As we approach Week 4 of the Buildcorp NRC, the matches scheduled are no less intriguing than they were a month ago. Whilst we have three undefeated teams at the top, and three teams yet to win a game, the quality of the matches on the park remains high and well worth the effort for fans to attend. There’s extra incentive for fans to get out there and get active too. FOX SPORTS are giving away a bunch of the famous NRC yellow Gilbert match balls. All you have to do is take a photo of you supporting your NRC team and post it to social media and tag it #NRCFAN to have the chance to win.
And now….TO THE GAMES!
Brisbane City v North Harbour Rays (Horan-Little Shield Challenge)
Thursday 10 September at Ballymore (Brisbane). Kick off 7:30pm
The value of the Horan-Little Shield is there on show this Thursday night as the Rays are in with a chance to steal the Shield away from current holders, Brisbane City. It will be a challenge in the true sense of the word, however, as while Brisbane have the freedom to rest some key players after their short turnaround from a Sunday game in Toowoomba, the Rays have team changes for less positive reasons.
It’s a nature of the professional game, and perhaps the RWC window, that key players Ed Gower, Sam Ward and Mark Johnson have all just taken up opportunities overseas. It’s a blow for the Rays but, as is the theme of this tournament, it provides an opportunity for another group of players to strut their stuff.
Key Match ups:
The NRC has a reputation for being a free-spirited running extravaganza of tries, but the battles at scrum time can’t be overlooked. Sam Talakai for Brisbane has been one of the stand out players for his team, providing an attacking anchor at the set piece, whilst being highly involved across the park. To combat him. the Rams have promoted 21 year old Rory O’Connor into the starting line-up for the first time this season and he deserves his start after some impressive impacts from the bench.
Meanwhile, City have given the chance to Henry Taefu in the centres and the highly regarded Sunnybank player should have an epic battle with his opposite number in Tom Hill. Both are highly physical centres, with Taefu (a Ray last year) also possessing a handy offload whilst Hill has been close to his side’s best so far this season.
2015 Form:
Brisbane – WWW
Rays – LWL
Tip: Brisbane by 24
Brisbane: 1. Pettowa Paraka, 2. Matt Mafi, 3. Sam Talakai, 4. Ben Hyne, 5. Cadeyrn Neville, 6. Waita Setu, 7. Liam Gill (C), 8. Scott Higginbotham, 9. Nick Frisby, 10. Jake McIntyre, 11. Mika Tela, 12. Henry Taefu, 13. Samu Kerevi, 14. Chris Kuridrani, 15. Karmichael Hunt.
16. Markus Vanzati, 17. Ryan Freeney, 18. Feao Fotuaika, 19. James Moore, 20. Luke Beauchamp, 21. Moses Sorovi, 22. Patrick James, 23. Junior Laloifi
Rays: 15. Reece Hodge, 14. Alex Northam, 13. Dennis Pili-Gaitau, 12. Tom Hill, 11. Tyson Davis, 10. Hamish Angus, 9. Josh Holmes, 8. Jack Dempsey, 7. Boyd Killingworth, 6. Harry Bergelin, 5. Harry Rorke, 4. Ryan Melrose, 3. Lawrance Hunting, 2. Luke Holmes (C), 1. Rory O’Connor.
16. Vance Elliott, 17. Mitch Lewis, 18. Alex Holmes, 19. Cameron Treloar, 20. Ruairidh Wilson, 21. Tim Donlan / Richard Woolf, 22. Sam Lane, 23. Michael Adams
NSW Country Eagles v Sydney Stars
Saturday 12 September at Chillingworth Oval (Tamworth). Kick off 3:00pm
The Stars are heading to Tamworth this weekend and it’s not for the Country Music Awards. NSW Country’s latest home ground will be Chillingworth Oval in the state’s New England region in what the Eagles will be hoping will provide them an upset win over the competition’s glamour team.
NSW Country are coming off the bye this round with a fairly comprehensive loss to the Vikings in Round 2 their latest result. Meanwhile the Stars remain undefeated and sitting just below Brisbane City on the competition ladder.
