By Jeff Hanson - Twin Town Times
The halfway point of the 2023 George Tooke Shield arrived on Saturday, with teams doing battle in round eight of the competition last weekend.
As always, there have been some excellent matches and exciting results, and with the recent June long weekend giving players and coaches a break, the Twin Town Times sports team have run their eyes over the competition, summarising how teams have travelled while predicting where they will finish.
Bungendore Tigers
Current position: 1st
Our pre-season prediction: 3rd
Revised prediction: 1st
Most important fixture: round eight's away game against Harden could all but assure Bungendore of the Minor Premiership and a considerable advantage come finals.
Summary: Bungendore is undoubtedly the team to beat in 2023, and the scary thing is that they are just starting to hit their straps following big wins over UC Stars, Boomanulla Raiders, and Burrangong Bears.
The Tigers haven’t lost a game, and they have plenty of points, with their backline of Ben Jager (9), Daniel Jacobs (8), Matt McKenna 5), and Ben Reeves (4) all featuring this season.
They have a good forward pack, led by Bradley Laurent and Pat Pryor, along with classy half Carl Johnson, and it appears the Tigers have the makings of a premiership-winning side.
Harden Hawks
Current position: 2nd
Our pre-season prediction: 5th
Revised prediction: 2nd
Most important fixture: Round 10’s away game against Bungendore will be a tough road trip.
Summary: Harden is also unbeaten and sits second on the 2023 George Tooke Shield ladder.
Still, the Hawks have ‘done it ugly’ at times, haven’t played their best this season, and are yet to put a full 80-minute game together.
Harden will only improve, but they need their forwards on the paddock, with the likes of Alex Pirie, Tyson Ings, Jakob Halls, and Drew Arabin needing to lead from the front.
Centres Joie Whybrow and Riley Manwaring have been good and arguably Harden’s bright spot in 2023, while Lane Gaudie is as consistent as ever in the halves.
Crookwell Green Devils
Current position: 3rd
Our pre-season prediction: 2nd
Revised prediction: 6th
Most important fixture: With a bye in Round 15, the Green Devils might be faced with a must-win home match against Bungendore in Round 13.
Summary: Crookwell isn’t the same team they were in 2022, with some player changeover hurting them.
Still, the Green Devils sit third on the ladder, but it’s very condensed, with rival teams nipping at their heels.
Usual suspect Steve Cummins has been good at full-back, with the custodian scoring a competition-leading nine tries, while Jayden Eddy has been strong in the middle.
Still, Crookwell has a tough run home, including two byes, and a very tough run home, including games against Harden and Bungendore.
Boorowa Rovers
Current position: 4th
Our pre-season prediction: 6th
Revised prediction: 3rd
Most important fixture: Round 11’s home fixture against Cootamundra. This match will have some bearing on the top five.
Summary: It will go one of two ways for Boorowa, who face a few challenging games before a cosy run to finals with games against Burrangong and Boomanulla in the final two rounds.
To be considered a contender, they need to find some consistency in their performances, and that’s what captain/coach Alex Stewart will be calling on.
Cooper Cross is an uncompromising lock, and Jayden Cutting can lead this team around the park, but the Rovers need to buy into the season.
Cootamundra Bulldogs
Current position: 5th
Our pre-season prediction: Premiers
Revised prediction: 5th
Most important fixture: Round 11’s away fixture against Boorowa. This match will have some bearing on the top five.
Summary: Cootamundra has the cattle to be a top-five team, with the Bulldogs able to push for the title in 2023.
Jack Caldwell and Jarryd Cook have been good, and their forward pack can match most sides, but they won’t have it easy.
Their run home isn’t kind, with two byes and tough outings against Boorowa in Round 11, Harden in Round 14, and North Canberra in Round 15.
UC Stars
Current position: 6th
Our pre-season prediction: 7th
Revised prediction: 7th
Most important fixture: UC takes on North Canberra in Rounds 9 and 12, and to make finals in 2023, they need to win both games.
Summary: The UC Stars are thereabouts in the race for finals, but they need to start beating the teams above them.
Adam Booth can score a try, and Kurt Johnstone leads a pack with potential, but the Canberra side needs to play for 80-minutes and aim up against the likes of Bungendore, Harden, and Cootamundra in the back half of the season if they are any chance of playing finals.
North Canberra Bears
Current position: 7th
Pre-season prediction: 5th
Revised prediction: 4th
Most important fixture: Round 15’s home game against Cootamundra could decide who does and doesn’t play finals between these two sides.
Summary: From what we saw against Harden in Round Seven, North Canberra will be a different team in the second half of the season.
Nick Hall describes them as ‘tough and physical’, and if they keep their new-look team on the paddock, the Bears will be making a run for a top-five finish.
Boomanulla Raiders
Current position: 8th
Pre-season prediction: 8th
Revised prediction: 8th
Most important fixture: Round 10’s away game against UC Stars.
Summary: The Raiders have shown signs in their 2023, pushing Cootamundra to an 18-10 result in Round Five and Crookwell to a 30-18 result in Round Three.
Still, Boomanulla’s only win to date was against Burrangong, winning 30-16 in Round One, and they have a challenging run home.
Burrangong Bears
Current position: 9th
Pre-season prediction: 9th
Revised prediction: 9th
Most important fixture: Round 12’s away trip to Boomanulla will likely be their only chance of a win in 2023.
Summary: Try as they might, the Burrangong Bears have struggled.
Scoring tries has been challenging, and they’ve conceded 238 points, giving them a point differential of -186 after just six games.
It’s hard to see them winning a game this season, but credit to them; the Bears keep showing up.
Hawkettes on top in league-tag
There’s no need to do a George Tooke Shield League-Tag mid-season review because the top-two teams, Harden and Cootamundra, have panels between them and the chasing pack.
The Hawkettes have played six games, with the Bullettes their only real test in Round One, with the Cootamundra going down 26-20.
Harden has scored a ladder-leading 270 points and conceded just 44 points (second-best) in six games, and as usual, they are the team to beat.
Cootamundra is a clear second, with a young group, the big improvers in season 2023, scoring an impressive 208 points while boasting the best defence, conceding just 38 points.
All eyes will be on Cootamundra and Harden when they do battle in Round 14 at Les Boyd Oval.
George Tooke Shield League-Tag ladder: Harden 12, Cootamundra 10, North Canberra 6, Crookwell 6, Bungendore 4, Boorowa 4, UC Stars 2, Burrangong 2.
Image by Boorowa Rovers
