It is a knock-out final for Colts 1 against Easts while the Premier Women are playing for a spot in the grad final against Sunnybank.
Colts 1
Semi Final
Bond v Easts
Last time they met:
Round 16 at Easts Rugby Club.
Bond lost, 21-26.
On reflection:
One of the poorest performances we have had all year. It was a disappoint game and the only good thing was that we played so badly but only lost by 5 points. We lost a lot of heart during that game.
The opposition:
It has been a tight fixture each time we face them, we won the first one and they won the next. They have a couple Wallabies Under 20s representatives coming back to bolster their line-up. They are the sort of team that put up a contest in everything they do. While they are not always accurate, they put everything into competing. They possess a strong kicking game and rely heavily on it. We have to be prepared for the high ball.
Shuffling the magnets:
We hope to have a pretty similar team list to last week. We are waiting to hear about Zeb Misios our flanker. He has played over 8 games for Premier Men, but we have a case to get him on our side for finals. Robinson Reidy will replace him if we lose him.
Ones to watch:
Cal Simpson will be one to watch. He is one of our under 18 players but he has been instrumental in our recent wins despite his young age. He is a driver of the team, a play maker due to the position he plays in. We will need him to get us going this weekend.
The focus:
Our focuses will be on our set piece and line outs. We only had two line outs the last time we played them, but we have been having a lot of success with maul tries over the past few weeks and want to create more of those opportunities in this game. We want to create more chances to play within their A zone so that we can put them under pressure.
The final word:
We have to win to stay in the game. We are expecting a tough battle befitting a do or die final.
With Rico Gear.
Premier Women
Bond v Sunnybank
Qualifying Final.
Last time they met:
Rd 10, 2024 at Sunnybank.
Bull Sharks lost 38 12.
On reflection:
They were very tough, and we weren’t at our best with our physicality. We will need to step up in this area of our game to go head-to-head with them this time around.
The opposition:
Sunnybank are notoriously dangerous across the whole field. Their carries are strong, and they have a very aggressive nature that helps them stay almost one step ahead at times.
Shuffling the magnets:
The line up for this week will be finalised Thursday night, but it is likely it will remain mostly the same as last weeks.
Ones to watch:
Mel Wilks is always one to watch. She is dangerous with ball in hand, very explosive and can make something out of nothing. Zoe Hanna is also a great performer, she leads the team well and her defensive rates are always high.
The focus:
The focus is to win, which means we would go straight to the grand final. While winning would be great we also want to enjoy the final series, it will be about taking it all in on the day. We have our foundations, which will be important. We will maintain our focus on performing as one, team unity is one of the most important factors for our brand of footy.
The final word:
Play as one and we can do anything.
With Shannon Symon.