Match One: New England Nomads v Tamworth Swans at Bellevue Oval
The Nomads have taken all before them this season, with the exception of the Tamworth Swans who got the better of them in Round 1. No doubt Tom Granleese’s men will be keen to get revenge for that Round 1 loss, and on the wide expanse of Bellevue they will feel confident they can do exactly that. Granleese has instilled into his young team an enterprising running game, switching the ball well and working for others down field. They got the better of the Saints two weeks ago, and much was made on their endeavour at the footy in that game. Their forward line is as potent as any in the league, with big Simon Stubbs proving almost unstoppable so far this season. Throw in Shaun Cusack, Dave Richards and Weston Whitby, and the Swans backline will need to stand up and be counted. The Swans were only just beaten 14 days ago against the Cats in Muswellbrook, and will be keen to get back in the winner’s circle here. Andrew Donohue has been massive in the middle this season, and his partners in crime Damien Wendt and Gavin Knee have been around long enough to know each other’s games backwards. They may have a slight edge in the midfield with these veterans leading the way and this will only help take the pressure off the Swans backline. Granleese has led the way down back for the Nomads, anchoring their defense whilst providing a cool head under pressure. The Nomads start their attack from the back 50, which means any team that plays them need to make sure the flanks are switched on to stop them changing directions, especially on Bellevue. It is really hard to tip against the Nomads here, and with their fifth home game in a row, they are perfectly placed to make a run at this year’s title.
TAFL Tipster: Nomads by 35 points
Match Two: Tamworth Kangaroos v Inverell Saints at Number One Oval
These clubs have contested all but one TAFL Grand Final over the past 5 seasons and know each other’s games like the back of their hands. The Roos are coming off a massive win in Muswellbrook over the Akermanis-led Cats, and seem to be hitting their stride at just the right time. They started the year slowly, and were comprehensibly beaten on their first trip to Inverell in Round 1, but with star players returning, and confidence building, you sense this game is theirs for the taking. Matt Hodge pressed forward last week and was a big threat, and he has one of the best midfields around feeding him the ball on a string. The Saints have had a strong midfield to start the year, but there are whispers out of the Sapphire City they may be down a quality midfielder or two this weekend. This means the likes of Cotter, Douglas and Coombes could have a field day out of the centre here and when that happens that are almost impossible to stop. The Saints strength all year has been their ability to kick a score, but that went sadly missing last start against the Nomads. They need to improve up front this week for a better result, and the short ground may suit the Saints big men of Jason Gobbert and Gary Hadland. They’ve got some young whippets at their feet in Hamish Bird and Alex Walker and the way in which the Roos stop those runners could be crucial to this result. The biggest question here could be how each team responds to their last result; will the Roos suffer a bit of a hangover from their massive win last week or will the Saints learn from the mistakes they received at the hands of the Nomads. I’m thinking a bit of both, but the Roos at home rarely lose.
TAFL Tipster – Roos by 42 points.
Gunnedah Bulldogs v Muswellbrook Cats at Wolseley Oval
The Bulldogs have impressed many around the league this year without being able to get one in the W column just yet. They have a good combination of talent and their midfield and defence is filled with quality players. Their one concern at this time is putting together a score. They have relied upon veteran Chris Gee to kick a bundle this year, but he needs support up front to get this team competitive. They have plenty of midfielders that like to run forward and goal, but this Bulldogs outfit needs another tall forward to stand up and be counted. If that can happen this weekend, they are in for a real show. The Cats would have been bitterly disappointed with last week’s result, with a huge crowd there and the star power of Aker not enough to inspire them to any great heights. They need a lift this weekend, and have not travelled well so far this year. They head away from Werriman for just the second time this year and their first outing was a flogging in Armidale. They will need more than that this week if they want the win. Look for the veterans to stand up after last week’s loss and provide some stiff resistance here. However, one gets the feeling this could be the Bulldogs day.
TAFL Tipster – Bulldogs by 15 points.
Last Modified on 22/05/2012 13:34