Johns Magic
Referee
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Round 18 Wrapup
Results
Murbah Mad Ducks 27 - 64 Gangs of Mascot RLFC
Bondi Beasts 66 - 46 Northern Rhinos
Orange Pelicans 27 - 33 Knight Shifters
Pasadena Roosters 22 - 61 Lions RLFC
Bulls 68 - 68 The Maniac Marauders
Ladder
1. Bondi Beasts 32
2. Northern Rhinos 28
3. The Maniac Marauders 25
4. Pasadena Roosters 22
5. Bulls 17
6. Gangs of Mascot RLFC 16
7. Lions RLFC 14
8. Murbah Mad Ducks 12
9. Knight Shifters 10
10. Orange Pelicans 4
Round 19 Preview
Fixtures
Murbah Mad Ducks vs Bondi Beasts
Orange Pelicans vs Pasadena Roosters
Knight Shifters vs Northern Rhinos
Bulls vs Lions RLFC
The Maniac Marauders vs Gangs of Mascot RLFC
Analysis
Another interesting week in Round 18, as every game becomes more telling in shaping the final ladder.
In the first game, the Mad Ducks just didn't turn up for their important clash to keep their finals hopes alive. Coach Johnsy will be left shaking his head at the season that could have been, as it will be very hard to push for a playoff berth from here. A top performance from the general Thurston sealed the deal for the Gangs, who keep hold of that precious 6th spot on the ladder.
The top of the table clash between the Beasts and the Rhinos was somewhat marred by injuries, with the Rhinos having a couple of late omissions and the Beasts not having enough forwards available to name a full pack. A rather lacklustre performance from both sides, with the Beasts coming away with the win by a comfortable margin in the end. However both coaches are fully aware that this match will not be an accurate guage to go by if they lock horns again in the finals series.
The Shifters take home The Pride Cup for the year, coming out narrow victors over the Pelicans who have all but sealed the wooden-spoon. Coach Griffo had a tough start to the year, but with a bit of elbow-grease they could have turned their season around. The Orange club is currently in a state of crisis, with uncertainty clouding their future in the long-term.
The Lions put in another good performance to follow up on their recent form, posting a big win over the more fancied Roosters. Question marks hang over Coach Monk, who is currently holidaying in Bali and so was off-duty for the week. He will be back before Round 19, hopefully refreshed and ready to inject some life into his side for the finals series where they should feature prominently. However take no credit away from the Lions, who deserved the victory with their spirited display.
Last week's preview mentioned the clash between the Bulls and the Marauders as having the potential to pack fireworks, and no doubt this was a conservative prediction given what was served up for us over the weekend. Monday morning saw Bulls' coach Tommo with head in the pillow, choking back the tears in regret of dropping Ben Pomeroy who had an absolute stormer for Joel Moon at the last second, a gamble that backfired as Moon was diappointing. Closer analysis however would reveal that the Marauders' captain, Justin O'Neill, pulled out at the last second and was unable to take the field, while Jamie Lyon's recent injury troubles denied the Marauders' side further goal-points.
In a bizarre Monday night that was thrilling to watch, Willie Tonga scored a double to give the Marauders a 30 point lead. But right on time, the HayneTrain departed and delivered a hat-trick for the Bulls, which with the precision of Luke Burt's boot drew the teams level to a thrilling tie. Neither coach was fully satisfied with this result, with The Marauders copping a big dent to their hopes of 2nd-place and the Bulls missing a chance to secure a finals spot.
Coach Tommo broke a door in outrage in the sheds after the match, while Coach abpanther took a shot back at Tommo and the Bulls' side through the media. The tone is well and truly set for a finals rematch, a prospect which has the fans salivating and lining up to buy tickets already.
This week, the Mad Ducks are at home to the Beasts. It is a must-win game for the Mad-Ducks if they are to figure in the play-offs, and in this situation they will have to throw caution to the wind and play for the fans and for themselves. This kind of attitude could see them become a real thorn in the sides of the teams they come up against in the next few weeks.
The Pelicans face off against the Roosters at Orange Park. The Pelicans seem to have given up in recent weeks, but the Roosters will be looking to win this match and lock-down 4th spot for the year.
