Phil Doyle
30th July 2002, 04:54
Previews:
Campbelltown v Balmain
Drummoyne Oval, Saturday, August 3
“It’s the first time we’ve put a side away for the year,” was Balmain Coach Troy Luff’s assessment of his side’s 17-goal second half last week. “We learnt that if we stick to the formula we’re going to win, and win well.”
Luff himself bagged nine goals from full forward in a display that showed what the Tigers are capable of.
Back at Drummoyne this week they come up against a Panthers side that managed to put some respectability onto the scoreboard after being outplayed by Wests for three-quarters.
“For us it’s a matter of getting the ball and controlling it, or at least breaking even,” said Campbelltown coach Geoff Valentine, who knows that the former Swan will be a handful. “We will try two or three players on him and see how it goes.”
The Tigers revisited their tendency to drift out of games during the second quarter last week, but a halftime lecture from Troy Luff brought the Tigers back to the job at hand. Percentage is looming as a critical factor in the lead up to the semis, and Balmain will be looking for a big margin. Even so, the Tigers will have to remain focussed on this week, for the young Campbelltown side has plenty of run in it.
“I believe you play football for two reasons,” said Valentine. “You should enjoy it and you should want to win. Whether you’re in finals contention or not, it shouldn’t matter, you should still want to win.”
“The next three weeks are part of our march to the finals and we will have to keep playing consistently,” said Luff, who still thinks Campbelltown are capable of good football.
Balmain get powerful defender Michael Ghobrial back this week, as well as Troy Cole and Michael Sier, and with that sort of personnel they may prove to be unstoppable.
Prediction: Balmain by sixty points.
Last time they met: Balmain 15.20 (120) d Campbelltown 7.5 (47)
Western Suburbs v Pennant Hills
Wagener Oval, Saturday, August 3
Wests are back at their spiritual home for the first time since round one, and they certainly have plenty to prove if they want to make the finals in 2002.
The Magpies’ effort to crawl off the canvas from last year is an inspiring one, but they have shown some inconsistency over the last six weeks.
“This is a massive danger game for us. We’ve needed to win for the last four games,” says Magpies’ coach Laine Spencer. “If we drop one we have to depend on other results going our way.”
Lee Campbell showed his ability last week, bagging 11 majors for Wests, but there were also seven other players that contributed six pointers, showing that Wests are able to present a more cohesive structure to their game.
“Lee’s been a great player around Sydney footy,” says Pennant Hills’ coach Danny Ryan. “The key is stopping the supply out of the centre.”
This game will be won or lost in the midfield. With Campbell able to get the majority of the one-on-one contests up forward for the Magpies, the Demons will have to control the middle to remain competitive. Chris Yard and Dale Odgers go back a long way, and their ruck duel should be a riveting one.
Pennant Hills have already shown that, on their day, they are good enough for any side, but Ryan admits that this game will be more of an opportunity for his younger players and season 2003:
“It’s a learning experience, for them and for us, finding out about these guys as first grade footballers.”
When these two sides met earlier in the year the Demons got the jump on Wests, who fought back for a win.
“The last time we played them their ability to get the drop of the ball was fantastic,” says Spencer, who noted that Michael Carey did the damage for the Demons.
For Wests, who face a showdown for a likely fourth finals spot against Balmain next week, it is not just a matter of if they win, it is how they win that will be telling.
Prediction: Western Suburbs by 42 points
Last time they met: Western Suburbs 16.9 (105) d Pennant Hills 9.12 (66)
North Shore v UNSW Eastern Suburbs
North Sydney Oval, Saturday, August 3, 6pm.
The only side that North Shore have beaten on their three visits to North Sydney Oval this year is the Redbacks and, in some eyes, the only side that stands between them and back-to-back premierships is the Bulldogs. But if they play like they did against Pennant Hills last Sunday they will get beaten.
UNSW – Eastern Suburbs, who have done the job without necessarily overworking the scoreboard that faces the wrong way at Village Green, won this one in the wet the first time around.
With southeastern Australia in the grip of a drought they can’t expect to be that lucky twice in one season.
Jason McPherson had a pleasant distraction from the problems of the land by being selected in the All-Australian side from the National Country Championships that NSW won last weekend - now he’s back with the only club that has beaten every other side in the competition at least once. The Bombers will share that honour if they topple the Bulldogs this week.
“I think it will come down to a clash of wills,” said UNSW – Eastern Suburbs coach Tim Jones. “We’ll be trying to focus on ourselves and our own game.”
His North Shore counterpart, Simon Wilson, tended to agree:
“You can’t win too many games being negative,” he said. “We’ll be looking to control the ball in the middle of the ground, play some one-on-one footy and try and attack from the outset.”
In recent games Toby Kennett has bagged some goals for the Bombers, who tend to rotate their forward set up, and they also have Matthew Parker capable of doing the job.
