New England Nomads v Muswellbrook Cats at Bellevue Oval
The Nomads and Cats clash this Saturday afternoon, not at Werriman Field but rather at Bellevue following the Muswellbrook ground again being unavailable. It marks the third straight week the Cats will be on the road, and with another away game next week in Tamworth they face the first month on the road to start the season. The Nomads have started the season on fire and get another game at on the wide expanse of Bellevue and will like their chances of beating the travel-weary Cats.
As mentioned above, the Nomads have hit the ground running hard in 2013. They dismantled the Swans in Week 1, and last week were too good for the Saints. The scariest thought for all the opposition clubs is that they have been well under-strength in both those clashes, and with Uni holidays coming to a close, Tom Granleese will hoping to get his best 22 on in the field in the coming weeks. When that happens they will be very tough to beat. Granleese has unearthed a couple of new stars this season, with newcomer Jed Ellis-Cluff and Toby Marchart very strong last weekend. Dave Graan has started this season on fire through the middle with Benji Julien a rock in the defensive line. Add to the mix the twin towers of Simon Stubbs and James Boatfield, this Nomads side looks very formidable.
The Cats have started the season with a couple of losses, but have been far from disgraced in both matches. They fought hard last Sunday in Gunnedah and were playing their best footy late in the clash. Once again, they have brought along some young players who will only improve over time yet still have the mix of experienced heads showing guidance to the younger players. Brian Martin has had an impressive start to the season, with Jackson Bower and Cameron Davis forming a good combination through the middle. Big Ken Garland was a focal point up front last week and if they can find some support up forward the Cats have the potential to be very competitive this season.
There’s plenty going against the Cats in this clash. The second longest road trip and third straight away from home with a 6-day turnaround from a warm day in Gunnedah last Sunday. They will fight all the way to the last siren but it’s hard to tip against the Nomads at home here.
TAFL Tipster – Nomads to win it by 45 points
Gunnedah Bulldogs v Tamworth Swans at Wolseley Oval
Wolseley Oval will play host to a game between two rivals that have in recent seasons battled for finals spots. Over that time, they have had many close contests including an epic battle in the final round of last season in the race for fourth spot. In the corresponding match last season, the Swans pipped the Dogs at the post and the boys from Gunnedah will be keen to reverse that result this weekend.
The Dogs have started the season in positive fashion. They were game against the Roos under lights in Round 1 before falling just short and then won impressively last weekend against the Cats at home. New coach Scott Hardy has led from the front on the field and won a lot of hard ball in the middle last week and floated forward to slot a couple of goals as well. His partner-in-crime Andrew George has started the season on fire and the pair form a one of the best midfields in the competition. Mitchell Swain was super impressive last week, but a leg injury could well rule him out for a short term which will certainly be a blow for the Dogs as they started to run out of legs late in the game. Swain pushed forward and kicked 4 goals as well, so much of the scoring load falls onto the Dogs smaller forwards and midfielders to fill that hole.
The Swans were a different team last week in the Tamworth Derby. In Round 1, they would have fancied their chances against the Nomads but were soundly beaten by the reigning premiers, but turned it all around last week against the Roos. They held a 3 goal lead at the long break but couldn’t hold the Roos out in the second. Andrew Donohue must have been impressed with the turn around from Round 1 and will hope to see even more improvement this week. They also have a few young stars starting to come through the ranks, and will hope to see even more improvement over the coming weeks. Veteran Damien Wendt returned to the fold last week, and his experience will prove invaluable through the middle this week.
This match has traditionally been a close battle between the two sides. Early season form is pretty difficult to distinguish in this case, with the form line drawn through the Roos making this look like another close match. With the match being at home, the Dogs probably hold a slight edge, but if the Swans come out here with same passion as last week, they will be hard to topple.
TAFL Tipster – The Dogs just to win at home by 5 points
Inverell Saints v Tamworth Kangaroos at Varley Oval
The Saints head home to Varley for the first time in 2013 and start with a blockbuster against the Roos in a replay of the 2010 Grand Final at the same venue. In fact since 2007, these two clubs have fought out the last weekend of the season 4 times. They have a rich rivalry over that span and in can be argued that the Roos may have slight edge over the Saints, beating them in the past seasons at Varley Oval.
The Saints backed up their first round win with a solid performance last week but were unable to get over the Nomads in Armidale. Jason Gobbert may well see that as an opportunity lost especially given the personnel the Nomads were missing and will be desperate not to lose this clash. The Saints have recruited well over the off season, with Hayden Chappel impressive in the midfield so far, and new Reid brothers Mick and Simon proving their worth early in the season. Mike Gould start Round 1 with a 13 goal haul but was held without a major last week and so much of the Saints success depends on him getting involved in scoring sequences.
The Roos have started the season with a couple of clinical wins. They have had to work hard for both wins, but have done some with typical efficiency. Brett Douglas has his boys playing good team footy with one of the most impressive running game plans in country footy. Alex Hudson was back to his best last week, with Matt Hodge and Mitch Douglas controlling the ball around the middle. They like to push up and provide some relief to the forwards and many of the Roos attacking forays start from their defensive 50. Defensive stoppers Col Daye and Dan Johnson lead from example and it is tough for any side to kick a score against the stingy Roos defense.
Recent history suggests the Roos will not be daunted by the trip north to the Sapphire City. They have won in each of the last two seasons in Inverell and have the form to show they are capable of another this weekend. It’s worth noting that the Nomads are the only team to win away from home this season, so a home ground advantage could be worth even more to the Saints than usual here.
TAFL Tipster – Should be a cracker and Roos to win by 2 points
Last Modified on 23/04/2013 12:52