Our Premier men and women make a welcome return to The Canal as they look to avenge disappointing outings against UQ last week. Plenty of reasons, but no excuses. Meanwhile our Colts 1 boys are a shining light. Souths at home this week.
Premier Men
Last week:
Bull Sharks v UQ
31-40 (L)
We struggled to convert possession and field position into points. We had enough of each to win the game, but we lacked the ability to finish it off.
The opposition
It will be a tough encounter. They have a very good set piece and have had success in scoring a lot of points in recent weeks.
The challenge
We need to fix our defence; we have conceded 40+ points three weeks in a row.
Shuffling the magnets
Kenny Harris will make his debut run this weekend. It will be interesting to see how he presents.
Ones to watch
There will be a couple to watch this week - Rhys Sheriff in the forwards and Dion Samuela in the backs are the main ones.
The focus
Our focus this week will really just be on building up our defence.
- With Sean Hedger
Premier Women
Last Week:
Bull Sharks v UQ
12-34 (L)
It was a pretty tough day in the office last week, so we need a bounce-back response from our group this week.
The opposition
I would say Souths are in the midst of building their program. They have definitely been plugging away pretty diligently in most games, but I would hope that this week we are able to perform well.
The challenge
The challenge for us will be just us getting our own game right. We didn't do a good job of that last week, so it's an opportunity to attend to where we fell short last week
Shuffling the magnets
There is a constant shuffling of the magnets. We have got no Reds players available even though they're on a bye week. We've got some coming in back in from the state champs last weekend. But then we've got other unavailability.
Ones to watch
We have a few in top form at the moment: Mahlia Snowden, Michelle Curry, , and our captain, Elisha Godsiff.
The focus
This week, the main focus will be on getting a good platform in the middle - making sure everyone does their part and gets into the correct positions.
- With Setu Naseri
Colts 1
Last week:
Bull Sharks v UQ
43 - 31(W)
It was a great result to get a win from a much-improved UQ away from home. Their position on the ladder certainly doesn't reflect their team's ability. They pushed us to the very end, but credit to our players. We were good enough to score some late tries to get away with a bonus point win away from home. Any bonus point gained away from home is always positive.
The opposition
Souths are a top-four side, and they'll look to try and solidify their position in the top four by knocking us over. We’re under no illusion – it’s a very tough week this week. They'll throw every weapon they've got at us, and we've got to be ready not only for that resolve, but their ability to attack. We want to put in another positive performance at home in front of the Bond faithful.
The challenge
They’ve got a very big, physical forward pack. We're going to have to match them up front, and if we can do that, I think that will go a long way to winning the game.
Shuffling the magnets
Dan Wells is away, so someone will come in for him. We may have Jonah Rangiwai back, which would be a huge inclusion for our team and with the energy he brings to the to the group.
Ones to watch
Ryan Wildman and Ed Lines after the performance last week - it'd be awesome for them to put on back-to-back performances. That'll go a long way toward winning the game, having our fullback and winger playing well.
The focus
We’re looking for a positive performance at home. We let Bond down in our home performance against Easts earlier in the year, and we made a pact that it won't happen again. We want to put on a positive performance for the Bond faithful at home this week.
Final words
We’re back at home in The Canal and are looking to solidify our spot in the in the top four and chase that number one or two spot.
- With Adam Fahey