“Toby is a quality footballer,” said Wilson. “We would like him to be among the players that step up for us this week.”
With both of these sides pretty much assured a finals berth, this will be an important game to establish a psychological advantage in the lead up to the major rounds.
The Bombers have the potential to be a free scoring side but, ironically, the lack of run offered at North Sydney Oval may test them. The Bulldogs are strong all across the park and will field probably their strongest side this week.
This is not a game to miss.
Prediction: North Shore by fourteen points
Last time they met: UNSW – Eastern Suburbs 9.11 (65) d North Shore 6.15 (51)
Redbacks v St George
SCG, Sunday, August 4
It’s hard to think of a football clubs fortunes hanging on a player’s toe, but Craig O’Brien’s fitness is looming as a major factor in St George’s capacity to go all the way in 2002.
The Crows have by far the easiest run into the finals of all of the clubs that remain in contention, and they have that run in on larger grounds, starting with this week’s clash against the Redbacks at the SCG.
Playing as the curtain-raiser to the Swans v Adelaide game has made this is a big week for the club and the players.
“There’s no point in trying to block it out. I’ll be getting the guys out onto the ground early and take it all in when they get out there,” said Craig O’Brien. “When the crowd builds up, that’s when they’ll notice it. You can’t help but lift.”
While the Redbacks have played some of their best football at the SCG this year, the mounting injury toll around Sydney football, from the Swans on down, is having an impact.
While Redbacks’ coach Brett Allison would love to have Lewis Roberts-Thompson out there, the reality is that the Redbacks will do well to be competitive.
St George has been training strongly prior to the bye, and their contingent acquitted themselves well at the National Country Football Championships in the Riverland last weekend.
Adrian Seccull is also set to return this week. St George have played well without him, and with Featherstone set to return the brains trust at Olds Park is going to have one of the nicer selection headaches to have – a surplus of talent.
O’Brien, who still claims this year as a rebuilding year for St George, is confident of his ability to take the field on Sunday, which will be an added treat for Sydney fans, seeing O’B on the SCG again.
“I’ve got to be out there for us to go OK,” says O’Brien. “We’re still a young side. It’s our under-23’s that are going well. But it’s the leadership on the ground - with Ryan and Johnston out there we have that leadership in key positions.”
Prediction: St George by seventy-eight points
Last time they met: St George 20.16 (136) d Redbacks 9.6 (60)
Phil Doyle
Campbelltown v Balmain
Drummoyne Oval, Saturday, August 3
“It’s the first time we’ve put a side away for the year,” was Balmain Coach Troy Luff’s assessment of his side’s 17-goal second half last week. “We learnt that if we stick to the formula we’re going to win, and win well.”
Luff himself bagged nine goals from full forward in a display that showed what the Tigers are capable of.
Back at Drummoyne this week they come up against a Panthers side that managed to put some respectability onto the scoreboard after being outplayed by Wests for three-quarters.
“For us it’s a matter of getting the ball and controlling it, or at least breaking even,” said Campbelltown coach Geoff Valentine, who knows that the former Swan will be a handful. “We will try two or three players on him and see how it goes.”
The Tigers revisited their tendency to drift out of games during the second quarter last week, but a halftime lecture from Troy Luff brought the Tigers back to the job at hand. Percentage is looming as a critical factor in the lead up to the semis, and Balmain will be looking for a big margin. Even so, the Tigers will have to remain focussed on this week, for the young Campbelltown side has plenty of run in it.
“I believe you play football for two reasons,” said Valentine. “You should enjoy it and you should want to win. Whether you’re in finals contention or not, it shouldn’t matter, you should still want to win.”
“The next three weeks are part of our march to the finals and we will have to keep playing consistently,” said Luff, who still thinks Campbelltown are capable of good football.
Balmain get powerful defender Michael Ghobrial back this week, as well as Troy Cole and Michael Sier, and with that sort of personnel they may prove to be unstoppable.
Prediction: Balmain by sixty points.
Last time they met: Balmain 15.20 (120) d Campbelltown 7.5 (47)
Western Suburbs v Pennant Hills
Wagener Oval, Saturday, August 3
Wests are back at their spiritual home for the first time since round one, and they certainly have plenty to prove if they want to make the finals in 2002.
The Magpies’ effort to crawl off the canvas from last year is an inspiring one, but they have shown some inconsistency over the last six weeks.
“This is a massive danger game for us. We’ve needed to win for the last four games,” says Magpies’ coach Laine Spencer. “If we drop one we have to depend on other results going our way.”
Lee Campbell showed his ability last week, bagging 11 majors for Wests, but there were also seven other players that contributed six pointers, showing that Wests are able to present a more cohesive structure to their game.
