Pindan Premier Grade Preview - Week 9

The Pindan Premier Grade has reached the half-way point of the season and competition remains fierce with seven teams in contention for a top four spot.

With Nedlands 10 points clear of their nearest rivals atop the Pindan Premier Grade ladder, the race is on for second spot and round nine sees Associates looking to defend their position against the third-placed Wests Subiaco.

 

Both sides have recorded five wins in season 2012 and a victory for either team will go a long way towards helping cement second rung on the ladder.

 

On paper, the two sides are very evenly matched with this week’s match of the round promising one of the tightest contests this year.

 

Associates are one of the premier attacking sides in the competition, having claimed a four-try bonus point on five occasions this season, however, they front the league’s most miserly team in Wests Subiaco, who are conceding less than 16 points per match.

 

Associates Coach Andy Cole is keeping his cards close to his chest in the lead up to a game that is sure to be a tightly fought encounter.

 

“It’s going to be a tough match because there are no easy games any more in this competition, especially with both teams following each other on the ladder,” Cole said.

 

“Their back row is very strong and we are going to have to look out for that, but it will mainly come down to the breakdown and our mid-field work.

 

“As the match draws closer, we will assess more of their game and try to build a game plan around that.”

 

Wests Subiaco Coach Steve Montgomery said his side was ready for the contest to decide second spot on the ladder.

 

“It’s been nine pretty physical weeks of rugby and we haven’t really changed our style or how we intend to play the game so it’s sure to be an entertaining clash for the crowd,” he said.

 

“The weather conditions we’ve been experiencing this week will be a major factor in our game plan because Soaks’ field is very muddy so we will wait until Saturday and see what the weather holds for us.

 

“If it’s a muddy track and a windy day we will probably be very forward-orientated. If it dries out between now and Saturday I think we will expect them to run the ball quite a bit.”

 

Montgomery was also quick to praise the opposition and is anticipating a high quality game.

 

“Andy (Cole) is a very good coach,” said Montgomery. “It’s going to be one of those games where the coaches will hopefully stand on the sideline and enjoy a good game of football.

 

“There’s rivalry there, but there’s also a good deal of respect and professionalism between myself and Andy.

 

“I am actually really looking forward to the game because we’ve got a good relationship with Soaks on and off the field but of course I’m hopeful it’s a positive outcome for us.”

Last week Cottesloe became the latest casualty in Nedlands’ unbeaten run and slipped to seventh on the Pindan Premier Grade ladder.  This week they travel to Lark Hill to take on bottom-of-the-table Rockingham and will be favourites to add a sixth win to their tally.

 

With just the one win on the board for season 2012, Rockingham is struggling to find form and after a 28-point drubbing from Wests Subiaco last week, they have a hard task ahead to overcome the Gulls. 

 

Another alarming statistic for the home side is that they are yet to win a game on home turf, which is compounded by Cottesloe’s ability to have won four of their five games on the road this season. 

Wanneroo enter round nine on a high after accounting for UWA last week by 18 points and will be keen to maintain their top four position with a win over the unbeaten Nedlands. 

 

The Roo Dogs were boosted by the inclusion of Emirates Western Force and Wallabies star Matt Hodgson as well as teammates Phoenix Battye and Tetera Faulkner in last week’s match but will be without all three in the match-up with Nedlands.

 

Their eight-game winning streak has Neddies brimming with confidence and they will again be a formidable challenge on home soil.

Palmyra has had an impressive season to date and sit just outside the top four following a convincing 19-0 win over Kalamunda last week. This week they face a desperate Perth Bayswater, who will be determined not to let season 2012 slip away.

 

The home side has five wins on the board but has only gained two bonus points and will need to capitalise on their attack in the latter half of the season to ensure they remain in reach of a finals berth.

 

Perth Bayswater have seen a number of games slip away from them this year and will be hoping they can get a third win under their belt to maintain touch with the competition’s contenders. 

UWA will be smarting from their 25-7 defeat from Wanneroo last weekend and are expected to come out all guns blazing when Kalamunda travel to McGillivray Oval on Saturday.  The 2011 premiers have dropped out of the top four but have a good opportunity to claim their fifth win of the season against a struggling Kalamunda.

 

It has been five weeks since Kalamunda claimed their one-and-only victory this year and they’ll be hoping they can find that form again to kick-start a successful back end of the season.  They are only one point clear of the last-placed Rockingham and need to be competitive to distance themselves from the wooden spoon.