Woden Valley Rams vs Tuggeranong Bushrangers, 3pm Sunday at Phillip District Oval
In the match of the round, the Woden Valley Rams take on bitter rivals the Tuggeranong Bushrangers in a local derby which is sure to entertain.
With both teams sitting alongside each other on the ladder, a win for either team is as good as gold at this stage of the season.
Currently sitting in 5th place, Tuggeranong are coming off a tight defeat last week going down by just two points despite a spirited second half comeback.
Michael Uluakiola has been a driving force behind Tuggeranong this year leading from the front with his tough carries.
But Uluakiola knows his team isn’t perfect and they will need to play well this weekend if they are to come away with the win.
“We just need to work on playing 80 minutes and start and finish good,” Uluakiola said.
“When we put our minds to something we can come out with the goods.”
Woden sits just below the Bushrangers in 6th position making a win even more important.
After a tough defeat at the hands of West Belconnen 30-16, Woden will have a point to prove when the local derby gets underway.
Former Tuggeranong player Jeff Morgan has switched sides and will line up for Woden in this weekend’s clash.
Having played for both teams, Morgan knows how physical the game will be and how important a win against Tuggeranong this weekend is.
“It’s always a good game against bushys,” Morgan said.
“For me it means a heap [Local Derby], I’ve played on both sides and you just wanna get out there and rip in.”
“We did it pretty tough last week, but we are close to full squad this week and hopefully we can go out there and bet them convincingly.
Tune in at 3pm Sunday to watch Woden take on Tuggeranong
Belconnen United Sharks vs West Belconnen Warriors, 2pm Saturday at O’Conner Oval.
In the battle of Belconnen both the Sharks and the Warriors will want to leave with the bragging rights when they face off in a local derby this weekend.
The Warriors need a win to stay in touch with the top four while the Sharks are playing for pride as they sit on the bottom of the ladder.
The Warriors are coming off a strong win over Woden last week and will be full of confidence when they take on their cross town rivals.
But Sharks halfback Darcy Eason says his team knows where they are going wrong and hoping to put together a complete performance.
“We need to tighten up our middle and our right edge defensively,” Eason said.
“We know we can score points if we hold the ball, we just need to focus our energy into defence.”
Yass Magpies vs Queanbeyan Blues, 2pm Saturday at Walker Park
After a tense finish to their tight two point win last week, Yass will be out to knock off competition leaders the Queanbeyan Blues and move further inside the top four.
After just edging out the Tuggeranong Bushrangers last week 24-22, the Magpies have another tough challenge in front of them coming up against an undefeated Queanbeyan Blues side.
The Blues had the luxury of the bye last week and will be well-rested and ready to go coming up against a Yass side full of spirit.
Yass Magpies captain and halfback Steve Naughton is confident in his team but knows just how tough the Blues will be.
“We’ve got plenty belief in our own side,” Naughton said.
“We need to put a full 80 minutes together if we are any chance to get a win over the Blues.”
Goulburn Workers Bulldogs vs Gungahlin Bulls, 2pm Saturday at Workers Arena
Despite a severe lack of troops, the Gungahlin Bulls showed that they are still a force in the competition after they beat the Sharks last week.
With just seven players available for training this week, the Bulls are severely down on numbers but know they have it in them to still come away with a win this weekend.
The potential return of former Raider Drury low is a massive boost for the Gungahlin side that need a win if they are any chance of making the finals.
Standing in their way is an imposing Goulbourn pack which will be out to make amends for their poor performance last week going down 60-6 against the Queanbeyan Kangaroos.
Gungahlin Coach David Howell, knows how hard it can be travel down to Goulburn but is confident in his teams determination and attitude.
“It’s going to be a big ask going to Goulburn on Sunday,” Howell said.
“Hopefully we can dig deep and put in a big effort and get the win.”
