinging against their older and more experienced counterparts? Is there any truth to the rumour that Sterling Ross is back for good? Is Pat Barrett really a second rower?
Tom “I believe I can fly” Macleay will need to have his Captain’s head screwed on this week as his decision making at key moments in the game will be important in this match. There is no doubting that the Aggies kids will bleed for each other which is an admirable trait but there needs to be a balance between passion and footballing smarts.
Waratahs were pushed from pillar to post by the Phantoms last weekend and may have got the scare that they needed at this stage of the season. It’s difficult to gauge how they are travelling to be honest, big wins are good for the crowd, but how are they travelling in their coaches eyes? What are the internal processes that are driving the team? Where should they set the bar?
Waratahs are the team everyone loves to hate and there is no shortage of punters just drooling at the thought of Waratahs falling over during the season. I’m not sure that this is going to happen any time soon though; they appear to have a depth of talent this year that is plugging some of the gaps left by injuries and unavailability’s.
Tumut (2) v Leeton (3) – Match of the Round
I’m tipping this match as the Match of the Round as I reckon these teams have more to play for this weekend and the outcome of this match has a bigger impact on the ladder from 2nd through to 5th than any other match this week.
How will the Phantoms bounce back from a physical hitout against Waratahs last week? Can they back that performance up on the road? My mail says that the Phantoms were well in the hunt against Waratahs last week but probably faded late in the game which led to some poor discipline and ultimately a loss. If the Phantoms can back their ability and play out the full 80mins, they’ll be a hard team to stop. They have the physicality to bruise their opponents, maybe with some more focus, they could be dangerous.
The Bulls didn’t have it all their way last week but will be pretty stoked to come away with the win on the road and will be happy to be at home this weekend. The return of Will Reynolds to the team will be handy for them and is something that will probably settle the team a little bit more than they were last week.
Tumut have got some areas of their game they need to work on but the biggest thing that I have seen from them this year is that they know how to make metres; they may not make big metres but they do make them regularly. This ability to make ground through their centres, forward runners and their traditional pick and drive style is proving hard to stop and is putting teams under pressure in defence, creating holes and mis-matches for Tino Manualevo and Co to exploit.
I reckon this game is a toss of the coin, both teams like playing tough uncompromising footy, they don’t shirk the hard stuff in attack or defence. Set pieces will be well contested, both teams have some big boppers in their forward packs who are always good for some solid tackles and they both have some dangerous ball players in their backlines.
Fitness and closing out the final 15mins of the game could be a problem for these guys albeit a problem for both teams. For me, the team that can remain focused for the full 80mins is going to put themselves in the box seat for this game.
