MILESTONES
150 Games
- Lachie Neale (Lethal Vipers)
- Jack Crisp (Taxmanian Devils)
50 Games
- Mason Wood (Threat Level Midnight)
- Luke Jackson (Taxmanian Devils)
- Callum Wilkie (Solomon’s Soldiers)
- Peter Wright (Lethal Vipers)
GAME OF THE ROUND
The Defenestrators have endured a frustrating run since their tough fought victory over MaherShahalHashBaz back in round 8. They’ve lost their last two games against contenders and have slipped out of the top two. They enter the byes facing the team now immediately below them on the ladder, and, ugh, the Giants are on the bye.
The opportunity bells do be ringing for the Roughnecks this weekend.
The Defenestrators are missing several mainstays, including much of their first choice forward line, due to the bye. The Roughnecks are not as afflicted by the byes, but some ill-timed injuries from Richards and Pendlebury, and a suspension from Blicavs, are putting a dent in their advantage. The Roughnecks won’t be too confident, not least because they’ve lost their last 7 against the team in pink, last tasting victory against those back in round 18 in 2021.
But the Roughnecks probably won’t have a better chance to break that run than this weekend…. sorry, what’s that? Max Gawn is playing on a Sunday? Against the Roughnecks you say? Mortal lock for a 160.
SNEAKY INTERESTING MATCHUP
I think on paper the sneaky interesting matchup is the Devils taking on Threat Level Midnight – if only because Threat Level Midnight are basically the physical embodiment of sneaky interesting.
But Gulden and Sheezel are on the bye. And the Devils are missing almost nobody of major consequence on account of those same byes (Briggs? And Luke Jackson is filling that spot for him. Not half bad!). Rozee is out again, but he’s barely featured over the past month, and the Devils have gotten the results they’ve desired.
So instead, I’m going Sparkles v Vipers. I appreciate that feels a real stretch given their respective ladder positions, but the byes, being the great randomiser they are, have definitely played into the Vipers’ hands (fangs?)
The Vipers put up a very respectable 1808 last weekend. If you conveniently overlook the fact the Sparkles dropped a massive 2031, that looks like a very dangerous score.
They’ve lost Florent to the byes and…. that’s it? Naughton is injured, as is Liberatore still, but otherwise this looks close to their best 22.
The Sparkles aren’t so lucky. They’ve lost Lloyd, Xerri, Jordon, Greene, LDU and McCluggage. Their depth is still mighty impressive, and they should win. But if the Vipers can drop another score in the 1800 range, they could cause an incredible upset.
STRAY OBSERVATION
The Taxmanian Devils are the top of the ladder. I think for the first time ever – bar perhaps from some shonky post round 1 shenanigans in previous years. But I don’t recall that. Regardless, they’ve never come into the byes on top, that’s for sure.
They have a comparatively cushy schedule coming up as well. TLM with the aforementioned handy byes (for the Devils), then the Soldiers and the Chiefs. They’re well placed to emerge from the byes still top of the ladder, and will have an excellent springboard towards a bye in the finals, and perhaps even a maiden minor premiership.