0
Fresh off the Press......
Kick-off times:
First Grade: 3.30pm
Reserve Grade: 1.40pm
Under 20s: 12pm
Under 18s: 11am (Field 2)
Third Grade 12.20pm (Field 2)
Fourth Grade: 2pm (Field 2)
Fifth Grade: 3.30pm (Field 2)
Emirates Western Force players playing this round:
Cottesloe: Junior Rasolea
Nedlands: Patrick Dellit
Wests Scarborough: Pek Cowan, Jayden Hayward, Sam Wykes
Click here to watch the best tries from Round 18 of the Pindan Premier Grade.
Saturday, 17 August, 2013
Major Semi-Final: Cottesloe v Nedlands at Pat O’Hara Reserve, Morley
Round Nine: Nedlands 12 defeated Cottesloe 0 at Patersons Stadium, Subiaco
Round 18: Cottesloe 23 defeated Nedlands 21 at The Foreshore, Nedlands
The match that has been promised for months is finally upon us this week as Cottesloe and Nedlands again fight it out, this time for a Pindan Premier Grade Grand Final berth.
It signals Nedlands’ 31st consecutive appearance in Premier Grade finals, a record that has boasted 13 premierships along the way.
Cottesloe was too strong for Nedlands at The Foreshore last week, 23-21, as centre Ed Melville’s brace proved crucial in the two-point win.
However, for both coaches the aces remain up the sleeve, for now at least, as first-choice line-ups and surprise patterns remained unveiled in what may have been considered a warm-up for the real thing disguised as a minor premiership battle.
Cottesloe’s ability to score tries has been unrivalled this year, however, in previous seasons finals rugby has shown to be about taking the points on offer and controlling the game from the boot.
The last time Cottesloe won the flag in 2009, it was aided by the Dave Cloete was kicking them from across the field such was his accuracy, while the current Gulls will see their form off the tee as an area for improvement.
Cottesloe coach Ian Fowler says that although there is a perception of the season starting again for all sides, there may be a mental advantage given last week’s win.
“It gives us some confidence,” he said. “They are the only side we hadn’t beaten this year so it was good to knock them over.”
“Other than that they say they have more to give, that’s fine, everyone has more to give.”
Meanwhile, Nedlands coach Tony Ball has dismissed speculation that last week will influence his side’s mental state throughout this week’s game.
“Last week is irrelevant, it’s just a normal season game where we weren’t able to get over the top,” he said.
“The boys have played finals before so we know it all starts again now – the intensity is a lot higher, the speed of the game goes up so it’s a new start.”
Ball believes a win this week is crucial with a do-or-die preliminary final a situation both clubs will be eager to avoid.
“I think this year the top four is a lot tighter than what it’s been for a while,” he said.
“Losing this week and coming up against the winner out of three and four will be a very tough bounce back game after the major-semi.
Cottesloe has two big inclusions for the match as locks Kieran Stringer and Adrian Hall form a new-look second row.
Nedlands has five changes ahead of the clash with flyer Pat Dellit coming in to oppose Emirates Western Force teammate Junior Rasolea at fullback. Neddies forwards Trav Church and Krystan Lawrence have also been include while integral backs Fred Tuua and Cam Crowley return after lengthy injury spells.