The Rhinos' coach Rhino_NQ will be drilling his players on the importance of taking this game against the Shifters this week, as it is a game they can't afford to drop with the Marauders vying for their 2nd-spot on the ladder. Rhino_NQ watched on with mixed emotions last night, as the Marauders' Tonga had an outstanding game for his beloved Cowboys. A draw was as good as a Marauders' loss for the Rhinos, as their inferior for-and-against leaves the Rhinos vulnerable if they end up on equal points on the final ladder.
The last two matches of the week are the ones to watch in Round 19.
The Lions travel from the savannahs to take on the Bulls, in what will be an epic contest to decide the fate of both team's seasons. The Lions need to continue their form here and be ruthless in fighting for a win, a position their mid-season slump has forced them into. Several tight games were dropped by the Lions in this period, including two losses by a mere 2 points. Throw in the golden opportunity they squandered when they couldn't manage a lowly 24 points to claim victory against the Shifters, and it really has been a season of rocks and diamonds for newcomer Coach Big Sam. After overcoming the 4th-placed Roosters last week, it gets no easier for the Lions who face the Bulls, Rhinos, Marauders and Beasts in their final 4 games. A cruel run home, but the fans will be cheering the Lions on in this one as it keeps the race to the finals alive. The Bulls will be looking to take out the anger of their drawn match this week, but whether this leads to a dominant performance or a reckless display is the million dollar question. Coach Tommo knows they are not yet assured of a finals spot, but a win here will all but wrap it up for the Bulls.
One team that will be watching this game with interest will be the Gangs, who would gladly sacrifice a shot at 5th spot to wrapup 6th and secure a semi-final. Coach Franko will be cheering on the Bulls, but his team will have their own match to worry about as they are pitted against the Marauders in another cracking game. The Marauders have been in sparkling form in recent weeks, amd will be a daunting prospect for the Gangs. Whilst the Lions have a tough draw in the last month of the season, close observers have seen that the Gangs also face strong opposition in the Marauders, Roosters and Bulls. The Gangs' first priority will be to worry about their own matches and let their performances determine their fate, and that starts this week. The Lions in fact took home the cash in both their matchups this year, and Coach Big Sam will be more than happy to offer some tactical pointers to abpanther for this matchup. If the Lions get up over the Bulls, a loss for the Gangs here would make for an enthralling final three weeks which will have all viewers on the edge of their seats.
Four rounds to go, the race is on.
Good luck to all coaches in Round 19, teams to be posted here.
Results
Murbah Mad Ducks 27 - 64 Gangs of Mascot RLFC
Bondi Beasts 66 - 46 Northern Rhinos
Orange Pelicans 27 - 33 Knight Shifters
Pasadena Roosters 22 - 61 Lions RLFC
Bulls 68 - 68 The Maniac Marauders
Ladder
1. Bondi Beasts 32
2. Northern Rhinos 28
3. The Maniac Marauders 25
4. Pasadena Roosters 22
5. Bulls 17
6. Gangs of Mascot RLFC 16
7. Lions RLFC 14
8. Murbah Mad Ducks 12
9. Knight Shifters 10
10. Orange Pelicans 4
Round 19 Preview
Fixtures
Murbah Mad Ducks vs Bondi Beasts
Orange Pelicans vs Pasadena Roosters
Knight Shifters vs Northern Rhinos
Bulls vs Lions RLFC
The Maniac Marauders vs Gangs of Mascot RLFC
Analysis
Another interesting week in Round 18, as every game becomes more telling in shaping the final ladder.
In the first game, the Mad Ducks just didn't turn up for their important clash to keep their finals hopes alive. Coach Johnsy will be left shaking his head at the season that could have been, as it will be very hard to push for a playoff berth from here. A top performance from the general Thurston sealed the deal for the Gangs, who keep hold of that precious 6th spot on the ladder.
The top of the table clash between the Beasts and the Rhinos was somewhat marred by injuries, with the Rhinos having a couple of late omissions and the Beasts not having enough forwards available to name a full pack. A rather lacklustre performance from both sides, with the Beasts coming away with the win by a comfortable margin in the end. However both coaches are fully aware that this match will not be an accurate guage to go by if they lock horns again in the finals series.
The Shifters take home The Pride Cup for the year, coming out narrow victors over the Pelicans who have all but sealed the wooden-spoon. Coach Griffo had a tough start to the year, but with a bit of elbow-grease they could have turned their season around. The Orange club is currently in a state of crisis, with uncertainty clouding their future in the long-term.
