#SIRU2017 Round Ten Preview:
Plenty to play for this round and while the top of the table clash between Leeton and Waratahs is a stand out match at the top of the tree, there are some important games across the board this week. Looking at the ladder, there is bugger all separating 3rd through 6th at this point and arguably even 7th position could cause some problems for the other clubs. 5 competition points from 3rd to 6th is amazing after 9 rounds of footy and I think really indicates how close the competition is this season.
City (3) v Griffith (8)
This match was a cracker at Jubilee Oval in Round Three where the Blacks showcased their attacking prowess, running in 3 converted tries late in the game to lose by 7 points. After this effort, the Blacks went on to push the Phantoms under lights at Exies Oval and there appeared to be some genuine potential for them to really warm up and compete for the remainder of the competition. Sadly, it appears that their wheels have fallen off to date though.
Wagga City have also come back to the pack a bit and are now in a position where they could find themselves sliding even further down the ladder if they don’t bag a win in this one. The City men have a strong forward pack and are probably buoyed by the return of James Curgenven to the fold, however I’m sure there will be questions asked about his eligibility for the finals. This potentially creates a headache for the City Men as their coaching staff need to gamble on whether James will be eligible for the finals in 2017? There’s no doubt that James is a quality footballer, he’s a decent bloke and just the type of person the club needs to steady the ship in key moments, but will he be eligible for finals?
Tumut (4) v CSU (7)
My pundits keep telling me that the Bulls will be there when the whips are cracking and it appears there may be some merit in this advice. One local punter even offered a view recently that Tumut weren’t playing badly for a team that needed to work on their fitness J and from all reports, the Bulls are piecing things together pretty well.
I wouldn’t expect an easy game for either team this weekend, the Bulls particularly are in the same boat as Wagga City and could find themselves in trouble if they lose to Reddies in this match. CSU have the ability to match it with teams for parts of the game and are well capable of scoring points, particularly when counterattacking. Looking at the team lists on the SIRU website, it’s fair to say that the Bulls probably have the edge through the forwards but the backs could get interesting. Watch out for Joe Reynolds match up with Ben Hickey and Harrison Friswell vs Mitch Fealy.
Leeton (1) v Waratahs (2) – Match of the Round
How to beat the Leeton Phantoms? A book by the famous Scottish philosopher Angus MacLeod. It won’t be easy for any team I reckon, they’re a pretty tough team, they punish mistakes with tries (close to posts for an easy conversion), they tackle strongly, they’re dynamic over the ball and boy are they quick! First up tackles need to be a priority for any team playing Leeton, their ability to generate phases and create mismatches very quickly is pretty impressive and contributes to line breaks that generally result in points scored.
This match is an easy pick for MOTR and important for both clubs as this match will likely decide who hosts in Round Two of the Finals, arguably giving them an edge in that space and the home ground advantage on GF Day. This will be a big game and while these clubs will likely finish top two regardless of the result, they’re both keen to play at home in Week Two of the Finals and also on GF Day.
Waratahs definitely play a traditional style in comparison to the Phantoms but are blessed with some handy footballers across the park – while they may not be the flashest side around, they know how to get the job done. Looking at match ups across the board, there are some really handy contests in this game, Veriti Tupou vs Tom Hallam, Simon Vunilagi vs Dave Armstrong, Joe Kafoa-Penne vs Austin Wallace are all going to be tough opponents, but for me, this game is about how Waratahs handle the Phantoms backs.
Jimmy Moore to Noa Rabici to Joe Ratu to Siti Watkins – these players are difficult to contain and I recall a statistic recently from the Seven’s circuit where the Fijian Sevens team needed possession for 34secs to score points in comparison to the Australian Sevens team who needed closer to 2mins with ball in hand before they could score. While I appreciate we aren’t playing international sevens in this part of the world, the Phantoms do tend to make you pay when they get a chance whereas their opposition need a lot more time to build pressure in order to score. Of the Phantom’s games that I’ve seen this season, I get the feeling that teams can match the Phantoms in some areas and that a lot of teams have the ability to pressure the Phantoms, but that one mistake they make gets turned into 7 points at the other end of the park pretty quickly.
With hosting rights on the line for the 2017 finals series and a knock on effect there for the GF, there is heaps to play for in this one!
Ag College (6) v Albury (5)
Can the Steamers manage another ambush this weekend? How did the Steamers get past the Blacks last week with only 25 players for the day? Uni holidays are on and if I was Coach Mitchell, with a few key players out and not many troops to call on, I’d be pretty nervous about this game.
My crystal ball tells me that these teams are at a bit of a tipping point at this stage of the season and that this game could become pretty important for both sides, particularly considering their current ladder positions and opposition over the remaining weeks of the competition. Looking across the starting roster for both teams, they appear pretty even to be honest, watch out for the rampaging Duncan Woods vs Roussow Visser – two lads who love a Chief/Spud style hitup, upright running, flowing locks bouncing… great stuff.
