Rugby returns this week after a well-deserved bye, as they head up the M1 to take on Easts. All Bond's sides can expect a physical challenge against one of the competition’s toughest opponents as we enter the pointy end of the season.
Premier Men
The Opposition: Easts are a strong club through all grades, and their First Grade side has been in the top four all year, so it will be a big test on Saturday. For our Premier Men, the Easts forward pack is traditionally one of the best in the competition. At set-piece time, they have big ball carriers who require a lot of stopping.
The Challenge: Nullifying East's set-piece dominance will be our biggest challenge
Shuffling the magnets: Unfortunately, Dion Samuela has been forced out through injury.
One to watch: Kairus Booth will make his run on debut. He has played exceptionally in the Colts since joining the club, so it will be great to see him test himself at the First Grade level.
The focus: For us, it’s patience and execution at the attacking end of the field. We always dominate possession, but we aren’t necessarily turning that into points, so our A-Zone set-ups will receive our primary attention.
Final word: We are sitting sixth, but we are only slightly adrift of this weekend’s opposition, who are in fifth, and UQ above them in fourth. We are walking a tightrope of finals qualification, but it’s a very close competition. Every game from here is extremely important.
- With Sean Hedger
Premier Women
The opposition: They are very physical, with a strong forward pack and speedy backs. We’ve got a pretty storied history with Easts in not just 15’s but both 15’s and 7’s, and they’ll be a tough opposition this weekend.
The challenge: It's going to be a physical battle, and our focus will be on winning that battle up front. It’s about competing with them and then trying to insert ourselves into the game to give ourselves every chance of being competitive.
Shuffling the magnets: We've still got some challenges around our front row and other positions, so we're still shuffling the magnets a bit. It’s just nature of the beast at the moment for us, week, week out.
The focus: We know there are only four rounds left to play in the season, so every game we play from here is about maintaining that top two position.
Ones to watch: Elisha Godsiff has been promoted to the Reds program, which is a very well-deserved opportunity, but it’s great to still have her play for us each week. She's someone who has been consistent since she arrived in our program in 2022.
Final word: We’re playing three out of the top four out of the next four weeks so it’s going to be competitive. We’ve got a pretty tough challenge in front of us. The bye gave us a great opportunity to refresh and another week to rehab injuries. We’ve got both teams playing this week, so it’s all hands back on deck. so Amazing that we all hands on, really.
- With Setu Naseri
Colts
The opposition: It’s another big challenge for us this weekend. Last time we played Easts, it was our biggest loss of the season. Since then, we've improved. Easts have had a topsy-turvy sort of season, but at home they are a different completely different beast.
Biggest challenge: The crowd is like their 16th player on the field, so we’re going to have to be at our best to get over the top of them.
Shuffling the magnets: We’ll have a new centre pairing, losing one centre due to injury and one due to promotion into Premier Men - Karius Booth has gone up to first grade, which is awesome.
Ones to watch: Our front row has been elite the last couple of weeks, so we don’t expect anything less from them now. They've set a benchmark in the competition, and we need to continue to improve on that and be better each week in that area. Blaze Moana, our captain and hooker, leads that bunch. One of our unsung heroes, though, is our fullback Ryan Wildman – his goal kicking at the moment is around 90%, so we’re scoring seven-point tries, not five-point tries. His work around the field is incredible; he gets through a mountain of work. Also, Tavita Tima is making his Colts 1 debut. He has played really well in Colts 2 and deserves this opportunity.
The focus: We’ve spoken about coming back after a really good win against Brothers and the bye. It’s back to work now and we've got a theme now for the next four weeks – taking the edge.
Final word: The boys showed up in great condition after the bye. They're very driven, with a good attitude, and they want to achieve. We’ll put all our focus on this week, which will be a great challenge.
- With Adam Fahey