Cottesloe: 1 Kaisa Reidy, 2 Urbain Lawrence, 3 Oliver Hoskins, 4 Kieran Stringer, 5 Adrian Hall, 6 Nicholas Haining, 7 Mark Jackson, 8 Jarrett Budworth, 9 Ryan Louwrens, 10 Sean Martin, 11 Matthew Richards, 12 Tobias Hoskins, 13 Edward Melville, 14 Nathaniel Howard, 15 Junior Rasolea
Nedlands: 1 Mark Davies, 2 Mason Pomare, 3 Trav Church, 4 Josh Eden-Whatiri, 5 Cal Sauer, 6 Luke Doherty, 7 Krystan Lawrence, 8 Richie Naylor, 9 Micheal Ruru, 10 Fred Tuua, 11 Jake Stevens, 12 Ryan Mcloud, 13 Cam Crowley, 14 Jake Wilson, 15 Patrick Dellit
Referee: James Sherriff
Sunday, 18 August, 2013
Minor Semi-Final: Palmyra v Wests Scarborough at Success Sporting Complex, Success
Round One: Palmyra 21 defeated Wests Scarborough 19 at Tompkins Park, Alfred Cove
Round 10: Wests Scarborough 23 defeated Palmyra 21 at Bennett Park, Scarborough
Palmyra has been the standout side in the competition in the back half of the season with seven wins on the trot to date, and, as a result, has made third spot on the Pindan Premier Grade ladder its own.
After a 2012 crippled by injuries, the riverside club has seen the pendulum swing back in its favour this season, with consistency on the park leading to a remarkable run of form, coupled with the outstanding season of an evergreen front-rower Joe Savage, amongst others.
In a sense it’s been a knock-out competition for weeks now for Wests Scarborough, however, this week’s final makes it official, as a loss will bring down the curtains on what must be considered a successful season for the newly-located club.
Having been involved in a dogged hunt for fourth spot up until the last week of fixtures, Wests Scarborough will be used to the high pressure this weekend brings.
Wests Scarborough will be boosted by the inclusion of Emirates Western Force regulars Pek Cowan, Sam Wykes and Jayden Hayward, who will improve an already challenging outfit.
Coach Dwayne Grace was a central figure when the club went through a six-year purple patch at the turn of the decade, and may prove to be a good omen again this season at a new home.
Grace says while his side was aiming for the top four at the start of the season, his side has now set its sights beyond that.
"We've worked very hard just to put ourselves in this position," he said. "We spoke during the week and we can't be happy with just making the finals and not having an impact – everything until now no longer counts."
With little separating the two sides during the home-and-away clashes this season, Grace expects this week to be no different.
"Palmyra are a very structured and hard-working team, we will just concentrate on playing our style of rugby and controlling what we can."
Palmyra coach Dave Ball says after two close encounters throughout the season, the added hype of a final will bring out the best in both sides.
“I think there was two points in either game during the season so we’re under no illusion as to what they’ve got, how they like to play and what sort of game it’s going to be,” he said.
Ball says regardless of the big inclusions for Wests Scarborough, it’s a case of his side finding a way to win on the day.
“You put three players of that quality in any team and it will improve, those are the realities and you can only play against the team that is out there,” he said.
Palmyra has welcomed back three regulars for the match as flanker Sean Stapleton, winger Tutere Waenga and centre Sam Jurisich all return.
Wests Scarborough’s team remains preliminary at this stage, however, it is likely Junior Sala, Riley Winter, Josh Beer and Chance Bunce have all been included.
Palmyra: 1 Joe Savage, 2 Shane Manu, 3 Connor Higgins, 4 Jarrod Menary, 5 Padraig De Burca, 6 Shannan McRae 7 Sean Stapleton, 8 Hummer Tioki, 9 Brian Jurisich, 10 Jarrod Trevanthan, 11 Tutere Waenga, 12 Samuel Jurisich 13 Va’a Malei, 14 Hayden Baird, 15 Ray Maloney
Wests Scarborough: 1 Pek Cowan/Junior Sala, 2 Conan Houkamau, 3 Kane Noora, 4 Sam Wykes/Riley Winter, 5 Josh Beer, 6 Brad Griffiths, 7 Kane Koteka, 8 Pierre Roberts, 9 Michael Marshal, 10 Teava TeRangi, 11 Sean Curd, 12 Marty Campbell, 13 Brad Lacey, 14 Brendan Anderson, 15 Jayden Hayward/Chance Bunce
Referee: Graham Cooper
http://www.rugbywa.com.au/NewsEvents...2/Default.aspx