Rugby League Coaching Manuals

Balmain Ryde-Eastwood Tigers Vs Wentworthville Magpies
Leichhardt Oval, Saturday, September 4
Kick-off: 3.00pm Referee: Luke PhillipsBroadcast: NSWRL Match of the Round to be aired on Fox Sports 2 HD and Fox Sports 2, Wednesday, September 8, 5.00pm - The Balmain Ryde-Eastwood Tigers can still claim the Minor Premiership with a win over the seventh placed Wentworthville Magpies this weekend. Anthony Mitchell returns from two weeks in the NRL while for the Balmain side, winger Sam Latu returns from an injury he sustained while playing for the Wests Tigers in the NRL.

Lee Te Maari has been named on an extended five man bench which also includes goal kicking ace Greyson Goodwin. Willie Mataka has been elevated to cover the injured John Skandalis for the Wests Tigers in their clash against the Gold Coast Titans on Friday night. 

The Tigers will be better for last year’s Grand Final loss and, with a few players departing to other clubs next year, the Tigers will feel confident they can clear that final hurdle in 2010. With the prospect of these two teams playing each other in the first week of the Final Series, it will be interesting to see if the two coaches indulge in some good old fashioned ‘ducks and drakes’.

Newtown Jets Vs Cronulla Sharks
Henson Park, Saturday, September 4
Kick-off: 3.00pm Referee: Henry PerenaraBroadcast: Triple H 100.1FM (Link available via www.nswrl.com.au’s Weekend Game-Cast) The Newtown Jets went down to the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in what fans have suggested to be one of the games of the season last weekend at The Crest Stadium. Only a Heka Nanai try with two minutes remaining could split these two proud clubs and if that is a preview for the 2010 Final Series then we are in for a real treat.

Jets captain Jason Baitieri has only recently announced he has signed a two year deal with the Catalans Dragons in the English Super League. James Aubusson moves from hooker to five-eighth for this clash while for the Sharks, Albert Kelly seems to have struck up a nice combination with Scott Porter. Kelly has looked sharp with ball in hand in recent weeks and will no doubt be a handful for the Jets’ fringe defence.

The Sharks have already shown that on their day they can beat anyone in this competition so an upset here would not be a complete surprise. The only downside to winning the 2010 Minor Premiership you may say is the fact you will have to play a highly unpredictable Cronulla outfit in week one.  

Central Coast Centurions Vs Shellharbour Dragons
Lyall Peacock Oval, Saturday, September 4
Kick-off: 3.00pm Referee: Shane Charman - The Centurions disposed of the fourth placed Windsor Wolves last weekend running in 10 tries to the Wolves’ six. In a real positive for both the Newcastle Knights and the Centurions, youngsters Chanel Mata’utia and Dale Clacherty performed well against a rather formidable Windsor backline.

Two try hero Mata’utia retains his spot in the starting lineup this week against the experienced Daniel Jimenez. Both teams will look at season 2010 and think what could have been. The Centurions started with so much promise with a win over the now competition leaders, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, but injuries in the NRL put a strain on their depth and consequently the Centurions struggled in the middle half of the year.

The same can be said of the Shellharbour Dragons although representative selections were probably more to blame for them specifically. Both sides have produced some interesting prospects with Centurions centre Simon Williams being the pick of those. Although not the biggest centre, Williams has been devastating in attack and his ability to offload has been the catalyst for many a Centurions try. For Shellharbour, young backrower Jack Bosden has been their rock and shouldn’t be too far away from higher honours. 

 North Sydney Bears Vs Auckland Vulcans
North Sydney Oval, Saturday, September 4 Kick-off: 5.00pm
Referee: Matt Noyen - A long season draws to a close for both of these sides when they do battle this coming Saturday.

Barring a 200 point win, the North Sydney Bears will be this year’s wooden spooners while the Vulcans have had more than enough opportunities in recent weeks to dislodge the Sharks from eighth place on the ladder, and their inability to reproduce their first half performances in the second stanza throughout the year will surely be a key area for end of season discussions.

With this said there have also been some positives for both of these clubs. A number of Bears players have received some wonderful NRL experience due to South Sydney’s horrific injury toll late in the season while this has also been the case for Auckland with numerous Vulcans players like Alehana Mara and Sione Lousi also getting their chance in 2010. With a view to this match-up, keep an eye out for Norths exciting prospect Kennedy Pettybourne, the cousin of Eddy Pettybourne as he takes on the Vulcans prolific tryscorer Fetongi Tuinauvai. 

Western Suburbs Magpies Vs Windsor Wolves
Campbelltown Sports Stadium, Sunday, September 5
Kick-off: 1.00pm  Referee: Adam Devcich
Broadcast: Hawkesbury Radio 89.9FM (Link available via www.nswrl.com.au’s Weekend Game-Cast) - In what will be a dress rehearsal of sorts for week one of the finals series, the Windsor Wolves will head across to Campbelltown to take on the Western Suburbs Magpies.

Both of these sides will head into this clash knowing they are set to face one another again a week later, but this time at the Windsor Sports Complex, regardless of this result. Windsor will be smarting after suffering a loss to the Centurions last week and after their last minute loss to the Jets a fortnight ago, the club will be desperate not to head into the finals on the back of three consecutive losses.

The Magpies kept a dangerous Vulcans side scoreless in the second half last week and managed to scrape home courtesy of a Nathan Waters field goal. The important thing to take from the clash for the Magpies would have been the previously mentioned scoreless half. Not too long ago, Wests had the best defence in the NSW Cup but most recently they have conceded 38 points to the Jets, 42 points to the Dogs and 28 points in the first half to the Vulcans. If the Magpies are to compete for the 2010 NSW Cup, they will need to get back to allowing teams less than 20 points per game as they were doing earlier in the season and I expect them to take that attitude into this match against an ever dangerous Wolves outfit.      

Melbourne Storm Vs Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
Olympic Park, Sunday, September 5  Kick-off: 1.00pm
Referee: Phil Henderson - Potentially the most important and meaningful game of the weekend has been saved for last as the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs only need a win over the Melbourne Storm to secure the Minor Premiership. A loss however would more than likely see either the Tigers or the Jets finish the season as number one depending on Saturday’s results.

And Melbourne are more than a fighting chance of springing the upset as Coach Tony Adam has named one of his strongest line ups in some time. Gareth Widdop returns to fullback while Luke Kelly has been named as halfback after replacing Brett Finch in the NRL last week. For the Dogs it appears to be business as usual although Corey Payne made his long awaited return from injury last weekend and has once again been named on a five man bench. While there is no doubting Melbourne’s talent, this game may well be won by the side that needs it more and surely that must be Canterbury.

Melbourne cannot improve or fall from their position of seventh while the Dogs have it all to lose with the real possibility of being in third by 3pm Sunday if that were to be the case.