A THRILLING final round of the SHDCA season is set up with three sides fighting it out for the last spot in the four.
RSL have the bye and a guaranteed six points but will need both their rivals in Woorinen and Ultima TUF to lose.
The Tigers currently occupy fourth spot – only requiring a win to ensure a sixth-straight post-season berth.
They’ll face a red-hot Wandella outfit, fresh off a season-defining win against top side St Mary’s Tyntynder.
After a barren period, Tigers skipper Jason Mangiameli told The Guardian his charges had found their rhythm again over the past fortnight and were looking forward to Saturday’s challenge.
“The last couple of weeks, the group’s been really keen and raring to go – the numbers at training have been excellent – so hopefully we can get the points and extend our season for at least another week,” he said.
“We’re probably a bit lucky to be in this position after dropping a few games in the past couple of months, but thankfully we had a decent start to the season.”
The Tigers’ comfortable win over lowly Swan Hill last weekend was their first victory since returning from Christmas.
Mangiameli was hopeful the triumph can give his side some much-needed momentum.
“Overall, we were pretty happy with the performance and hopefully it allows us to get back in the swing of things,” he said.
“We’ve still got some things to work on – we were good in patches with the ball – but we’re looking to get a more all-round performance in that department.”
Although the league was playing with two-day rules, Mangiameli was well aware that you still need to treat the 50-over games for what they are – one-dayers.
“Being a 50-over format, I feel more times than not you’re going to have to bowl those overs, so you need to restrict the opposition to as many runs as possible,” he said.
“At the end of the day, if we can keep the runs down, with our attacking batting line-up, we’ll back ourselves in to chase most totals.”
The Tigers have struggled to get their best attack on the park, with opening bowlers Gurmander Singh and Robert Rush recently missing matches.
Singh returned last week, while Mangiameli was hopeful Rush can return from university commitments in time for Saturday’s big contest.
English off-spinner Dylan Smythe has been a revelation, taking 15 wickets across his past three matches.
“Dylan’s been unreal for us,” Mangiameli said.
“You know what you’re going to get from him with his consistency – an incredible asset through those middle overs.”
For a side with the Tigers’ talent and experience, missing finals would be a shock, but Mangiameli was backing his seasoned campaigners.
“We’ve got an experienced group who’s played in big games, so we know how to handle ourselves when these matches come along,” he said.
“I don’t need to instil the message, when it comes to crunch time, the boys know how to hold up when it matters.”
The contest will be just as big for the Bombers – with Nyah expected to win, a loss here would mean they relinquish a home final, despite surging toward finals with a four-game win streak.
“We don’t look at the opposition that much – we like to focus on our own game,” Mangiameli said.
“Greg Dickson is clearly their trump card, so if we can get him early, that will hold us in good stead, but they’ve got dangerous players in Bohden McKnight and Laine Gibbons at the top, so we’ll need to be right on our game.”
St Mary’s Tyntynder v Ultima TUF
ULTIMA TUF completes the trio in the three-team race for fourth and has the biggest challenge, against the competition’s best side.
Needing to win and hoping the Tigers slip up, there’s still a chance for the Roos, but they’ll have their work cut out for them.
The Roos’ form line suggests it will be a tough ask, having not won in a month, but they have an X-factor in that their team is capable of pulling off an almighty upset.
Kyle Symons has been superb at the top of the order, highlighted by his 138 not out a fortnight ago, and if guys like Jordan King and Ben Shepherd can fire, the Roos will be right in it.
On the Saints’ end, they sewed up top spot a while ago but will be keen to avoid heading into finals with two losses on the trot.
Nyah v Swan Hill
NYAH’S loss to RSL last weekend could prove costly if they don’t manage to wrestle back second spot from the Bombers this weekend.
While the Demons will back themselves to win anywhere, Wandella is a far trickier proposition on their home deck, meaning they could come out firing against Swan Hill on Saturday.
The Swans are winless since Christmas but have been competitive the past fortnight.
While a loss means nothing to the Swans’ season, it is about the optics heading into the off-season, and another huge loss could potentially damage the significant steps forward they’ve made this season.
Meanwhile, this is a perfect chance for the Demon players to find form before finals.
