S6, R1: Gamblers vs. Vikings - Completed

Gamblers

Benny Read
Aaron O'Neill
Wes Welker
Morgan Burridge
Senor Slippy
Brett Hall
Simon Humble
Brett Gemmell
Mate Perry
Dion Alessi
Ben Herd
Jaz Eightyfour
Luke Tyson
Damien Taylor
Ether Starris

Subs:
Duckworth Lewis
Alex O'Driscoll
Luke Popovic
Ben Taylor
Truman Lee
Theo Miokovic
Jack Dempsey

Vikings

Clayton Evans
Tom Delonge
Reagan Wheelson
Donald Boland
Choco Man
Ben Manera
Simon Laing
Bill Morganpola
Rob Cribb
Aaron Hunt
Andrew James
Steve Cambridge
Sam Green
Dirk Diggler
Kelvin Fung

Subs:
Quentin Goldenhaus
Antone Sciappapetre
Nigel Hunt
Hache Emm
Rusty Downpipes
Scott Flack
Henry Daman

Odds
Gamblers: $2.00
Vikings: $1.66

Insight
This one should be the match of the round. Gamblers are slight outsiders, but with home advantage and a bit of luck and a fair wind, they could turn over the Vikings. The Vikings have clear strengths and weaknesses, whilst the Gamblers seem to have their talent more evenly distributed.

The Vikings' clear strength is in the pivots, with star signing Rob Cribb teaming up with Aaron Hunt who was a tough retention in the off season. This should mean good ball for the key Vikings backs in Andrew James and Steve Cambridge. That's where most of the Vikings' points will come from.

Unfortunately for the Vikings, for their pivots to come into play, they need their pack to function, and that's where the problems start. Two first-grade flops in Evans and Wheelson bed down with the more experienced Delonge. They face a strong and well tested front row in Read-O'Neill-Welker. Expect a high number of technical penalties at scrum time. The 2nd rows are more evenly matched with Burridge supported by the untested Slippy. Boland will have a tough battle with Burridge, but Choco Man should outperform Slippy.

The back rows both feature big names from seasons past, perhaps whose standards have started to wane. Humble, Manera, Laing. The key player here is Brett Gemmell who the Gamblers will need a top performance from to win this match. At least here, the Gamblers have some bench strength to call on in Alex O'Driscoll. Expect to see O'Driscoll early in the 2nd half to try and take advantage as the Vikings tire. The use of former key pivot Ben Taylor will also be interesting. With the signing of Dion Alessi in the off-season, Taylor can be freed up from first-five duties and operate more as a utility. Taylor might make an appearance in the centres or even at full back.

Expectation: Tough call. Vikings by 3, but could easy be a small margin to the Gamblers.

 

If the weather's dry, then that'll aid the Vikings but damp or wet and the Gamblers start to edge towards being favourites.

 

AOD man of the match in both grades coming up.

 

Vikings by 15 here. Their backline is tasty

 

This, 8pm NZT tonight.

 

Match is well underway now.