Club corner is back to preview the upcoming weekend of club footy across the country.
As several competitions hit or get close to the halfway point of the regular season, several teams have set a commanding lead at the top of the ladder nationwide.
QUEENSLAND PREMIER GRADE - ROUND EIGHT
No other competition has a leader more prevalent than the Red Heavies in Queensland. Seven matches, seven bonus point wins. Currently they hold an impressive twelve point lead over second placed GPS, and while they have the one game advantage and will enjoy the bye this weekend, even after the results of this round they will still hold a commanding lead.
This weekend, Wests will look to move into second place when they host GPS, Norths will face Easts in a clash of the cellar dwellers, while Souths and Sunnybank will look to keep in touch with the chasing pack when they square off.
RUGBY.com.au Match Of The Round:
Brothers v Bond University - While the Bulldogs-GPS clash could see a change in second place, the more potentially impactful clash this weekend will be between fourth and fifth. Only a single point separates these two sides, and both have played a lot of competitive footy so far this season. Both sides come into this match in very similar circumstances, suffering from inconsistency and a need to string some good performances together. Considering the chasing pack as well, this match could prove significant in the context of both their seasons.
Other fixtures:
Wests v GPS
Norths v Easts
Souths v Sunnybank
University of Queensland - BYE
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SHUTE SHIELD - ROUND EIGHT
Round Eight comes off the back of several improved performances last week, with West Harbour and the Wildfires the notable standouts. However, with a notable gap between Sydney University, Norths and the rest of the competition, a lot of teams will look at the Student bye this weekend as a good chance to make up for lost ground. This weekend, Easts head out to Nepean to face the Emus, the Two Blues host the Pirates in Camden, Eastwood host the Wildfires, Manly square off against Norths, while Souths look to get a vital win away from home when they face Randwick in Coogee.
RUGBY.com.au Match Of The Round:
Gordon v Warringah: a clash between third and fourth, both sides come into this match desperate for a win to keep in touch with the Shoreman and the Students. Both sides are playing positive rugby, however it’s fair to say neither side have fully hit their stride yet, especially the Stags following winning the title last year. This match will likely see both sides hungry for a win, so be down at Chatswood Oval this Saturday!
Other fixtures:
Randwick v Souths
Manly v Norths
Eastwood v Hunter Wildfires
Two Blues v West Harbour
Penrith v Eastern Suburbs
Sydney Uni - BYE
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JOHN I DENT CUP - ROUND SIX
The Vikings start round six as leaders on the board following their commanding win over the Eagles last week. A rare draw between the Owls and Lions maintain second and third, while Queanbeyan move into the top four after they handed the Royals their fifth loss of the year. This weekend Uni-Norths host the Royals, while the Eagles travel to face Wests.
RUGBY.com.au Match Of The Round:
Tuggeranong v Queanbeyan: a more surprising match of the round, but one that has a lot of potential. Following their nearly thirty point demolition of the Whites in the corresponding fixture in round one, Tuggeranong have maintained a relatively consistent string of games. The men from the border though are much improved, improving on every week since that game (bar one thumping at the hands of the Eagles). More interestingly, they’ve been getting more wins since their victory over Wests, who are the only team who have beaten the Vikings. Either way, an interesting clash will be played out at Viking Park.
Other fixtures:
Uni-Norths v Royals
Wests v Gungahlin
FORTESCUE PREMIER GRADE - ROUND EIGHT
The halfway point of the season is almost upon us in Perth, with the FMG Premier Grade experiencing a much more chaotic season in terms of the alternating ladder. UWA, Wests, Nedlands and Kalamunda currently make up the top four, but this weekend will see several clashes between the top of the ladder and the bottom, including Cottesloe hosting Wanneroo, UWA hosting Curtin Uni, and Palmyra hosting Joondalup.
RUGBY.com.au Match Of The Round:
Kalamunda v Associates: Of these clashes between the top of the ladder and the lower teams, this one looms as an especially interesting clash. Associates have suffered from inconsistent form since making the big dance last year, and they’ll need to be on their best against Kalamunda, who haven’t dropped a game since the opening round and have looked especially potent in attack in the last two rounds. With them closing on the leaders of the competition, the Bulls will want to continue that form this weekend.
Other fixtures:
Southern Lions v Perth Bayswater
Cottesloe v Wanneroo
Palmyra v Joondalup
Wests Scarborough v Coastal Cavaliers
UWA v Curtin Uni
ARKs v Nedlands
DEWAR SHIELD - ROUND SEVEN
Following the news of Victoria’s lockdown, round seven of the Dewar Shield has been cancelled, with more information set to be released next week regarding scheduling. Rugby Victoria have released the following statement on their Facebook page:
‘Following today’s announcement from the Acting Premier, Victoria will move to circuit breaker restrictions from 11:59pm tonight. These settings will remain in place until 11:59pm on Thursday 3 June.
‘All community Rugby related activities in Victoria will not be permitted to take place during this period as per the State Government restrictions.
‘We will provide a further update as soon as any relevant information becomes available.’
We hope everyone in Victoria stays safe over the coming days.
READ MORE:
TEAMS:All the teams for round Three
SUPER W:Fixtures confirmed
TO BE THE MAN:Porecki excited for Taylor clash
COOPERS PREMIER GRADE - ROUND SEVEN
Brighton has opened up an eleven point buffer at the top of the ladder, however last week they nearly suffered their first defeat at the hands of the Onkas, who asked plenty of questions of the premiers. This weekend, Brighton will host Adelaide Uni, while the Demons face Southern Suburbs. Elizabeth will look to get back to winning ways when they face Port Adelaide, while in a likely match of the round Old Collegians will face Burnside in a top four clash.
All fixtures:
Brighton v Adelaide University
Southern Suburbs v Onkaparinga
Elizabeth v Port Adelaide
Old Collegians v Burnside
Woodville - BYE
TASMANIAN PREMIER GRADE - ROUND FIVE
Despite going down to Launceston last weekend, Harlequins maintain their lead at the top of the Tassie competition. This weekend the Penguins face Glenorchy, Devonport will look to continue their solid form against the Students, Launceston faces the Lions, while the Burnie Emus host the Quins.
All fixtures:
Taroona v Glenorchy
Devonport v University of Tasmania
Launceston v Hobart Lions
Burnie Emus v Harlequins
Wherever you are this weekend, we hope you enjoy your club footy! And especially, we hope all of our friends in Victoria stay safe.
