Heritage Round Preview
April 17th 2008 03:15
Round 6 of the Telstra Premiership will see all teams wear their foundation jerseys to commemorate Heritage round. It will be a weekend full of emotion and passion but most importantly, it represents an opportunity for teams that are struggling to finally hit the road running in season 2008.
Eels Vs Sea Eagles
This is a huge clash for both sides as they are both on 4 competition points and eager to start gathering much needed momentum. The Eels have been Jekyll and Hyde since the start of the season and really need to take control of their performances is if they are to be premiership contenders. Tim Smith’s sudden exit from the game due to health problems has opened the door for Brett Finch to take control. Against the Bulldogs in round 1 Finch dominated and orchestrated a defining Eels comeback that many predicted would be the cornerstone of another red hot season. They have since gone backwards in attack and defence, resulting in back to back losses to the Cowboys and Titans respectively. In saying this, Finch has been the Eels best player by the distance of the Nile River and clearly would sense that this is his time to shine. The Sea Eagles in defence have been very solid but the lack of attack this team is showing worries me. Without Monaghan, Matt Orford has taken all the responsibility and this has dented their firepower out wide. Brett Stewart can only ever do so many brilliant things and when things get tough, the Sea Eagles have not fired. Parramatta will look to dominate early on and if they score first, expect a high scoring Eels victory.
Titans Vs Broncos
The season’s success story so far in the Titans come up against a Broncos side that looks rejuvenated and fresh. The Broncos have developed great ball playing forwards and this has seen them score a lot of points this year. Their backs are always reliable and dangerous with Hunt and Hodges the main focal points. Peter Wallace and Michael Ennis are leading the team around brilliantly, and even without Lockyer, Brisbane seem to look comfortable on the ball. But the Titans at Skilled Stadium will provide a stern test. Half back Scott Prince is without doubt the best ball player in the competition. Whether it be his short kicking or passing game, dummying skills or his ability to find a 40/20, Prince is the complete package and the Titans will be eager for him to produce a blinder against his former club. This match has the makings of a classic derby with plenty of points in both sides. It really could come down to crowd support. If Brisbane can silence the home crowd by posting early points, they will gain a significant advantage in momentum and will leave it to experts such as Ennis and Wallace to suffocate the life out of the Gold Coast outfit. However the Titans will be primed for a huge performance and I just feel home ground advantage could be the deciding factor in this one. Titans to win in a beauty.
Bulldogs Vs Dragons
The desperation stakes are high for both teams in this clash with both coming of back to back losses and really eager to kick start their respective campaigns. Mark Gasnier has been ruled out for a month and that alone sees the Dragons attack spiral downward. He is without doubt their greatest attacking weapon and will have to make do without him for a period that sees the famous club on the edge of oblivion. The Bulldogs on the other hand have not been that bad. Despite losses to the Roosters and Warriors, The Canterbury outfit has tried hard and they do have more attacking arsenals than the St George outfit. Sonny Bill Williams has been in supreme form this season and will tear the Dragons apart if their forwards keep up their ill discipline. Luke Patten has been in terrific form as well and is fast developing a deadly combination with Williams. The Dragons only hope in attack seems to be targeting Matt Utai’s wing with precision kicking from Hornby. Other than that ,the Dragon’s are lacking a quality ball playing forward and really need to cut off their error rate to stand a chance against the Bulldogs. In the end this game has Bulldog’s victory written all over it and the Canterbury club will know they can ill afford to drop this one.
Sharks Vs Panthers
Ricky Stuart has to be commended for achieving what he has achieved in the game. The Sharks in the off season set themselves a pact of never losing a close game again. Can you believe that this team led 18 times at half time last season, only to lose the majority of their games? But what happened is now irrelevant. The Sharks have now garnered enough experience to suggest that they will be there late September. They have lead all their games this year and have only lost once. All this in the opening month where they had to play away from home due to renovation activities in Toyota Park. There has been a massive renovation at the Sharks this season and will be hell bent on winning their first home game against the Penrith Panthers. The Panthers promise so much and really often do not deliver for one reason or another. They have a lot of Test players in their ranks but there seems to be no fluency in attack or defence. Penrith are a team that thrive on confidence, so if their heads are still not right ,expect the Cronulla Sharks to post a big victory.
Cowboys Vs Warriors
If this game was played anywhere on the Shaky Isles, you could literally put your life savings on the Warriors to perform and come away with the points. However much can not be said when the New Zealand side play away. Unless they can combat this pathetic record they have when travelling to Australia, the Warriors will never be in another Grand Final. The Cowboys despite two wins on the trot have not convinced me yet that they are capable of performing against the elite teams in the competition. Their defence has improved out of site but will face a test against the more mobile Kiwi forwards. Manu Vatuvei for the Warriors holds the key here. He can be the most influential winger in the competition for good and bad, but the Warriors need him to stay solid. If he eliminates the mistakes out of his game starting on Saturday night, He could be set for a huge season. Once again Johnathon Thurston will most likely break this game open and he looks set to dominate if his rival in Scott Prince has a terrific evening Against the Broncos. I’m Staying with the Cowboys in a close contest.
Roosters Vs Knights
The Sydney Roosters are without doubt the form team of the competition with Braith Anasta and Mitchell Pearce steering the side around beautifully. Their forward pack is one that continually dominates in attack and defence and it looks set to be the case here. The Knights despite three losses on the trot, have been very competitive and if it was not for Kurt Gidley’s kicking woes against Brisbane last week, the game could have been closer than first thought. In saying this, Gidley and Buderus are playing very well and if Mullen makes his return from injury earlier than expected, Newcastle’s attack will increase tenfold. However they need everything to click if they are a chance against a rampaging Roosters outfit. The Knights have always been able to score points but leak tries from any part of the field. Look for Sam Perrett and Amos Roberts to each have an eventful afternoon with the ball in their hands. If Tupou, Paea and Mason are allowed to dominate, the Knights will be in for a very long afternoon . Kind of like the one they experienced at Suncorp Stadium last year. Brad Fittler has the side focused and primed for a big attacking assault on Newcastle this Sunday.
Tigers Vs Rabbitohs
Two great rivals will play at a ground full of history and passion. The SCG will host what will be a huge contest between both sides that are desperate for victory. The Tigers after starting the season on fire have fallen away like a pebble splashing in water. It is without doubt that the loss against the Raiders after leading by 14 points would have hurt. Tim Sheens has lot of rebuilding to do with a side that is lacking composure and confidence in attack and defence. South Sydney on the other hand are fairing a lot worse. They are now in a position of a must win mentality for most of their games this season and this alone can break or set up a tremendous revival. If the Rabbitohs are set to start their campaign for glory, it has to occur on Sunday, at the SCG where so much of their history has been written. Expect a very passionate and tight tussle. One that has the potential to go to golden point. On form and player roster, The Tigers should win but these type of games are always dangerous for tipsters.
Raiders Vs Storm
Like the Warriors, The Canberra Raiders are a very dependable unit at home, even against such an imposing rival in the Melbourne Storm. Let’s face it the Raiders thrive on playing great football for their fans and are real value for this match. They should have never won against the Tigers last week but somehow conjured a miracle comeback that showcased the talent of Todd Carney. He is a big game player and will need every ounce of patience and skill to go his way against the Storm. The Storm have been very impressive of late and Billy Slater is in the form of his career. If he gets his way the Storm will win by plenty. However if this game remains close around the 60 minute mark, The Raiders will fancy their chances big time. I really feel the Raiders could cause an upset in Canberra in a brilliant attacking contest.
| 78 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
