The race for the semi-finals is on as the Rugby League Ipswich A Grade competition moves past the halfway mark into Round 12 this weekend.
Only two competition points separate the top four teams, with Brothers Ipswich still clinging to a one-point lead at the top.
Brothers, along with Goodna & Districts Eagles, set the bar over the first six weeks of the competition, but in recent weeks, the Swifts Bluebirds and Redbank Plains Bears have emerged as worthy challengers.
Last week, the Bears outgunned Brothers 40-34, while the Eagles have lost two of their last three, including a 38-26 loss to the Bluebirds in Round 9.
The Bluebirds also have a win over Brothers to their name, while the Bears beat the Bluebirds in their last meeting.
In Round 12, the Eagles host Brothers in a game where the result will shake up the top four.
A loss for the Eagles will see them slip down to fourth, while a win would see them jump to either first or second, with Brothers potentially dropping as low as third.
With key players returning from representative duties, both sides will be bolstered in what is shaping up as one of the games of the season so far.
Elsewhere, the Swifts Bluebirds take on seventh placed West End Bulldogs at home on Sunday afternoon.
The Bulldogs have hit a rough spot, losing their last five in a row, but will take confidence out of their last encounter with Swifts, where they managed a 34-34 draw.
The last game of the round is a grand final replay between Fassifern Bombers and Northern Suburbs Ipswich Tigers.
This season hasn’t been a great year for either side so far, but both sides have momentum with last start wins.
The Bombers secured their long awaited first win of the season, 24-16 over the West End Bulldogs. The Tigers, meanwhile, scored a 20-16 win over Goodna at home.
No matter who gets the win, somebody will be posting consecutive wins for the first time in 2019 and will perhaps take a step towards a strong run home.
Rugby League Ipswich A Grade Competition Round 12
Fassifern Bombers v Northern Suburbs Ipswich Tigers – Sunday, June 9 at Hayes Oval, 3pm
Swifts Bluebirds v West End Bulldogs – Sunday, June 9 at Swifts Rugby League Football Club, 3pm
Goodna & Districts Eagles v Brothers Ipswich – Sunday, June 9 at Woogaroo Field, 3pm
Ladder
Pos | Team | +/- | Pts |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Brothers Ipswich | 213 | 29 |
2 | Swifts Bluebirds | 64 | 28 |
3 | Goodna & Districts Eagles | 257 | 27 |
4 | Redbank Plains Bears | 52 | 27 |
5 | Northern Suburbs Ipswich Tigers | -114 | 21 |
6 | Fassifern Bombers | -224 | 17 |
7 | West End Bulldogs | -248 | 16 |