Match One: New England Nomads v Tamworth Swans at Bellevue Oval Saturday 2pm
The first match of the weekend sees the Nomads hosting the Swans in Armidale. The Nomads return home for the first time this year to unfurl the Premiers banner and are full of confidence following last week’s big win. The Swans head to Armidale in the knowledge they were better than the score line suggested last week and that they must get out of the blocks quicker this week.
The Nomads were ultra impressive in Narrabri last Saturday. In trying conditions they controlled the flow of the game, kicking with the breeze in the opening stanza and completely dominating the Eagles on their home turf. Zac Economou would have been delighted with his first game in charge and the Nomads showed they will once again be a force in 2014.
As mentioned above, the Swans were slow to react last week and ultimately it cost them the match. In very wet and cold conditions they couldn’t get their hands on the footy in the first quarter and only wayward kicking kept them close. Their second half was much better and they ran the game out well in the last 25 minutes despite the result being over. A more aggressive start this week will be sought after to try to put the Nomads on the back foot early.
These clubs have a history of close matches early in the season. The Nomads have hit the ground running in 2014 and appear to be suffering no Premiership hangover in the early going. A win at Bellevue is very hard for any visiting team and the Swans will need to improve significantly on last week’s effort to get the win here.
TAFL Tipster – Nomads by 10 goals
Match Two: Tamworth Kangaroos v Narrabri Eagles at Number One Oval Saturday 2pm
The Roos host their second game of the year this weekend as they battle the returning Eagles at TAFL headquarters. The Roos had to contend with the tough elements and the opposition last week under lights and came away with an impressive victory to start the season. The Eagles hosted the Nomads in a tough initiation back into the TAFL and found the Premiers a little too slick.
The Roos look to be a more focused group this season with some new recruits adding to an already impressive list. Matt Hodge was at his destructive best last weekend with 9 goals but the Tipster was very impressed with Nick Frawley in his first game in the TAFL. The pair provided a nice one-two punch last weekend and could well take the TAFL by storm this season. Brett Douglas would have been happy with his troops as they ran out the 4 quarters impressively to sound an ominous warning to the competition.
The Eagles are out of the frying pan and into the fire this week. After taking on the Nomads they now have the tough ask of hitting the road for the first time this season to battle the Roos. They were blown away early in their contest last week but kept battling hard in true Eagles spirit. They had some good contributions from a few returning veterans but lacked a strong target up front to get a score. They will need to get that right very soon with the Roos defence renowned for their stingy nature.
On form, it is hard to see this match going any other way than a Roos win. They are at home and coming off an impressive Round 1 win and face the Eagles who are still looking to get settled back into footy. An upset is not an impossibility, but the Roos should win this.
TAFL Tipster – Roos by 43 points
Match Three: Gunnedah Bulldogs v Inverell Saints at Wolseley Oval Saturday 2pm
The final match of the weekend sees the Bulldogs hosting the Saints at Wolseley Oval. The Dogs are coming off an encouraging performance under lights in Tamworth in dreadful conditions whilst the Saints hit the road for the second time this season following their win earlier in the day against the Swans.
These two teams have had some interesting battles in Gunnedah over the years. The trip south always seems to be a tricky one for the Saints and the Dogs will be keen to exploit that this weekend. They played good footy in patches last weekend and were not suited to the slippery conditions with their tall timber across the park. They will be hoping for more generous conditions this week as they work towards their first win of 2014.
The Saints started 2014 with a good win in the wet at Tamworth last week, putting to bed something of a hoodoo at Number One Oval. However they face another tough task this weekend against the Dogs hitting the road again before a long home stand. They welcomed back some old faces last week who were brilliant, with Luke Selig and Tom Williams controlling the midfield for the Saints in an area they have struggled with in recent history.
The Dogs were far from disgraced last start and the Saints have plenty to prove with a trip to Gunnedah. This game could well be the match of the round this weekend and the Dogs are not without a chance of causing an upset.
TAFL Tipster – Saints by 3 goals
Last Modified on 06/05/2014 14:58