The Super League returns for Round 11 and with the Statewide Cup out of the way, its becomes the sole focus for the sides moving forwards. We're still well short of reaching halfway, so there is plenty of football to be played as the sides try and reel in the league leading Warriors. Their two biggest challengers play off against one another this week, so if things go their way then they could yet even extend their advantage atop the table.
Those challengers are the Hobart Zebras, fresh off their Monday Statewide Cup triumph and the defending champions in Ulverstone, who are starting to click into gear with a pair of thumping wins in their past two games. They've been utterly merciless in the past fortnight against the bottom two sides, smashing in 20 goals without conceding one. Their task gets tougher this week up against a Hobart Zebras team that is in top form and should be feeling confident after their cup win. The Zebras currently sit 7 points off the pace, but they currently have 2 games in hand. Given that Olympia has played Ulverstone twice, and the Zebras have only played them once, this technically represents one of those games. It makes it all the more important in the title race and this has the feel of a genuine six pointer about it. Ulverstone meanwhile might be off the pace at present, but they have shown last year they can go on extended winning streaks. With their next four games at home, this next month will define their season. After this Zebras game they host the Warriors and if they can go 4 from 4 at home then they will be right back in the title hunt. That starts this week against the Cup champions, in what looms as a must win game for both sides.
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The Zebras should be riding high after Monday- Solstice Photography[/caption]
Kicking off slightly before that down in the South at Wentworth Park, Clarence will try to reverse their recent fortunes when they come up against Olympia. Having lost 8-0 and 10-0 to the Zebras and Ulverstone in their past two, now they face a side that has scored more goals than both of them. It was 16-0 when these sides met earlier this year at Warrior Park and the Reds will need to batten down the hatches to avoid a repeat. It's been a trying season on coach Chris Chalker, with injuries and player availability inhibiting his ability to get his best XI players out on the park each week. Without their best, its hard to see how they can challenge the Warriors who remain the team to beat, and produced their best performance in a while when they downed Kingborough 5-2 in their last start.
Finally down at Lightwood Park at 4:30pm the Kingborough Lions look to bounce back from their disappointment on Monday when they take on South Hobart. Whilst obviously losing a third cup final in a row will sting the Lions, they can be proud of their performance in the game. They had the Zebras under enormous pressure in that first half especially and were absolutely dominating the game. If they play to that level each week then they are going to win a lot more games than they will lose. South have copped a couple of heavy defeats in the past couple of games, though they came close to shocking Olympia the week prior to that. That is the level of performance they need to get back to if they are to upset a Lions side who have now beaten Ulverstone and Olympia in their two most recent outings at the Den.
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Despite the loss, the Lions performed well on Monday- Solstice Photography[/caption]
Saturday 15 June
Clarence United v Olympia Warriors, 2:00pm, Wentworth Park
Ulverstone v Hobart Zebras, 2:30pm, Ulverstone
Kingborough v South Hobart, 4:30pm, Lightwood Park
The Zebras should be riding high after Monday- Solstice Photography[/caption]
Kicking off slightly before that down in the South at Wentworth Park, Clarence will try to reverse their recent fortunes when they come up against Olympia. Having lost 8-0 and 10-0 to the Zebras and Ulverstone in their past two, now they face a side that has scored more goals than both of them. It was 16-0 when these sides met earlier this year at Warrior Park and the Reds will need to batten down the hatches to avoid a repeat. It's been a trying season on coach Chris Chalker, with injuries and player availability inhibiting his ability to get his best XI players out on the park each week. Without their best, its hard to see how they can challenge the Warriors who remain the team to beat, and produced their best performance in a while when they downed Kingborough 5-2 in their last start.
Finally down at Lightwood Park at 4:30pm the Kingborough Lions look to bounce back from their disappointment on Monday when they take on South Hobart. Whilst obviously losing a third cup final in a row will sting the Lions, they can be proud of their performance in the game. They had the Zebras under enormous pressure in that first half especially and were absolutely dominating the game. If they play to that level each week then they are going to win a lot more games than they will lose. South have copped a couple of heavy defeats in the past couple of games, though they came close to shocking Olympia the week prior to that. That is the level of performance they need to get back to if they are to upset a Lions side who have now beaten Ulverstone and Olympia in their two most recent outings at the Den.
[caption id="attachment_11957" align="alignnone" width="490"] Despite the loss, the Lions performed well on Monday- Solstice Photography[/caption]
Saturday 15 June
Clarence United v Olympia Warriors, 2:00pm, Wentworth Park
Ulverstone v Hobart Zebras, 2:30pm, Ulverstone
Kingborough v South Hobart, 4:30pm, Lightwood Park