The Saints confirmed their fifth consecutive finals appearance on Saturday with a commanding 38 point victory over the New England Nomads. The Nomads were keen to keep their finals hopes alive, however a 5 goal to none final quarter put them away and out of the finals for 2009. For the Saints, the dream of a top 2 finish is still alive, however finishing off the season with another 2 wins is needed to accomplish the task.
The match started well for the Saints, who took the ball forward from the first bounce and had 4 entries into the forward 50 before the Nomads had a chance to settle into the game. From these entries, the Saints booted 2 quick goals and were away. However the Nomads responded, and slowly got on top of the Saints around the ground, and kicked the next 3 of the quarter to take a slender lead into the first change.
It was up to the Saints to respond, and their second quarter was greatly improved, outscoring the Nomads 5 goals to 2 and setting up what looked like a game breaking lead. Beau Ryan was getting on top of his opposite number up forward, and Stewart Walker was proving influential through the midfield. The Saints were also able to repel any attacks through the strong marking of Gary Hadland in the backline and good run supplied by those around him.
The message was pretty simple from Peter Heath at the half, continue along the same way and the game was there for the taking. However, as seems to be the trend for the Saints in recent weeks, the third quarter was definately their worst, allowing the Nomads back into the game with careless errors and slack marking. The Nomads however, let the Saints off the hook, failing to capitalise on the advantage, kicking only 2 goals to the Saints 1. This meant the margin was 8 points headed into the final change.
The last quarter was all one way traffic, with the Saints picking up the slack again late in the game, controlling the midfield and making the most of their opportunities. The final margin of 38 points probably flattered the Saints, however their ability to put teams away seems to have returned after a 12 month hiatus. It was certainly a win that characterised the Saints season of 2007, and the officials and players can only hope that that form will return for the remainder of this season.
It will be a big week for the Saints as they host 4th place Gunnedah this weekend, with a chance to stake their claim for the top 2. A win all but relegates the Dogs to 4th, however a loss puts the Saints in that position and facing the prospect of travelling for 3 weeks if they want to take the flag. There is plenty to play for, and the competition for spots on this team is red hot, so all players are urged to make it to training this week.
Last Modified on 11/08/2009 14:27