Game one is in Armidale at the New England Nomads house of pain Bellevue Oval. The Nomads have won all 5 home games this year by a total of 377 points, including three wins by over 100 points each. Only the Saints and Kangaroos have pushed them at home losing to the Nomads by 19 and 18 points respectively. All this does not bode well for their challenger the Gunnedah Bulldogs. The Bulldogs have struggled for numbers this year but they have acquitted themselves well with only last week's loss to the Cats at the Cattery their biggest disappointment on the road this year. The Nomads have set their season up nicely and while mathematically they can get to top spot in reality they will finish second and get a home game in the first week of the finals. I can't see the Bulldogs having the team to stop the Nomads and after beating the Nomads in round six by 12 points the Nomads will be keen set the record straight. The Nomads have class on every line of their team and their star studded forward line of veteran Weston Whitby and new comers Dave Richards and Hamish Ross will be too strong for the Bulldogs.
Prediction: If the Bulldogs could kick straight they may stem the damage, but the Nomads will win by 53 points.
This is the last game of a disappointing year for the Tamworth Swans. And it only gets worse for them as they host the top of the table Tamworth Kangaroos in the battle for the Billy Holder Cup. Only 3 goals separated these two teams last time and I expect that the Swans will give it everything they have got to beat the arch enemy and get off the bottom of the ladder. The Swans have never finished last before and this year will be only the second time they have missed finals. The Kangaroos this year have been able to field a good even team with good players rather than a star studded team and as the old saying goes 'a champion team will beat a team of champions any day' and that is their biggest asset. In recent weeks the Kangaroos have welcomed back their coach Tim Cotter and Dan Overeem. And when they can get premiership captain Geordie Ackeroyd and Luke Fox and Zeb Taylor back they are only going to get stronger.
Prediction: The Swans will be gallant here but the Kangaroos will win in a closer game than expected by 26 points.
The last game sees the Inverell Saints host the Narrabri Eagles. The Eagles have fallen away towards the back end of the season. I think they were the fittest team in the competition at the start of the year and caught all the other teams napping. Now the other teams have caught up fitness wise and they are finding it harder. They certainly have a good enough team to be higher up the ladder, I just think they have lost a bit of their inner drive at the moment. The Saints have been improving every week and last week's loss to the Kangaroos was their first loss in six rounds. They very nearly pulled that game off last week and showed the Kangaroos and the Nomads that it is a three way race to the Essential Energy Cup. That said finals is a new season and if they can finish the season in fourth place and that is a distinct possibility, then it will be game on. But first they have to overcome the Saints this week.
Prediction: The Saints are more seasoned at playing hard finals type footy and will not let this one slip. The Saints will win by 48 points.
Last Modified on 10/08/2011 21:55