Key Match ups:
Boom rookie Ned Hanigan, who has played so strongly at lock for the Eagles this year, has been moved to blindside flanker in an effort to boost NSW Country’s set piece, and take advantage of his mobility. Also on the move this weekend is Waratah prop, Jeremy Tilse, moving back a row into the second row, alongside inform lock Matt Philip. The 190cm Tilse has had club level experience at lock for Sydney Uni so it will be interesting to see if the Stars pack can maintain the high work rate they have so far this year.
Wider out expect to see some sensational running from the two fullbacks Andrew Kellaway and Tom Kingston. Kingston, having been shunted around the backline in his professional career so far, has really found his groove in the 15 jersey and has been a dangerous weapon for the Stars this season. Kellaway, as always, remains a try scoring machine for the Eagles. After topping the try-scorers list last year, with 9, he’s managed to cross the line in both his appearances this year for an average of one try every match he plays.
2015 Form:
Eagles – WLB
Stars – WWW
Tip: Stars by 4
Eagles: 1. Jerome Vaai, 2. Tom Sexton, 3. Dashville Kuate, 4. Tom Staniforth, 5. Sam Lousi, 6. Ned Hanigan, 7. Mark Baldwin, 8. Sam Figg, 9. Mitch Short, 10. Jono Lance, 11. Joel Brooks, 12. Dave Horwitz, 13. Charlie Clifton, 14. Jerome McKenzie, 15. Andrew Kellaway.
16. Ryan Dalziel, 17. Dane Maraki, 18. Andrew Collins, 19. Nick Palmer, 20. Sam Croke, 21. Dave Harvey, 22. Will Fay, 23. Jack Pennington
Stars: 1. Alastair Ryan , 2. Tom Coolican , 3. Tom Robertson , 4. Jeremy Tilse , 5. Matt Philip , 6. Michael Kovacic , 7. Rohan O’regan , 8. Mitchell Whiteley , 9. Jake Gordon , 10. Angus Roberts , 11. Harry Jones , 12. Andrew Robinson , 13. Jim Stewart , 14. Christian Yassmin , 15. Tom Kingston (c).
16. Declan Moore , 17. Alasdair King , 18. Matt Sandell , 19. Nick Coldrake , 20. John Mokofisi , 21. Richard Draper , 22. Jordan Mcgregor , 23. Sam Barclay
Greater Sydney Rams v Queensland Country
Saturday 12 September at Forshaw Park (Sydney). Kick off 3:00pm
One thing we can be almost certain of is – one of these teams will be leaving Forshaw Park, in Sylvania Waters, with their first win of the season. The Rams have bookended a 2nd round bye with a close loss to the Eagles and a rather large loss to the Vikings. Country has gone down to three of the top four teams in the competition, being the Rising, the Stars and Brisbane City.
There’s hope for both outfits however with both teams displaying a tenacity to match it with their higher placed colleagues. Perhaps its provincial bias, but I feel QLD Country have shown a little more on the park than the Rams however victory will be hard fought either way.
Key Match ups:
The 18 year old Campbell Magnay returned to the QLD Country side last week in the relatively unfamiliar position of inside centre. He did so with little drama and big results, in a memorable battle with Samu Kerevi. Eastwood’s Michael McDougall has held down the 12 jersey for the Rams so far this season and proved himself a good runner with a strong all round game and shutting down the teenage sensation opposite will be an important role for his team.
Skipper Jed Holloway is a stalwart of this Rams outfit and is a welcome first starter for the the Greater Sydney outfit at the back of the scrum and surely at the forefront of the action. His opposite No 8 is Jack Cornelsen (son of Greg) who has flittered between 6 and 8 so far this year, but at all times been impressive doing so.
2015 Form:
Rams – LBL
QLD Country – LLL
Tip: QLD Country by 5
Rams: 1 Jed Gillespie, 2 Siliva Siliva, 3 Cam Betham, 4 Fili Tufui, 5 Marcus Carbone, 6 Jono Hayes, 7 Cohen Masson, 8 Jed Holloway (C), 9 Dewet Roos, 10 Jai Ayoub, 11 Brad Curtis, 12 Michael McDougall, 13 Denny Godinet, 14 Paul Asquith, 15 Brenden Hartmann
16 Cameron Orr, 17 Max Holland, 18 Matt Gibbon, 19 Will Munro, 20 Kelly Meafau, 21 Taylor Adams, 22 Rohan Saifolo, 23 Jordan Heyer.
