CENTER PASS
Podcast about a netball powerhouses journey that could reap a premiership in 2024 , my views, my thoughts
CENTER PASS
Netball's Final Countdown: Tongala's Challenge to Rumbalara's Reign
What if you could witness a clash of titans that could redefine your understanding of netball strategy and performance? This episode of Center Pass promises to deliver just that as we gear up for the final round of the Murray League A Grade netball season. Join me as we break down the crucial showdown between last year's champions, Tongala, and the relentless, undefeated force of Rumbalara. We'll dive into key tactical aspects, analyze standout players, and predict how this game could shape the entire finals landscape. Tongala is in desperate need to halt their two-game losing streak, while Rumbalara is eager to maintain their unbroken record.
As we venture further into the episode, the playoff scenarios for teams like Finley, Nathalia, and Tongala take center stage. We scrutinize their scoring abilities, defensive weaknesses, and the critical importance of this weekend's matches. Special attention is given to how Tongala must confront Rumbalara's high-octane offense to secure a favorable position in the elimination finals. The stakes are high, and the excitement is palpable, making this a must-listen for any netball enthusiast. Be sure to tune in for our Sunday review where we dissect the outcomes and implications of this electrifying round of netball. Enjoy the game-filled weekend!
hey, welcome to another episode of center pass, a roundabout podcast where a man talks netball and gets criticized for it. I'm your host. Nuff said. And today, very, very, very, very last round of murray league, a grade netball. This weekend we we're going to preview the Rumballara-Tongala game, last year's Premier's up against this year's Powerhouse in Rumballara. It'll be a cracker. It's meant to be a cracker.
Speaker 1:Yeah, as I said, rumballara have been undefeated all year. Last week they came up against probably the contender for them this year for the premiership, and that was Moama, and pretty much they wiped the floor, pushed them aside, kicked them to the curb and beat them by, yeah, 17 goals. So an outstanding effort by Rumballara, with outstanding umpiring. The game itself had skill, it had physicality, it had everything. It was a great game. Yeah, unfortunately for Moema, they went down by 17 goals. So they're pretty much going back to the drawing board. First time they played them they beat them by eight. This time they've turned around and beat them by 17. So, as I said, this week they come up against Tongala Rambalara and last time they played it was damn near. It was a 29-goal win. So 44-73 Rambalara's way and pretty much, if you look at the score breakdowns. Well, they actually haven't got it, because that's right, because that weekend things were up the poot and up the crap. But, yeah, rumble are you know, they stamped their authority and just absolutely dominated that game. Their defenders really had no answers for Jesse Barnes and Soph. They just, yeah, they dominated that shooting circle and Tiana Steele and Jess Bamber did a number on Millie Brock and their shooter. Yeah, they just Grace Hammond had no answers in the center. They just ran away with it Pretty much. That was when people started to take a bit of notice of Rumbler and work out well, shit, you know, they are the real deal, they are legit If you go into their form.
Speaker 1:As I said, rumbelara, undefeated all year. Tongayla, though, have lost their last two games. So they lost against Moela and they've also who else did they lose against? And they also lost against, yeah, so they lost against Malweiler, and I'm not sure who the other team was that they lost against. But yeah, it was, yeah, unheard of for Tongala because, as I said, tongala, they are last year's premiers. Yeah, so Moela, they lost to, and then they actually lost to Deadly Ram. So, yeah, two probably games where Tongala probably thought they would have got a win, but they unfortunately didn't. So they're coming off two losses. Rumbla still undefeated.
Speaker 1:What they don't want, rumbler, is to drop this game. They want to go undefeated. They want to go into the. They'll have a bye next week so they won't play elimination finals. Obviously they'll play the following week up against Moama again. So they want to go into the bye undefeated. Stamp their authority on the league, which I mean they already have. But to go undefeated would really really make people stand up and listen and just really stamp their authority.
Speaker 1:As I said, on the weekend they started off a little bit slow. Rambalara did against Moama like they were still in touch. They were only down by one goal in that first quarter, but after that they just kicked on that second and third quarters they absolutely just dominated. I think in the third quarter they kicked. I think they shot 17 goals to nine or something like that. It was just ridiculous the way Rambalar just ran over the top of Moema. Moema had no answers. They tried everything. They pretty much threw the kitchen sink at Rumbelar.
Speaker 1:As I said, saturday's game it will be a cracker, because I know Tongala are better than what they are and if anyone's going to beat Rumbelar on the day, it probably will be Tongala. They have got some talent. I said, yeah, you got Gracie Hammond, um, he normally plays in the middle or in a wing attack. You've got Millie Brock um, you know, these two girls play VNL for, uh, bendigo Strikers. So Millie in the championships and Grace Hammond in under 23. So they have got the talent. But, um, rumble are when they're on song and they need to be on song. They can't, they're not going to lose top position. But, as I said, they really want to solidify that top by pretty much being undefeated. They go into a bye next week, rest themselves up, so they'll put everything on that court for the hour or hour and 20 minutes, whatever it is on Saturday. They won't hold nothing back. And Tongala won't either, because if you go to the ladder it's going to be very interesting.
