Match One: Tamworth Kangaroos v Gunnedah Bulldogs at Number One Oval (1pm)
Another double-header in Tamworth this week and it should be a great game to start the footy feast! The third placed Roos will play host to the fourth placed Dogs in a match that will have some important ramifications to the make up of the ladder. Both these teams are coming off wins last start; the Roos accounted for the Cats easily whilst the Dogs scored a season defining win over the Nomads in Gunnedah. The Roos have had an up and down first half of this season, but could easily be sitting equal top right now after giving up a big lead a fortnight ago. They looked very threatening in the first half last week and looked poised for a massive win, but were very scrappy late on and didn’t put that huge win on the board that they were capable of. They won’t be able to get away with that attitude here. They are clearly struggling with a few injuries and unavailability of players, and if they can get their best 22 on the park this weekend this should be a walkover. However, if they produced an effort like last week, they could be rolled here. The Dogs have been threatening to produce a big win all year and pulled off the upset of the season so far in stopping the rampaging Nomads. They finally found some support up front with Andrew George chipping in some goals, and the return of Scott Hardy and Peter Chapman to their team has added some much needed experience. They cannot be taken lightly here and another upset would put them in a commanding position to hold onto fourth spot on the ladder at finals time.
TAFL Tipster – I think this one is just beyond the Dogs, and the Roos will need to win to stay in the hunt for the minor premiership. Roos by 14 points.
Match Two: Inverell Saints v New England Nomads at Varley Oval
It is quite a compliment that this game be considered the match of the round this weekend when you consider the calibre of games going on, but the top of the table clash promises to be a big one. The Saints have settled their season after a couple of losses, but were far from convincing last weekend in getting over the Swans. They did however, finally get that close win that had eluded them all season, and shook the Number One Oval hoodoo off their backs in the process. The Nomads fell to their first loss in 7 weeks, but the travel factor could well have kicked in for them after so many weeks on the road. They didn’t take their best team to Gunnedah last week, and will be keen to do so here and get what is an elusive win in the Sapphire City. The Saints are ravaged by injury at the moment, with another couple of star players going down early last week. However, Jason Gobbert is not using that as an excuse and is demanding his players to produce each week regardless of the team on the field. They needed to win last week for their own confidence, but know that this weekend is the biggest test they have had in the past month. The Nomads have taken all before them this season, and until last week’s loss were firming as flag favourites. They relinquished their position at the top of the table and will be keen to regain it this weekend with a win over the Saints. They were successful when these teams last met, and they have the running game to counter the Saints in close, contested game plan. If they are let lose on Varley Oval, they could be hard to catch.
TAFL Tipster – The Nomads have the shortest trip of any team to Varley and will be ready to run the Saints off the park. Nomads by 10 points.
Match Three: Tamworth Swans v Muswellbrook Cats at Number One Oval (3pm)
Yet another cracking match for the weekend! By 5pm Saturday, one of these teams will probably know that their finals chances are all but gone. The Swans were impressive last week and right in the game until the final seconds while the Cats started slowly, but showed some potential in the second half. The outcome of this one will depend upon which team plays to its potential best. The Swans have nurtured some young talent this season and are starting to reap the rewards now. However, they still rely heavily on their older veterans, with Gavin Knee and Damien Wendt continuing to produce footy at the highest standard. If they can establish a good balance between youth and experience, and maybe a big target up front, they will consider themselves a re hot chance this weekend. The Cats have seen a once promising season derail of late, but they were impressive in flashes last week. They can spread and run with the best teams in the competition, but have troubles maintaining that for the entire 4 quarters. When these teams met last, the boys from Muswellbrook pulled off a stirring victory and they will keen to do the same here. Their biggest problem could be a third consecutive road trip, which as we saw with the Nomads last weekend, can start to have an effect of a team’s play. But at their best, they have a real shot here.
TAFL Tipster – Just being wary of the travelling fatigue, the Swans by 25 points.
Last Modified on 26/06/2012 13:04