The Lions put in another good performance to follow up on their recent form, posting a big win over the more fancied Roosters. Question marks hang over Coach Monk, who is currently holidaying in Bali and so was off-duty for the week. He will be back before Round 19, hopefully refreshed and ready to inject some life into his side for the finals series where they should feature prominently. However take no credit away from the Lions, who deserved the victory with their spirited display.
Last week's preview mentioned the clash between the Bulls and the Marauders as having the potential to pack fireworks, and no doubt this was a conservative prediction given what was served up for us over the weekend. Monday morning saw Bulls' coach Tommo with head in the pillow, choking back the tears in regret of dropping Ben Pomeroy who had an absolute stormer for Joel Moon at the last second, a gamble that backfired as Moon was diappointing. Closer analysis however would reveal that the Marauders' captain, Justin O'Neill, pulled out at the last second and was unable to take the field, while Jamie Lyon's recent injury troubles denied the Marauders' side further goal-points.
In a bizarre Monday night that was thrilling to watch, Willie Tonga scored a double to give the Marauders a 30 point lead. But right on time, the HayneTrain departed and delivered a hat-trick for the Bulls, which with the precision of Luke Burt's boot drew the teams level to a thrilling tie. Neither coach was fully satisfied with this result, with The Marauders copping a big dent to their hopes of 2nd-place and the Bulls missing a chance to secure a finals spot.
Coach Tommo broke a door in outrage in the sheds after the match, while Coach abpanther took a shot back at Tommo and the Bulls' side through the media. The tone is well and truly set for a finals rematch, a prospect which has the fans salivating and lining up to buy tickets already.
This week, the Mad Ducks are at home to the Beasts. It is a must-win game for the Mad-Ducks if they are to figure in the play-offs, and in this situation they will have to throw caution to the wind and play for the fans and for themselves. This kind of attitude could see them become a real thorn in the sides of the teams they come up against in the next few weeks.
The Pelicans face off against the Roosters at Orange Park. The Pelicans seem to have given up in recent weeks, but the Roosters will be looking to win this match and lock-down 4th spot for the year.
The Rhinos' coach Rhino_NQ will be drilling his players on the importance of taking this game against the Shifters this week, as it is a game they can't afford to drop with the Marauders vying for their 2nd-spot on the ladder. Rhino_NQ watched on with mixed emotions last night, as the Marauders' Tonga had an outstanding game for his beloved Cowboys. A draw was as good as a Marauders' loss for the Rhinos, as their inferior for-and-against leaves the Rhinos vulnerable if they end up on equal points on the final ladder.
The last two matches of the week are the ones to watch in Round 19.
The Lions travel from the savannahs to take on the Bulls, in what will be an epic contest to decide the fate of both team's seasons. The Lions need to continue their form here and be ruthless in fighting for a win, a position their mid-season slump has forced them into. Several tight games were dropped by the Lions in this period, including two losses by a mere 2 points. Throw in the golden opportunity they squandered when they couldn't manage a lowly 24 points to claim victory against the Shifters, and it really has been a season of rocks and diamonds for newcomer Coach Big Sam. After overcoming the 4th-placed Roosters last week, it gets no easier for the Lions who face the Bulls, Rhinos, Marauders and Beasts in their final 4 games. A cruel run home, but the fans will be cheering the Lions on in this one as it keeps the race to the finals alive. The Bulls will be looking to take out the anger of their drawn match this week, but whether this leads to a dominant performance or a reckless display is the million dollar question. Coach Tommo knows they are not yet assured of a finals spot, but a win here will all but wrap it up for the Bulls.
One team that will be watching this game with interest will be the Gangs, who would gladly sacrifice a shot at 5th spot to wrapup 6th and secure a semi-final. Coach Franko will be cheering on the Bulls, but his team will have their own match to worry about as they are pitted against the Marauders in another cracking game. The Marauders have been in sparkling form in recent weeks, amd will be a daunting prospect for the Gangs. Whilst the Lions have a tough draw in the last month of the season, close observers have seen that the Gangs also face strong opposition in the Marauders, Roosters and Bulls. The Gangs' first priority will be to worry about their own matches and let their performances determine their fate, and that starts this week. The Lions in fact took home the cash in both their matchups this year, and Coach Big Sam will be more than happy to offer some tactical pointers to abpanther for this matchup. If the Lions get up over the Bulls, a loss for the Gangs here would make for an enthralling final three weeks which will have all viewers on the edge of their seats.
Four rounds to go, the race is on.
Good luck to all coaches in Round 19, teams to be posted here.