Speaker 1:So there's two teams on 44 points, so that's Tongala and Denny, and then you also got Finlay Sorry, nathalia sitting on 48. So you know, nathalia, those three sides, because Finlay is pretty much solidified. Third, and congratulations to Finlay, because you know they were bottom of the ladder, cellar dwellers, last year. So great effort by them to pick themselves up. But if you look at, as I said, nathalia, denny and Tongala this weekend. So Finlay, well, there you go. So Finlay playing Nathalia. So I don't think Nathalia will win. So they'll stay on their 44 points. Denny will definitely beat Beruga and obviously Rumble are hoping to beat Tongala. So if that's the case, tongala will stay on 44. Danny will go to 48. Nathalia will stay at 48. So Danny have got an opportunity to go to fourth.
Speaker 1:Tongala they lose, they drop down to sixth. Now, that's unprecedented, like coming off a premiership last year. They were very dominant in the way they came across and won that premiership last year. So really to be in the position they are right now is, yeah, it's a weird one for them because, as I said, I'm pretty sure that they would have liked to have, you know, more game. So they they've lost six games through the year. So they've won 11 and lost six. So that's, you know, um, losing six games. Like you know it's, it's unprecedented. As I said, they're reigning premiers, um.
Speaker 1:And then you look at their goal scoring. So so, yeah, they've got Millie Brock, who you know she's a tower of strength, down there in their shooting circle and they've only shot 900 goals. And then their defensive end you know they've conceded 684. So they're really struggling across the board and they've only got like 131 percentage. So yeah, after Saturday's game, the way it's going to go, as I said, I'm pretty sure Finlay will beat Nathalia, unless something happens there, which I mean if that happens, we'll look at their percentages. Yeah, if Nathalia beat Finlay, nathalia go to third, finlay drops down, finlay will drop down, tongola will drop down to sixth, danny will go to fifth.
Speaker 1:So it is very, very interesting with the finals, the way they are for this year. I'm not sure I can't remember how it goes. I think I'm pretty sure. I think maybe third place, fifth and fourth place, sixth or third place, sixth and four and five play. I really don't know. So it'll be interesting to see after this weekend.
Speaker 1:But yeah, as I said, getting back to the Tony Rombola game, very unprecedented of Tongala to be the way they are, yeah, struggling to win games, struggling to put games together, yeah, they are a strong side where they were last year. Maybe they are getting a bit fanned out. I know the girls had V&L and V&L stopped now, so maybe that took a bit of toll out of them, you know, a bit of unnecessary energy. But yeah, it's going to be an interesting game and, as I said, if any side, well, there's only one more chance. Yeah, it's not any side, but there's one more chance for a side to come up and beat Rumbelara. And I can just imagine the new papers, like the Riverina Herald, which are pretty biased on Moama and Tongala, those sort of clubs. So it would be interesting, if Tongala did win, what the Riverina Herald would say, what the Shep News would say. Would they turn around and say that they are the next contender for the premiership?
Speaker 1:I mean, after beating Rumbla, everyone has bad games, like I mean, as I said, yeah, moama have lost three games, you know, and a while back they were saying that they were premiership contenders. So they've lost three games. Finlay have lost four games, the Thay have lost five. Tom Gow lost three games. You know finley have lost four games. If they have lost five, tom gala and denny have lost six. So you know, it's very, very hard to go undefeated. You know, in a, in a competition and um, yeah, be interesting to see um, tongala got one opportunity to stamp their authority to say well, we're back, um, because they're gonna need form. Yeah, if they lose on Saturday, that's three in a row and they're coming into an elimination final they haven't got. There's no double chance. There's two elimination finals. So you lose, you're out. If you go into the finals with a three-game losing streak, your form's not really there. So, and, as I said, it'd be interesting to see I might just try and get up how the finals actually run, because, yeah, I have no idea how they run, how they go. Well, here we go. So this is the final. So three plays six. So if Finlay win I mean so if Finlay win and Tongala lose, finlay and Tongala elimination final at Malweila next Saturday. The other elimination final will be Nathalia and Denny at Tongala. So yeah, if Tongala win, they'll get a home final elimination final. If they lose, they're heading to Moela to play Finlay. So yeah, tongala on Saturday would really really need to put the foot down.
Speaker 1:Restrict Rumble R. Very hard to restrict Rumble R. Yeah, their scoring has just been phenomenal. Restrict Rumble R their scoring has just been phenomenal. They've scored 1,110. If you divide that into 17 games, you'll get the averages of what they've done. So 1,110 divided by 17, they're scoring at 65.5 goals a game. You've really really got to restrict them. You know, 65.5 goals is damn bloody good. And then if you look at their conceding, what they've conceded, they've only conceded 586. So you go back to there and you go 586 divided by 17. Yeah, they're keeping teams to 34 goals, 34 goals a game. So they're scoring. They're pretty much scoring double what their teams, what the other teams are doing. So they're doubling the other team's score nearly every game on averages with that.
