The fixture lords have granted us yet another great looking round on paper. Every game holds interest? Sure, maybe for one or two you have to squint a little…
GAME OF THE ROUND
The early season going has been pretty sublime for this year’s ladder risers. Sure, it’d be preferrable if Gulden was on deck, but even with their talisman (or, one of them) on the sidelines, they’ve been able to bank wins and put themselves in a great position to break the league’s longest running finals drought.
This weekend will be the sternest test yet for their credentials. The reigning premier has been in downright alarming form over the past fortnight – for the rest of us that is. They look every bit the team we’re all chasing.
These two clubs have an even spread this weekend. Midnight will want to enter Sunday with a lead, given they’ll have had two extra players take the field during the preceding days.
MaherShalalHashBaz have Gawn on the Sunday, so pencil in a 140 there. They’ll finish the round strongly with Petracca, Callaghan and Miller in the final game. For Midnight, the pleasingly named duo of Rowell* and Powell will be holding the line. Can they claim a banner victory and really signal they’re a genuine premiership contender?
*Editor’s note: nope.
Key Outs
MSHB: Darcy, Graham, Nankervis, Pendlebury
Midnight: Gulden, Rowell
Last time these two met
Was a round 17 smackdown administered by MaherShalalHashBaz, to the tune of 342 points. TLM can chalk much of this up to the byes, as they got phenomenal scores from their stars in Bontempelli, Gulden and Bailey (and Zach Guthrie)
Alas, they also had a score of 26 on the books. Wait, sorry, correction, 26 between two players. Prior served up a 14, and Lester delivered a 12. Woof.
DangerGawn votes
| Zach Merrett |  | 145 |
| Marcus Bontempelli |  | 133 |
| Errol Gulden | | 127 |
SNEAKY INTERESTING MATCHUP
Sincerest apologies to literally every other matchup, all of which are sneakily interesting. Dying to see if the Defenestrators can topple a Devils side that has conquered both MaherShalalHashBaz and the Roughnecks this season…
But one needs to take their opportunity to talk about these two teams, because who knows when another opportunity will present itself.
So, spoon bowl!
I’ll keep it simple. Can the Soldiers break their 37-game losing streak? And does their coach want them to?
Or will the Vipers release some pent-up frustration and really do a number on the league’s easy beats?
The Vipers have scored around 500 more points than the Soldiers this season, but the Soldiers did outscore the Vipers last weekend. And the weekend before that one. It’s on the table for them if things break their way.
Oh, and keep an eye out for a Hugo Garcia revenge game. Traded away by the Soldiers this off-season, he’s been a bright light for a disappointing Vipers outfit, with a 3-week rolling average of 103.
Key Outs
Vipers: Liberatore, Darcy, Kako
Soldiers: Martin
Last time these two met
No surprises here, given the stat above. The Vipers won by a whopping 455 points.
Admittedly, very few of the Vipers leaders that day are playing this weekend though. Liberatore (138) is out with injury, Duggan (118), Atkins (109) and Neale (106) all ply their trade elsewhere now.
DangerGawn votes
| Tom Liberatore |  | 138 |
| Joel Jeffrey |  | 132 |
| Max Hall | | 124 |
STRAY OBSERVATION
Keeper’s scoring projections have the Defenestrators and the Devils in a tight one. Can the Defenestrators capture a fourth win on the trot? And are the Devils our highest variance team?
Elsewhere, Pukekos finally get Tim English back. Both they and their opponents in the Roughnecks have a laundry list of big names in their outs though, so this one might be down to survival of the fittest.