NPL Round 1 Preview

Riverina Rhinos v Tuggeranong United – Saturday 5pm at EW Moore Oval

Tuggeranong United will be the first side to make the Griffith road trip as they head West for Round One in 2018. United fell to Canberra Olympic in last Friday’s Charity Shield but put in a strong showing and Mitch Stevens can be confident in his charges for the first match of the season. Danny Crkovski showed that he will be a threat up front, and will no doubt challenge the Rhinos defence in their first outing of their second season in the competition. As well as scoring though United will need to be solid at the back, something they often struggled with at different times last season. Some sound recruitment and a slightly less turbulent season may help that in 2018, but Round One will help prove a marker of where they are at.

The Rhinos meanwhile will be out to prove that they belong in the competition after a testing first year in 2017. Goal scoring proved an issue last season for the Rhinos and Gabriel Abdula will be hoping that he can change that early this season. Rhinos did not score until Round Three in 2017 and by that point had already conceded 12, meaning the side were on the back foot early. A positive result in Round One, even a share of the points would be a big boost for a side looking to make an impact in their second year.

 

Belconnen United v Gungahlin United – Saturday 5:30pm at McKellar Park – LIVE on BarTV Sports

Two of last seasons form teams will clash in a Round One blockbuster on Saturday, as Belconnen United host Gungahlin United LIVE on BarTV Sports. Grand Final winners Belconnen will begin their defence of that, but under a new coach and with a new look side will no doubt have a few ‘growing pains’ to get used to. This same fixture last season yielded a 4-0 win for the hosts, but that sort of scoreline looks out of reach in Round one this year. Belconnen still boast a formidable forward line, but will need their midfield to be on top of their game against a clinical Gungahlin contingent. Home ground advantage will undoubtedly play a role here but it will be up to both sides to get rid of pre-season rust early on.

Marcial Munoz’s Gungahlin side have arguably strengthened in the off-season, with the additions of Ben Obst and James Fletcher shoring up a tidy backline. The visitors only major concern may be where the goals can come from, but if the forward line can settle in quickly then those concerns may be alleviated early on. This game is a big marker for both sides in terms of where they sit after Round One, but it will also be easy to put any major result down to some pre-season jitters and first round nerves. With both sides likely to be there or thereabouts come the pointy end of the season, one can expect this match to be fiercely contested and a matchup we will no doubt be seeing more of later in the year.

Live on BarTV Sports here.

 

Tigers FC v Woden-Weston – Sunday 3:00pm at Nijong Oval

Tigers FC will be looking to begin a rebound season on the right foot when they host Woden-Weston on Sunday afternoon in Cooma. Last season saw Tigers just miss finals after an inconsistent season and Gaby Wilk’s men will be eager to get off the mark in Round One. Wilk will be eager to use some of his key recruits this weekend, but it will be interesting to see how they approach the outing against a largely new look Wanderers outfit. There are lots of new faces amongst the Tigers squad and for many this will be their first taste of the local NPL environment, so there will be a good insight into where the team sits early.

Rey Castro will take over his first NPL game in charge of this side, and will take some confidence in after a strong pre-season result against Tigers. Wanderers lead until late in the game where they conceded twice in quick succession, but overall put in a strong shift against a team that is always strong. The match will be the first look we will have of this side in an NPL environment, and a result here will be important for a side that faces Belconnen United and Canberra Olympic in their first two matches on the other side of the Easter break.

 

Canberra Olympic v Canberra FC – Rescheduled to August

Monaro Panthers - Bye

 




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