Game 1: Nomads v Saints
What a game this will be, the two best teams after the first 4 matches face off for the right to sit atop of the ladder on Saturday night. The Nomads form is interesting to look at. Their one game away from Bellevue this year was a loss followed by their thumping of the Cats and the Kangaroos. Then they had the Bulldogs forfeit last week which in the middle of the competition wouldn't be so bad but at this stage when they are getting used to the style of a new coach it's not ideal. That said they will be waiting with excitement at the chance to take on the competitions yardstick. The Saints will also be very excited to be going up against the Nomads as they should get a real challenge for the first time this year. So far this year the Saints have won their games by an average of 95.5 points and averaged 23 goals a game. That is going to be where the Nomads, their backline, are going to be tested the most if the Saints midfield gets on top. I saw the Saints for the first time last week and I have got to say they blew me away. Leigh Turner in the ruck started a lot of the drives forward and was almost unstoppable. The Saints may have appeared to be wasteful in the first quarter kicking 4 goals 9 behinds. But to put it into perspective the first 5 of those behinds were rushed through by the Swans. As was the last behind of the quarter and 2 of the 3 that the Saints kicked hit the post. The Swans were certainly under enormous pressure in the first quarter.
Tip: This game is going to be a great one to watch and usually I would go for the home team in this situation. But on this occasion I just can't go past the Saints to win by 16 points.
Game 2: Cats v Swans
This game is going to go a long way to shaping the ladder for both teams. The Cats started the year well with their win over the Bulldogs before struggling to take a team to Armidale. Next they ran into the Saints juggernaut and last week had a de-facto bye as their game against the Kangaroos is deferred to the 19th May. The Swans on the other hand have had a very up and down season and going with their form are due to win this week. They were not disgraced last against the Saints, despite the margin, as they only had 17 men. The Cats have been struggling for a few years and took giant steps last year so this year more improvement is expected, especially with the quality of their kids. The Swans were very excited to get Rick Watt back this year and he said he was happy that his Swans did what he asked of them last week against the Saints.
Tip: This is a hard game to tip as it depends on how many of the Swans travel. I will go for the home team this time though by 27 points.
Game 3: Bulldogs v Kangaroos
The hard part about finding a winner in this game is that both teams' form lines are all over the place. It would be very easy just to say that the Kangaroos will win here and leave it at that. But the Bulldogs have always been a very proud club and their forfeit last week was completely out of the ordinary for them. I have seen them take as little as 14 players to Armidale before as their determination not to forfeit was that great. So I think they will be doing everything possible to put as strong a team as possible on the ground this week. The Kangaroos have been very hit and miss this year which is not like them at all. Two big beatings were separated by their thumping of the Swans. After their win over the Swans I thought they were back on track but the loss to the Nomads was much greater than I expected. The Bulldogs will be a very different outfit if they can get their best team together but that is the big question can they get their best team together.
Tip: I want to tip the Bulldogs but I just can't this time. Kangaroos to win by 38 points.
Last Modified on 09/05/2012 21:50