“Lee’s been a great player around Sydney footy,” says Pennant Hills’ coach Danny Ryan. “The key is stopping the supply out of the centre.”
This game will be won or lost in the midfield. With Campbell able to get the majority of the one-on-one contests up forward for the Magpies, the Demons will have to control the middle to remain competitive. Chris Yard and Dale Odgers go back a long way, and their ruck duel should be a riveting one.
Pennant Hills have already shown that, on their day, they are good enough for any side, but Ryan admits that this game will be more of an opportunity for his younger players and season 2003:
“It’s a learning experience, for them and for us, finding out about these guys as first grade footballers.”
When these two sides met earlier in the year the Demons got the jump on Wests, who fought back for a win.
“The last time we played them their ability to get the drop of the ball was fantastic,” says Spencer, who noted that Michael Carey did the damage for the Demons.
For Wests, who face a showdown for a likely fourth finals spot against Balmain next week, it is not just a matter of if they win, it is how they win that will be telling.
Prediction: Western Suburbs by 42 points
Last time they met: Western Suburbs 16.9 (105) d Pennant Hills 9.12 (66)
North Shore v UNSW Eastern Suburbs
North Sydney Oval, Saturday, August 3, 6pm.
The only side that North Shore have beaten on their three visits to North Sydney Oval this year is the Redbacks and, in some eyes, the only side that stands between them and back-to-back premierships is the Bulldogs. But if they play like they did against Pennant Hills last Sunday they will get beaten.
UNSW – Eastern Suburbs, who have done the job without necessarily overworking the scoreboard that faces the wrong way at Village Green, won this one in the wet the first time around.
With southeastern Australia in the grip of a drought they can’t expect to be that lucky twice in one season.
Jason McPherson had a pleasant distraction from the problems of the land by being selected in the All-Australian side from the National Country Championships that NSW won last weekend - now he’s back with the only club that has beaten every other side in the competition at least once. The Bombers will share that honour if they topple the Bulldogs this week.
“I think it will come down to a clash of wills,” said UNSW – Eastern Suburbs coach Tim Jones. “We’ll be trying to focus on ourselves and our own game.”
His North Shore counterpart, Simon Wilson, tended to agree:
“You can’t win too many games being negative,” he said. “We’ll be looking to control the ball in the middle of the ground, play some one-on-one footy and try and attack from the outset.”
In recent games Toby Kennett has bagged some goals for the Bombers, who tend to rotate their forward set up, and they also have Matthew Parker capable of doing the job.
“Toby is a quality footballer,” said Wilson. “We would like him to be among the players that step up for us this week.”
With both of these sides pretty much assured a finals berth, this will be an important game to establish a psychological advantage in the lead up to the major rounds.
The Bombers have the potential to be a free scoring side but, ironically, the lack of run offered at North Sydney Oval may test them. The Bulldogs are strong all across the park and will field probably their strongest side this week.
This is not a game to miss.
Prediction: North Shore by fourteen points
Last time they met: UNSW – Eastern Suburbs 9.11 (65) d North Shore 6.15 (51)
Redbacks v St George
SCG, Sunday, August 4
It’s hard to think of a football clubs fortunes hanging on a player’s toe, but Craig O’Brien’s fitness is looming as a major factor in St George’s capacity to go all the way in 2002.
The Crows have by far the easiest run into the finals of all of the clubs that remain in contention, and they have that run in on larger grounds, starting with this week’s clash against the Redbacks at the SCG.
Playing as the curtain-raiser to the Swans v Adelaide game has made this is a big week for the club and the players.
“There’s no point in trying to block it out. I’ll be getting the guys out onto the ground early and take it all in when they get out there,” said Craig O’Brien. “When the crowd builds up, that’s when they’ll notice it. You can’t help but lift.”
While the Redbacks have played some of their best football at the SCG this year, the mounting injury toll around Sydney football, from the Swans on down, is having an impact.
While Redbacks’ coach Brett Allison would love to have Lewis Roberts-Thompson out there, the reality is that the Redbacks will do well to be competitive.
St George has been training strongly prior to the bye, and their contingent acquitted themselves well at the National Country Football Championships in the Riverland last weekend.
Adrian Seccull is also set to return this week. St George have played well without him, and with Featherstone set to return the brains trust at Olds Park is going to have one of the nicer selection headaches to have – a surplus of talent.
O’Brien, who still claims this year as a rebuilding year for St George, is confident of his ability to take the field on Sunday, which will be an added treat for Sydney fans, seeing O’B on the SCG again.
“I’ve got to be out there for us to go OK,” says O’Brien. “We’re still a young side. It’s our under-23’s that are going well. But it’s the leadership on the ground - with Ryan and Johnston out there we have that leadership in key positions.”
Prediction: St George by seventy-eight points
Last time they met: St George 20.16 (136) d Redbacks 9.6 (60)
Phil Doyle