jets-v-easts-preview-north-ipswich-reserve-saturday-9-may-3pm
Ipswich Jets v Easts Tigers at North Ipswich Reserve on Saturday, May 9 – 3pm
Ipswich Jets: 1. Carlin Anderson 2. Marmin Barba 3. Chris Walker 4. Nemani Valekapa 5. Brandon McGrady 6. Josh Cleeland 7. Dane Phillips 8. Josh Seage 9. Matt Parcell 10. Rod Griffin 11. Sam Martin 12. Kurt Capewell 13. Keiron Lander (c) 14. Troy O’Sullivan 15. Kurtis Lingwoodock 16. Billy McConnachie 17. Liam Capewell 18. Gerico Cecil
Coach: Ben Walker and Shane Walker
Easts Tigers: 1. Eddie Tautali 2. Richie Kennar 3. Donald Malone 4. Michael Kai 5. Matt Duffie 6. Shaun Nona 7. Grant Giess 8. Christian Welch 9. Tommy Butterfield 10. Liam McDonald 11. Dane Hogan (c) 12. Jake Foster 13. Troy Giess 14. Francis Tualau 15. Matthew Zgrajewski 16. Dean Britt 17. Joel Romelo
Coach: Craig Ingebrigtsen
Overall head to head – Easts 19 Ipswich 18 Drawn 1
Last time they played:
27/7/14 IPSWICH JETS 22 (Kurt Capewell 2, Nemani Valekapa, Carlin Anderson tries; Brendon Marshall 2, Marmin Barba goals) def EASTS TIGERS 18 (Eddie Tautali, Shane Neumann, Matthew Zgrajewski tries; Liam Tyson 3 goals) at Langlands Park.
Round 9 – 2015.
It is not really relevant where on the table these two teams sit or what time of the year it is. A clash between the Tigers and Jets brings together two great teams that share a great rivalry and healthy dislike of each other.
Teams with differing style; the Tigers are based on big forwards rolling forward and in a very clinical Storm like manner controlling the ruck; while the Jets are unorthodox and about speed, keeping the ball alive and making everything a contest. The Tigers love to attack the edges with speedy outside backs combining with their forwards.
The Tigers started the year inconsistently winning two out of their first four games. They then won three games in a row until they came up against the Blackhawks who last round convincingly beat the Tigers 40-12.
Tigers’ coach Craig Ingebrigtsen seems to have seen Top Gun too many times and is convinced his side is flying under the radar while everyone else knows with the Blackhawks the Tigers are one of the form sides of the competition.
The Tigers have 134 points in their against column after conceding 23 tries this year which is the third best defence in the competition.
The Jets have 174 points against their defence; which is 40 more than the Tigers. While the Jets have let the opposition score 34 tries – 11 more than the Tigers
In attack the Tigers have scored 198 points through 38 tries. The Jets have scored 226 points- 28 points more than the Tigers and the Jets have two more tries this season.
The Tigers record away from home this year is a little shaky with only one win from four games away from Langlands Park.
While the Jets two losses this year against Wynnum and Burleigh have come at the North Ipswich Reserve.
Ipswich has won only two of the last 8 games between these two sides. In the past Easts have proven a hurdle for the Jets; last season it was one all with both sides winning away from home.
Easts hold the advantage at the North Ipswich Reserve having won 10 to Jets 7.
Shaun Nona was outstanding against the New South Wales side last week; everything Nona touches seems to turn to gold. The two big final wins with the Pride in 2014 and now Residents two years in a row.
Nona’s kicking game is outstanding. His kicks to the corners will test the Jets’ outside backs while if the Jets come up too quick and leave space behind the line he will thread it through for outside men. Nona tends to attack on the left hand side which will make sure that the Jets’ right hand side of Chris Walker and Marmin Barba will be tested.
The Tigers love to attack the short side with Dane Hogan on the left who can throw a great ball to unmarked outside backs. Hogan will be hurting after missing Residents selection and keen to prove he should have been there last week.
The other Tigers’ player and undoubted danger man that will have the Jets spotting him all over the field is the Tigers’ full back or centre Cameron Munster. Munster’s support play is outstanding and he pops up all over the place. The Tigers look to find him with a “Slater” like inside ball or up the middle of the ruck after Tom Butterfield has attracted defenders. Munster’s involvement will depend on the fitness of Billy Slater for the Storm.
In a week where fighting promoters have made a fortune selling the fight of the century Donald Malone v Nemani Valekapa is the battle of the fends.
Both Malone and Nemani seem to accelerate while fending off tacklers and then they’re gone.
Nemani has been in sensational form and his omission from the Queensland Residents side was somewhat baffling. Nemani leads every attacking stat for the Jets and his numbers are mind blowing from 8 games: Runs 118 that’s 15 per game, metres 1378m or 172m per game, 20 offloads and 9 line breaks, and all iced with 6 tries.
Tom Butterfield v Matt Parcell is a great battle. Both in Queensland Residents’ camp last week; with Parcell replacing Butterfield after 25 minutes and scoring a great try as soon as he came on the field. Both players will be looking to get their side moving forward. Parcell skips a little wider and links up with outside men while Butterfield engages markers and gives his forwards room to make ground off himself.
Parcell’s defence this year has been outstanding making 332 tackles at 98% effective from 8 games.
Parcell’s running game had slowed up for the fortnight before the Redcliffe game; against Redcliffe he scored a great individual try and ran 111 metres as well as an offload and line break.
Josh Cleeland was outstanding for the Jets against the Dolphins, he was taking the line on and made a line break as well as dominating with his kicking game and running game earning the Jets 113 metres from his five attacking runs at the line. Cleeland seemed to take on more responsibility against the Dolphins.
The Jets had the use of Broncos’ contracted forward Joe Ofahengaue against the Dolphins and he impressed in his first hit out for the Jets senior side. Ofahengaue made 180 metres from his 18 hit ups and 18 tackles with only one miss.
The Jets will be waiting to see if Ofahengaue and Daniel Vidot are again made available to them by the Brisbane Broncos.
While the Tigers will be calling on Storm players such as Shaun Nona, Richie Kennar, Matt Duffie, Dean Britt and Christian Welsh.
This game has some great match ups and plenty of history and emotion, the Jets and Tigers share geography and the battle of Ipswich Road is always worth watching.