Competition Preview | Wheelchair Rugby National League Round 3 - Queensland Bash
This weekend the 2022 Wheelchair Rugby National League comes to a close as Queensland hosts the final round of the new-look tournament. In an unavoidable clash of dates, round 3 possesses a great opportunity for many developing athletes given the absence of the Australian Steelers players selected to compete in the Canada Cup, meaning team depth and new line-ups are set to be tested in the final round of the competition. The impact of the clash has seen the withdrawal of Melbourne RUFC from this weekends competition, as the League narrows to 5 teams all jostling for spots on the final competition ladder to determine placings.
Excitingly, Sunday will see the crowing of the National League Winners, League Runner’s Up, the All-Star 4 and All-Star Coach awards, the first awards of their kind after a hotly contested competition.
Wheelchair Rugby Australia has below provided an outline of each teams chances across the weekend.
All photo credits to Kaz Watson, Joseph Tam & Wheelchair Sports NSW/ACT
University of Queensland- Current Position 1st (40 points) - Presented by Queensland Sporting Wheelies
Can anyone stop the Red Heavies? That question is looking more and more unlikely as UQ continued to their stunning form to again go undefeated in Sydney for round 2. An extremely well-balanced team who work hard for each other on both offence and defence, UQ have ensured they only need to win one match on the weekend to secure the National League title over the chasing teams.
Damien Mortaud’s improvement and involvement across the competition has been noticeable, as is the form of young-gun Conor Tweedy who continues to impress national selectors with his style of play.
Strengths: Balance. Just a genuinely good wheelchair rugby team. Chris Bond is a world-class high-pointer and his form has again proven this across the competition, however he is so well supported by the rest of this team as they relentlessly dispose of their opposition. They are the standout team of the competition thus far.
Weaknesses: Fatigue. With only 6 registered players for the final round, UQ will need their players to be in good health and playing large minutes. An injury / illness in their line-up could really open up an opportunity for opposition teams.
Tuggeranong Vikings- Current Position 2nd (30 points) - Presented by Wheelchair Sports NSW
How good have the Vikings been to watch in 2022. One of the grittiest sides in the competition, Tuggeranong fight and scrap for every point on court and it is that tenacity that sees them a realistic chance of finishing on the podium this weekend. Inspirational leaders Andrew Edmondson and Richard ‘Dicky’ Voris will be sorely missed as they compete for Australia on Canada Cup duties, but despite their absence the Vikings have managed to still pull together a very competitive line-up and again are one of the favourites heading into this weekend.
Strengths: Competing. The Vikings compete on every play. They have rarely been beaten by a big score and generally come out on top if the match goes down to the wire.
Weaknesses: Experience. Make no mistake just how big of a loss Edmo and Dicky are to this team, both on and off the court. There is raw talent a-plenty for the Vikings, with Tai Martin-Page and Josh Hanlon an example of this, however it is the experience the side loses in their Steeler representatives that could prove costly in the big matches this weekend.
Sydney University- Current Position 3rd (30 points) - Presented by Wheelchair Sports NSW
Sydney University were the big improvers in round 2, pushing the undefeated UQ all the way in their competition match and finishing a much-needed 2nd overall for series points. In a cruel blow, losing Ryley Batt to Canada Cup duties impacts the teams potential to score, but with an apt replacement in Griffiths and an opportunity for some young talent to make their mark on the series, this could be a blessing in disguise. Leaudais, Tresedor, Jackson and Chad Graham will be crucial for Uni if they are to go on a run this weekend with Graham particularly impressive across his earlier two appearances in the League for the students. For Sydney Uni, the equation is simple. Beat Tuggeranong this round and they will likely end up Runner’s Up of the League.
Strengths: It is hard to look across this university team list and find a weak spot. Every player on this team is worthy of their start and on their day can outperform any opposition. If things click for Uni, they will be very hard to beat.
Weaknesses: Consistency. Sydney Uni have had major changes from round to round, which is affecting their consistency as a group. A 5th place round 1 finish ahead of their 2nd place in round 2 could prove costly on the ladder.
Box Hill RUFC- Current Position 5th (26 points) - Presented by Disability Sport & Recreation Victoria
The improvement in Box Hill across the course of the competition has been a feature of the National League. A lowly 6th place finish in round 1 saw alarm bells ringing, however an improved 3rd place finish in Sydney and a strong line-up submitted in Brisbane and Box Hill are now a realistic chance of finishing the series as Runner’s Up. Unthinkable given their round 1 result in Melbourne. Box Hill have a number of quality line-ups at their disposal this weekend. The inclusion of experienced WA pairing Jayde Seed and Darren Cuomo, along with highly-rated newcomer Rubie Gallagher and Box Hill seem to have the squad balance to challenge every team they face this weekend in Brisbane.
Strengths: Scoring. Tom Klien finished 2nd on the scorers list in Sydney and is again set for a big weekend in Brisbane. Further to this, their entire team demonstrated their high-level attacking capability in Sydney, and will need this again in Brisbane if they are any chance of moving up in the points to contend for a placing.
Weaknesses: A bridge too far. Despite their best efforts in Brisbane, it is looking like Box Hill have left themselves with a little too much work to do in order to jag a podium position by the end of the season. Realistically, they will need to beat the high-flying UQ Red Heavies to have any chance of earning some silverware, a task no team in the league has been able to achieve thus far.
Brothers Rugby Club- Current Position 6th (24 points) - Presented by Queensland Sporting Wheelies
Brothers have been hard to get a read on thus far in the National League. Displaying an excellent team on paper with many experienced players, things just haven’t quite clicked for them across the Series. A home event will surely help them with the removal of travel days, and the experience both round 1 and 2 have provided new high-pointer Blake Cochrane is sure to benefit Brothers across the weekend. Both Newton and Luke Matthews have provided stability to their team throughout the competition, but the loss of Cam Whittaker through the player draft may prove costly. The whole competition will be looking forward to their local derby with UQ on the Sunday morning which should pull a big crowd to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.
Strengths: Player consistency. Brothers have been one of the least-affected teams by the Canada Cup, and display a similar team line-up to previous rounds. With their competitors having so many moving pieces to their roster, this continuity should provide an advantage for Brothers across the weekend.
Weaknesses: Scoring. Across the competition, Brothers have one of the highest turnover rates of the National League, it is affecting their ability to score. Should they fix this up, their fortunes in Brisbane may be different, but this has really affected their play since round 1.