Speaker 1:So Rumble are very, very strong in their shooting and that's something that Tongala's defence will need to pick up. As I said, they have let a lot of goals go 684 they've conceded and they've only shot 900. Finlay 931. Moema 958. Even to a point, denny 158. Even to a point, denny, denny's sitting at six and they're only seven goals behind Tongala in shooting in four. So Tongala, it seems that their problem might be in their shooting and in their defense.
Speaker 1:So it's going to be interesting, as I said, with the form the way it is, they've already lost two. They're coming into a red-hot Rumbler at home Rumbler, I know they've got it sewn up. They want to stamp it and pretty much be undefeated and really say, yeah, we are the minor premiers and we have got now a job to do to get a premiership. Tonga. On the other hand, they've got nothing to lose. Yeah, they're not going to drop out of the six, but those positions, those positions could worry him. They lose, they play Finlay, they win, they'll play Danny. So it's going to be interesting. Yeah, because if they win they will go to what did I say? So, yeah, if Tongala wins, they'll go.
Speaker 1:You'd assume that they'd go above Nathaya. Danny will probably win because they play in Baruga. So pretty much Nathalia. If they lose and Tony wins and Danny wins, they'll drop down to six. So from fourth to sixth, it's a bit like the AFL with the latter at the moment. But I'd say Finlay will stay in third. Nathalia will stay at 48.
Speaker 1:Denny will turn around and leapfrog Nathalia, or maybe they won't. They might just go up to up the fifth, because Nathalia's got 126% and Denny's got 117. So that's 9% they've got to get. I don't understand the percentages, so I can't really tell you how many goals they have to win by. But Denny are playing, yeah, they are playing Beruga. So they will win by a fair bit.
Speaker 1:You would think so, yeah, so maybe, yeah, as I said, the ladder, it's probably not going to look good for Tony that they'll turn around and go to six, which means three play six. So you'd say that Finlay will play Tongayla and then the other elimination final will be Nathai against Deniliquin. Then the following week the second semifinal will definitely be between Rumblar and Moema. So, as I said, if anyone's going to knock Rumblar off this week it has to be Tongayala, because this is the very last round of Murray League, which is extraordinary because it just feels like it was only yesterday. That round one, easter Friday, was here. So pretty much five more games of netball to go into Murray League and then it's all over Red Rover and then, yeah, after this weekend the finals will start. That's where the business end of this season is. So interesting times to watch the games on the weekend.
Speaker 1:As I said, finlay will probably beat Nathalia, denny will beat Beruga massively, which means they could go to fourth. Nathalia will drop down to fifth and Tongala will drop down to sixth because if Tongala loses to Rumbla, which means Finlay will play Tongala at Moela on Saturday and then Nathalia and Denny will play at Tongala on Sunday in elimination finals. They are my predictions for the game on the weekend with, yeah, the win. I think Rumblaura will win. I really thought that Moama was going to only lose by two or three last week and Rumblaura blew them out the water by 17. So yeah, I'm going to say I reckon it'll be tight. I reckon it'll be tight because I think, tony, they've had a couple, as I said, they've had two games hiccups, but I really think that, yeah, I don't think they'll come out and be easy beats again on the weekend. So I really think, probably my way up. So Rumbler will beat Tony by at least 10 goals.
Speaker 1:And then, as I said, my prediction for finals first week of finals Mulwala, on Saturday elimination final will be Finlay versus Tony, and then the second elimination final at Tongala will definitely be Nathalia and Denny. So yeah, it's going to be interesting. So yeah, first elimination final Finlay, denny Sorry, finlay Tongala and Mawala. Second elimination final will be Nathalia and Denny Rams at Tongala, and yeah, it'll be. And then obviously the two winners out of that. So, yeah, it'll be. And then obviously the two winners out of that. So yeah, that'll be a cracker. I think Finlay will get it over Tony and then they'll play off in the first semifinal while Rumballara and Moema play in that second semifinal at Rumballara on the 7th of September at 1.30. So, yep.
Speaker 1:So this weekend, tongala take on Rumballara. They'll try their best to overthrow the crown, try and knock Rumballara off their perch. I don't think they will with their form coming into it. So, as I said, they've lost the last two games. They've lost against Moela, who were out of the six, and then they lost against Denny as well, and it could be ironic that they'll play again in the finals at some stage. So my prediction is 10-goal win to Rumballara and then, as I said, my predictions for the finals will be Finlay plays Tiny, nathalia plays Den Danny in eliminations and then see what happens over there. But anyway, that is me. Enough said I'm out. Thank you for listening.
Speaker 1:I'll do the review of the game on Sunday. But yeah, as I said, if anyone's going to beat Rumbelara this weekend, it's definitely going to be Tongala. They have to do it if they want to prove themselves, otherwise it's all over Red Rover. And yeah, the minor premiership is already wrapped up for Rumballara, but they want to go undefeated, point the prove and be the stronger side. So they probably really want to. What they want to do is have other sides fear them coming in the finals. So that is me. I'll do the preview on Sunday. Have a great weekend, have a good night and it's going to be some great netball on the weekend in the Murray League, last game of the round before finals. It'll be interesting to see who plays who and how that ladder position handles. Anyway, I'm out. I'm Nuff Said. Thank you for listening. Bye.
