The rain has returned and so has the threat of postponements but hopefully a full Super League round will take place this weekend, to keep this enthralling season moving along.
Granville Rage will be one club who will want to make sure they’re in action. They will meet leaders Macarthur Rams at Garside Park on Sunday in a match which may decide who goes, or stays, top this weekend. Granville are in fine fettle at the moment, having won all four of their league games since the Easter break, a run of form which has seen them go from sixth to equal second, just two points behind their opponents this weekend, and with a match still to play. This will be a game well worth watching to see whether they can topple the league leaders.
Macarthur Rams won’t take any challenge lying down though. They have their own eyes on the top prize, and a win here will ensure that they remain first for at least another week. They were the only Super League team in action in the Waratah Cup midweek and took APIA Leichhardt to extra time before just going down by 4-3, a fine result for sure by the Rams who will be well set up to face the Rage.
Watch out for Holbrook v Gomez in the scoring stakes in this one.
Keeping tabs on the result of this match with interest will be Spirit FC. They will have played the night before at Arlington Oval where they travel to meet Dulwich Hill. A win for Spirit will see them reclaim first, at least for twenty four hours, something they will strive for so as to put as much pressure as possible on the Rams and the Rage. But again, Dulwich Hill will put up some stern resistance, as they did against Fraser Park last weekend and indeed, against the Spirit in round one.
Central Coast play their fifth home game in a row when they meet Sydney University. It is perhaps something of a disappointment for the Coast, who have picked up only five points from the twelve so far, and will face four away games after this. They will want to take full points here before they commence their road treks so University will have to be on their guard. Both teams need the points, Central Coast to keep in touch with the top half while Uni, with semi final ambitions of their own, can’t afford to slip any further.
St George face West Sydney Berries at home. The Saints will have welcomed the midweek break after a heavy recent match schedule while the Berries also ended up with the seven day break after their cup match on Wednesday was postponed. Both teams will be fired up for this as they both dropped points last weekend and slipped a little down the ladder as a result. They had a 1-1 draw on the opening day, there is every indication that this will be just as tight.
Fraser Park travel out to Francis Park to meet Blacktown Spartans. Following the appointment of David Perkovic at Sydenham, the confidence is rising and certainly the signing of Danny Wilson will be a boost. David Wilson too, is not too far away from returning to the field after injury, and the addition of the brothers to the Fraser Park lineup should see a brighter second half of the season. The Spartans, who were defeated by Fraser Park in round one, had a great win against the Berries last Saturday and will need another three points to keep in touch with the five.
At Mills Park it is Northern Tigers v Hills Brumbies. This will be intriguing…the lowest scorers (Tigers) v the leakiest defence (Hills). Which one will come up triumphant at 4.45 Sunday afternoon? Both desperately require the win with Northern Tigers needing to start collecting points to get anywhere near the finals while the Brumbies are threatening to lose touch down at the bottom. The Brumbies’ cup game against Sydney United was postponed on Wednesday but this may be a blessing in disguise as a tough midweek match may not have been an ideal preparation. It was a 3-3 draw at the beginning of the season, a late equaliser by the Brumbies making sure of a point. This is one game where a share of the spoils won’t be appreciated by either side.
-By Peter Rowney
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