By John Gibson

Belconnen United FC (6 wins, 1 draw, 1 losses – 19pts)
Belconnen United are sitting on top of the ladder at the half way mark and deservedly so. The Blue Devils are the only team that can really be described as always consistent, losing only one of their opening eight matches. This is made more impressive considering the number of injuries they have had. The offseason looked like a hard one for the premiers, losing a few key players. However Dean Ugrinic picked up some very handy replacements that have fit into the ever-impressive core of Belconnen. Matt Grbesa’s partnership with Jack Blackley has been strong at the back, with Conor Nolan and Danai Gapare also adding to Belconnen’s usual suspects. If they can avoid any more injuries, it will be difficult to see the Blue Devils getting bumped from top spot and earning back-to-back titles.

Canberra FC (5 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses – 16pts)
Canberra FC finished the first half of the season with a dominant display against Woden-Weston FC. This was a welcome change from the few weeks previous where they struggled, gaining only one point. Zoran Glavinic’s men came into the season on fire, taking maximum points in the first four games. With a talented front line bolstered by new additions Muad Zwed and Thomas James, goals were streaming in for last year’s grand finalists, netting 28 times in eight games. Hoping that they can continue the form of their last game, FC will be happy to be sitting three points off of top spot. With the class they have through the whole squad, Canberra FC is usually amongst it at the end of the year and this season looks no different.

Tigers FC (6 wins, 0 draws, 2 losses – 15pts*)
Tigers FC have had a tremendous first half of the year, taking maximum points in six of their eight games. One of the most dangerous teams in the competition going forward, the Tigers are very difficult for opposition defenders. Lucas Montana’s addition to a team already containing Alex Oloriegbe and Julian Borgna has seen the treble score an impressive nineteen goals of the Tigers’ 26. If they didn’t lose three competition points, deducted for not applying the mechanics of the PPS correctly to their playing roster, The Tigers would be only one point off top spot. That aside, if they can continue scoring at will, last years’ League Champions and NPL Finals series representatives will cause some trouble come finals time. 

Canberra Olympic (4 wins, 2 draws, 2 losses – 14pts)
Canberra Olympic round out the top four at this stage of the season but would feel they could be higher on the competition ladder. Olympic has one of the best squads in the competition with talent all over the park. 4 wins and two draws from eight matches isn’t a bad return by any means, but with the addition of Tom McLachlan, Philippe Bernabo-Madrid and 2014 player of the year Robbie Cattanach, Olympic could be accused of underachieving at this stage. On their day they are able to tear teams apart, with Tuggeranong United and FFA COE being on the receiving end of this damaging side. If they can play like this on a regular basis, the whole competition will be hard pressed to stop them. The only downside is losing Bernabo- Madrid for the season with an ACL injury. Poor luck for a player in great form – hopefully we see him on the park again sooner rather than later. 

FFA Centre of Excellence (4 wins, 2 draws, 2 losses - 14pts)
There is no doubting that FFA COE is a threat to every team in the competition. The boys from the AIS have been clinical in many of their games and boast the skills to dictate matches against much older and experienced opposition. Putting six goals past Canberra FC has been the highlight so far, with Nicholas Panetta netting seven times in an impressive start to the season. Having such a big squad may be the only thing holding FFA COE back with the match day squad changing on a weekly basis effecting continuity. Even though they can’t play finals, there is no doubting the scholarship holders will be going for top spot at the end of the season and with a formidable squad, they will be in with a chance. 

Gungahlin United FC (3 wins, 2 draws, 3 losses – 11pts)
Gungahlin United will be disappointed being outside the top four, plain and simple. The newest team in the PS4 NPL had a very aggressive recruitment drive in the offseason and boast some of the league’s best players. It is safe to say that so far they haven’t reached the level they would have set themselves at the start of the year. With all three wins this season coming against opposition below them on the ladder, it is important for the Gunners to start getting wins against tougher competition if they want to play finals in their first year. It isn’t unrealistic to demand the results either, with some of Canberra’s best donning the black and gold this season. Dustin Wells, Stephen Domenici and Jack Green have all come from previously successful teams and are used to winning. If they can get on a roll, they will hurt teams and compete at season’s end. If they don’t click soon, they will look back and see this year as a disappointment, even if it is their maiden season.

Woden-Weston FC (1 win, 2 draws, 5 losses – 5pts)
After the merger of Woden Valley and Weston-Molonglo there was some hope that the Southsiders would have a more competitive team this year and challenge to play in the finals come the end of the year. Miro Trninic has brought together a squad from a variety of places with a good mixture of experience and youth. However, so far Woden-Weston FC have struggled in the most part, culminating in their worst result of the season to date, a 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Canberra FC. To be more competitive in the second half of the season, smarter and more clinical play will be necessary. Nikolas Popovich and Andrew Slavich have been threating going forward, with the former working his way back from injury and showing some glimpses of the abundance of skill he has.

Monaro Panthers FC (1 win, 2 draws, 5 losses – 5pts)
The Panthers have had a hard start to the season, losing their opening two games and conceding eleven goals in the process. The season hasn’t gotten much easier, with Graeme Plath’s team getting points in only three games. They have assembled a serviceable roster and probably are unlucky not to have gained a few more points. As usual, Mark Shields has been strong up front, scoring five goals so far this campaign whilst Michael Mensah, on loan from Canberra FC, has looked like a decent pick-up. Like Woden-Weston, the second half of their season will be decided on the dedication of the squad. If they aren’t willing to work hard, it could be a tough nine more weeks. If they are able to come together, don’t be surprised if they take points off more fancied opponents with a raft of youngsters waiting in the wings to make an impact.

Tuggeranong United FC (0 wins, 0 wins, 8 losses – 0pts)
Tuggeranong United have struggled this season, still not earning a point in the competition after 9 Rounds of action. The results probably don’t reflect the effort though, with a few games being lost late in the game. Without the distraction of the Westfield FFA Cup, in which they reached the semi-finals before losing narrowly to Belconnen United at McKellar Park, United can now focus on getting off the mark and start challenging for results. Zac Munster has again been good up front, scoring three times in the league, and five times in the Cup, while being a constant threat and has been supported by the impressive Tomas Ruiz. Don’t be surprised to see Steve Forshaw look to his youth teams in the second half of the competition, with Tuggies boasting some talented up-and-comers who will benefit from game time this campaign