Match One: New England Nomads v Tamworth Swans at Bellevue Oval Saturday 2pm
The first match of the weekend sees the rampant Nomads playing host the winless Swans. These teams met in Round 1 when the Nomads were vastly under strength but still proved far too good in Tamworth. The Swans will need to build on their impressive efforts over the past month to be any chance of pulling off an upset here.
The Nomads have an embarrassment of riches this season and have picked up several good recruits in the off season, namely Power standouts Jed Ellis-Cluff and Harry Freund. They have also welcomed back Weston Whitby who has returned from a stint in WA and adds to an already explosive midfield. Their forward line has many weapons, being led by the twin towers of James Boatfield and Simon Stubbs, with Dave Richards and Ellis-Cluff always about to mop of the crumbs. Their backline has been as stingy as ever this season, with coach Tom Granleese leading by example. It’s hard to find any kind of weakness across the park and rival TAFL clubs will be desperate to find any kind of chink in the impressive armour.
The Swans have shown a great amount of improvement over the past few weeks. By their own admission they were disappointing in Round1, but have steadily built since that outing. They more than held their own against the Saints last start and have shown an ability to dominate teams over one or two quarters this year. The challenge for Andrew Donohue is ensuring his troops maintain this intensity over the full 100 minutes. Sam Shelton has been a standout for the Swans so far this season and will again be called upon to be a standout performer on Saturday. Nathan Bradburn has added some starch to the midfield and the hard-nosed edge of club President Josh McKenzie helps guide the Swans around the field.
It is really difficult to see any team getting a win over the Nomads in the near future while ever the Armidale boys are at their best. There may be some weariness in the legs of their Power representatives in this clash and may approach this game with 4 points in mind before a ball is bounced. That attitude could help the Swans who love nothing more than getting down and dirty and causing an upset. This would be a big ask, but a Swans win is not out of the question.
TAFL Tipster – After seeing Tom Granleese close up last week, I’m sure he won’t let the Nomads slip in this one. Nomads by 45 points
Match Two: Muswellbrook Cats v Inverell Saints at Werriman Field Saturday 2pm
Finally, the Cats get to play a game at home this season. Following a frustrating first month of the competition where they have had to re-schedule their first 5 rounds, they get to play on the new surface at Werriman Field, and welcome the second placed Saints who make the longest road trip in football. The Saints recorded a healthy win in Round 1 over the Cats and will look to continue their recent winning run over the boys from Muswellbrook.
The Cats have started the season with a 1-4 record, recording a memorable 2 point win over the Swans in Round 4. They were soundly beaten last start by the Roos in Tamworth, and will be keen to put that result behind them in this clash. They have unearthed a genuine star in Cameron Davis who will shoulder the ruck duties against the physical Saints big men but also loves to drift forward and kick some much needed goals. Jackson Bower has played some fantastic footy through the middle. If he can get away from the Saints midfield and cause some havoc, he will give the Cats a great chance of winning. Throw in the experienced heads of Brain Martin and Ken Garland and the Cats have a bona fide shot of beating the Saints for the first time since 2008.
The Saints make the long trip down the highway on the back of 3 straight wins and will be keen to keep the pressure on the Nomads at the top of the ladder. They have played some impressive footy at times this season but struggled last week against the Swans when they couldn’t get clean ball out of the middle. That delivery will come primarily Power rep Hayden Chappel who was fantastic in the last quarter of the rep game last weekend. The Cats will need to nullify his influence on the game. Another Power rep that impressed last week was Hamish Bird and his pace and precise delivery into the forward line has become a feature of his play. And one can’t forget Power medallist Mike Gould, who got a few uncharacteristic misses on goal out of his system in Port Macquarie and will be fired up for a big one here.
As mentioned above, the Cats have not beaten the Saints since 2008 and will be keen to arrest that trend this weekend. Both teams will attest the 5 hour bus ride certainly takes something out of the legs and the Casts will be keen to exploit that early in this clash. If they can catch the Saints hopping they have every chance of taking the 4 points here.
TAFL Tipster – The Saints winning streak to stay alive, but only just. Saints by 12 points
Match Three: Gunnedah Bulldogs v Tamworth Kangaroos at Wolseley Oval Saturday 2pm
The final match of the weekend sees the Bulldogs playing host the Kangaroos in Gunnedah. The Dogs are coming off a tough loss to the Nomads in Armidale which was compounded by the loss of their captain Andrew George to a serious knee injury. The Kangaroos easily accounted for the Cats in Tim Cotter last match for the club and will be keen to continue on that winning form here.
The Bulldogs have impressed in the early season. They were unlucky not to be closer to the Roos in Round 1 and then backed that up with good wins over the Swans and Cats. They have failed to beat one of the top 3 sides so far this year and will be very keen to do just that here at home. Without George, coach Scott Hardy will be called upon to take up more of the ball from the midfield. He was outstanding for the Power last weekend and will need to be just as good this weekend. Michael Kennedy was another that stood out for the Power and his rebounding ability from the backline will be used to start many attacking forays for the Dogs. Veteran Chris Gee will need to kick a bag for the Gunnedah boys to win but he has proven that he still has the nous to kick a big bag.
The Roos have had an up and down start to the season so under new coach Brett Douglas. They recorded a win over the Dogs in Round 1 and handled the intensity of local derby in Round 2. A surprise forfeit to the Saints followed by a bad loss to the Nomads left them struggling a little, but their win against the Cats last start was as good as any so far this season. They will certainly miss their former captain/coach for the remainder of this season, but have more than able replacements in Matt Hodge and Alex Hudson who love nothing more than drifting forward and kicking goals. Their seasoned veterans Col Daye and Dan Johnson will lead the defence and look to restrict the Dogs forwards.
The Dogs have had a while between victories over the Roos. They have the personnel and game plan to topple the boys from Tamworth, but that’s much easier said than done. The Roos will be keen to start the post-Cotter era off with a win and history suggests they can here.
TAFL Tipster – The Roos keep in touch with the top two and get over the line. Roos by 15 points
Last Modified on 22/05/2013 18:49