Photo – Carmel Potter-Green
By PETER ROWE
After last week’s thrilling local derby at Fremantle, the Willagee Bears will be looking to continue their second half form when they host unbeaten South Perth in round six of the NRLWA Fuel to Go and Play Premiership on Saturday afternoon.
The game of the round will see two teams who like to play fast and exciting football, both with key strike players in a battle royale that is tough to predict.
Both coaches know there’s a lot at stake and both have total respect for each other’s teams.
“They have shown they are a very good side, they have developed well so far this season, maturing into a quality team,” South Perth coach Duane Gwiazdzinski said.
“They have quality across the park. Kainoa (Gudgeon) and John Leota up front. They will test us for sure.”
Photo – Carmel Potter-Green
Bears coach Nelson Davis speak similarly of the Lions.
“Soon Langi is a class act and some one we will have to watch,” he said.
“But they have good runners and strong outside forwards who can go straight at you up the middle then switch to the outside.
“For us we have to stay in the contest to be in with a chance.
“We did that last week against Fremantle and I was really impressed with how we finished the game, so we have to take the momentum from that into this game.”
Wllagee had hoped to have forward Emmanuel Maliko back to provide a platform to create a punch up the middle, but pulled a calf muscle, so Davis will again shuffle his pack.
Photo – Carmel Potter-Green
“I was impressed with our defence last week, holding out Freo at the end of the game, but also forcing errors, which we capitalised on,” he said.
“It’s something we need to continue, especially against top quality sides like South Perth.
Both teams have few injury worries and it may just depend on who turns up for an 80 minute fight on Saturday afternoon.
“I think we may have surprised a few people so far this season with our style of play, but that surprise element is now gone – we have all had a good look at each other – we can still improve,” Gwiazdzinski said.
“We’re not a team that boasts about what have achieved. I have been really impressed with the humility shown by the players this season, just wanting to quietly go about their jobs.”
A few kilometres south Fremantle Roosters will be looking to overcome the disappointment of last week’s loss to the Bears when they host North Beach in another mouthwatering Fuel to Go and Play Premiership clash.
Coach Duane Butler wasn’t happy with what he saw from his team in the second half last weekend, describing it as a ”horror show.”
“I tried to watch the last 25 minutes and it made me sick,” Butler said.
Photo – Total Sport Photography
“And I let the boys know. I expect better from them and I’m looking for a response on Saturday.”
Butler, who has yet to play this season, is still recovering from a hip injury, but is hoping to be back within a month, will shuffle his ream again, with several players missing through work and a couple with injuries.
“We may well be digging deep into our reserves for this game, I think. We had 55 minutes of good football against Willagee, then blew it.
“Our set completion was OK in the first half at about 70 per cent but the second half saw us drop off. I think we only had 11 sets in total in that half.
“Training has been good this week and I have asked for them to step up.”
North Beach coach Phil Douche will welcome back Shane Gillham and Tom Fry in the forwards and has a list of players who are currently 50-50, recovering from knocks.
Brad Sparrow, Roydon Gillett, Brody Whitehead and Tyrone Cranstone are all expected to play if they pass late fitness tests.
“I think they will be OK,” Douche said. Jaylen Grey is also a possibility, the centre returning from a stint in Q Cup in Rockhampton.
Photo – Total Sports Photography
“If we can clearance in time, then Skinny might play, If not, then next week,” Douche added.
“We have some good depth at the club right now with players competing for places.
“Fremantle is always a battle, so we do need to be focused, get off to a good start, finish our sets and build pressure when we can.”
At Admiral Park two teams down on their luck go head to head in what some see as a ‘battle of the basement’ as the Joondalup Giants and Rockingham Sharks struggle to rebuild their first grade sides.
“We have a lot of young players who are still learning and I think Joondalup are similar,” Sharks coach Pete Worth said.
“We’re improving and we had a good turnout at training, but the losses are hard to take for sure.
“We need to do there little things well, stay busy and keep showing up for each other.”
Worth admitted it was hard to take the losses but knows he has some good youngsters who will get better.
“We have to keep showing up and keep putting in and we will improve,” he added.
Club captain Ben Bolth is still out with a calf injury that may not see him return this season and Worth has three players who are still 50-50 for this game.
Photo – Libby McMillan
“I will leave it late to decide on the team,” he said.
“But like Joondalup, we have to develop our footy IQ and learn to stay in the fight. We have made errors with the ball and on defence, giving up penalties on third and fourth tackle. That really hurts, and then fatigue kicks in.”
Giants coach Darren Smith also sees the game as a must-win.
And with rain expected over the weekend, it could be a close encounter.
“The recent scores don’t really show it but we have been improving and our young kids have plenty of energy,” he said.
“We have a couple back – Gus Marshall returns and will steer us around the park and Taurean (Sheehan) does the same.
“For the youngsters it’s about learning what first grade is all about.
“We want to get that first win and build momentum from there.”
Photo – Libby McMillan