QLD Country: 1. Reuben Leilua, 2.Saia Fainga’a, 3. Sef Fa’agase, 4. Phil Potgieter, 5. Milton Sikuea, 6. Maclean Jones, 7. Conor Mitchell, 8. Jack Cornelsen, 9. James Tuttle, 10. Sam Greene, 11. Pierce Fitzgerald, 12. Matt Gordon, 13. Campbell Magnay, 14. Tom Banks, 15. Elliott Hagen.
16. Alex Mafi, 17. AJ Campbell, 18. Taniela Tupou, 19. Sam Reiser, 20. Tyrell Barker, 21. Scott Malolua, 22. Dion Taumata, 23. Teti Tela
Perth Spirit v UC Vikings
Saturday 12 September at McGillivray Fields (Perth). Kick off 3:30pm
Procarlos Sports Photography
McGillivray Fields host this match between the team that has probably been the most impressive so far and the one that has probably been the most disappointing. Whilst the Rays have had to face number 1 and 2 on the ladder (this week they face number 3), their 2nd round loss to the Rays was really one that got away for the 2014 Grand Finalists.
The Vikings have travelled along fairly untested so far, in a way that has been eerily similar to the Rising of 2014, having scored bonus point wins in both of their games this season. Their challenge this week will be trying to get their head around who they will actually face in the Spirit side, as the Perth unit continue with their rotational tactic.
Key Match ups:
I have to chuck a caveat in here as this is undoubtedly the hardest match up to do in advance of teams being named. I’ve failed in my guesses as to the Vikings team twice in a row now, and the Spirit is just too hard to pick given their policy of mixing teams up every week. But let’s give it a go.
Nigel Ah Wong has been terrorising opposition in the early rounds combining his pace and size to wreak havoc on defensive lines. In both those games he’s had about 10kgs (and 10cm) on his direct opposite number. This week we could see Junior Rasoloea finally match him for physicality for the Spirit meaning Ah-Wong should not get it all his own way in defence nor attack.
Who would have thought that the NRC will end up being such a breading ground for props? Australia currently has a group of props coming through that should have members of the Front Rowers Union beaming with pride. This weekend we get to see a few more of them bumping heads (and other body parts) in 22 year old Ollie Hoskins (off the bench this week) and 21 year old Allan Alaalatoa. The NRC is providing these guys access to high level coaching and competition for an extended part of the year, which is assisting in their set piece development but also enhancing their general field play.
2015 Form:
Spirit – LLL
Vikings – BWW
Tip: Vikings by 18
Spirit: 1. Francois van Wyk, 2. Anaru Rangi, 3. Tetera Faulkner, 4. Adrian Hall, 5. Ross Haylett-Petty, 6. Alex Rovira, 7. Kane Koteka, 8. Angus Cottrell (C), 9. Ryan Louwrens, 10. Luke Burton, 11. Brad Lacey, 12. Solomoni Rasolea, 13. Ammon Matuauto, 14. Maalonga Konelio, 15. Daley Harper.
16. Conan Houkamau, 17. Joe Savage, 18. Oliver Hoskins, 19. Riley Winter, 20. Auega Seumanutafa, 21. Michael Ruru, 22. Nick Jooste, 23. Davis Tavita
Vikings: 1. Allan Alaalatoa, 2. Robbie Abel, 3. Leslie Leulua’iali’i-Makin, 4. Jordan Smiler, 5. Blake Enever, 6. Dean Oakman-Hunt, 7. Jarrad Butler ©, 8. Ita Vaea, 9. Joe Powell, 10. Rodney Iona, 11. Lausii Taliauli, 12. James Dargaville, 13. Nigel Ah Wong, 14. Francis Fainifo, 15. Aidan Toua.
16. Albert Anae, 17. Sione Taula, 18. Tyrel Lomax, 19. Rowan Perry, 20. Gareth Clouston, 21. Brent Hamlin, 22. Mitch Third, 23. Jerome Niumata
Melbourne Rising have the Bye
