5 Things to Watch for in Round 13 of the IPL
Bulli win ✅, Wollongong Olympic win ✅, Albion Park White Eagles win ✅, Wollongong United win ❌ and with that their League Championship hopes seem dead in the water. Round 13 has the potential to eliminate another team from the title race as well as turn up the heat in the battle for the top five. It’s time to discuss the five things I will be keen to watch for over the weekend.
1 — Can Elasi reignite the Golden Boot race?
Wollongong Olympic’s Yusuke Ueda heads the Premier League’s top goalscorer chart with 16 goals, seven clear of Bulli’s Ben McDonald and Wollongong United’s Matthew McNab and Nathan Elasi.
The only one of that trio I believe has any chance of catching the Japanese forward is Elasi, however, he has only managed four League goals since scoring five against Picton in Round 2. In preseason, United skipper Sam Munro predicted on the Wollongong Football Show that the former Sutherland Shark would net 25 goals this season but with 10 games remaining he is someway from that mark with a troublesome knee partly to blame.
You will get long odds on Elasi surpassing Ueda this campaign but if you’re going to put some money on it this week is the week. In Wednesday night’s Bert Bampton Cup match, he was close to unplayable and scored an 18-minute hattrick. He goes up against Picton once again on Saturday and with the Rangers being the League’s worst defence, if he can get a goal early, I can see him scoring more than a hatful.
2 — Bulli beware of the banana skin
Bulli lead the way with 10 games remaining, two points clear of Wollongong Olympic but this week they have a tricky test at home to Tarrawanna. The Blueys were awful in the first half against Wollongong United on Wednesday night but their second-half performance will have them buzzing for an upset on Saturday.
Failure to win against Tarrawanna could see Wollongong Olympic take the lead with Bulli set to face them in Round 15. In an article in the Illawarra Mercury, Bulli coach Matt Bailey rejected any suggestions his side may have one eye on the looming Olympic match.
“If you look at our record over the course of the last two seasons we have demonstrated that we prepare well for every match regardless of the opposition,” Bailey explained.
“Olympic is important in two weekends time but the immediate focus has to be on Tarrawanna.”
Tarrawanna showed what they are capable of in the second 45 minutes against United so Bulli beware.
3 — Can Port push into the top five?
With Tarrawanna predicted by most of lose against Bulli, this weekend poses a massive opportunity for reigning Grand Final winners Port Kembla to move into the top five for the first time since Round 2.
Last weekend’s 3–0 win over South Coast United was the first time this season Port have managed to put together back-to-back three points so there is some optimism building at Wetherall Park that they could be set for a strong second half of the season.
This weekend they face sizable test in 3rd placed Albion Park who they drew 1–1 with on the second Sunday of the season. The White Eagles fought back from a goal and a man down to secure a point and Noel Spencer will be wary to prevent a similar sort of lapse with 5th spot up for grabs.
I am going for a draw, a result which will put Port level with the Blueys (if they lose to Bulli) and probably rule a line through Albion Park’s title hopes.
4 — Can Corrimal become a flat-track bully?
Flat-track bully. Definition — a sportsperson who dominates inferior opposition, but who cannot beat top-level opponents.
Corrimal are the exact opposite akin to Sachin Tendulkar on a dust bowl in Mumbai. The Rangers have picked up points in seven games this season and five of those matches were against sides above them on the table.
This weekend Corrimal will be expected to beat Cringila who are languishing six points behind them, however, their record suggests otherwise. Can Jason Davkovski and Rob Jonovski’s side rid themselves of this strange complex? Probably but a loss on the weekend may lead to the club calling in a witch doctor.
5 — Defeat against Woonona will end Fernhill’s season
I will keep this one brief. Fernhill, in theory, are on the fringe of the top fringe of the top five race — just four points off 5th. However, they are in for a tough second half of the season with a number of players going away for different periods as well as coach Bruce Tilt.
If they don’t beat Woonona on Sunday, their finals chances will be quashed and they play out the season in mid table obscurity which — as I am almost obligated to say — is well above any preseason expectations.
