Weekend Sports Preview | August 16, 2024 | Illawarra Mercury
WATCH: Illawarra Mercury sports reporters Jordan Warren and Agron Latifi discuss the crunch fixtures heading to local sporting fields this weekend.
Transcript
00:00Happy Friday. Plenty of winter sport happening this weekend. We're getting to the business end
00:04of the season in winter codes. Agron Latifi, my colleague from the Illawarra Mercury. I'm
00:07Jordan Moran. Mate, there's plenty happening this weekend. Let's start with Rugby League.
00:11Obviously, there's some big games in the Group 7 competition and also Illawarra Rugby League. Of
00:15course, in Illawarra League, we saw De La Salle claim the minor premiership last week. So let's
00:21start there. Obviously, a couple of big games there this weekend. Yeah, yeah. Huge weekend,
00:24huge weekend. Obviously, De La, congratulations to them. They're the minor premiers, though
00:29there's still a lot to play for in the final round. Second vs third, Collies vs West. The top
00:36four is settled, but I imagine no team wants to go into the finals on a losing note. So it's a
00:42huge game for both teams to heading into the finals. As it is in Group 7, on Saturday,
00:50Djeringong Lions can wrap up the minor premiership if they beat Kaima, which, let's face it,
00:56they're a big chance of doing so. But the big games on Sunday between the Stingrays and
01:02Nowra. The loser is basically out, the winner is in fifth place. So it's a big story. Both teams
01:09made the finals last year, but one of them is going to miss out. It's as simple as that. So
01:13it's a huge game. Yeah, there's massive permutations in the Group 7 competition on
01:16Sunday. What about Illawarra Rugby Union, mate? Obviously, Shoalhaven had wrapped up the minor
01:20premiership a long time ago. But, you know, the last round in that competition as well,
01:25who do you fancy to challenge Shoalhaven in the final series?
01:29That's a huge question. No team has been able to beat them for almost two years,
01:33two years really. No team has beaten them. And, you know, the likelihood is they're going to win
01:37on Saturday and go through the season undefeated for a second season, which is a remarkable
01:42achievement. And they'll finish first. And I think that the teams, Kaima, Campbelltown and Camden,
01:52will want to avoid Shoalhaven in the first week of the finals. So at this stage, Camden is likely
01:58to play them in the first week of the finals. So if I had to pick a team, I'd say Kaima's probably
02:04the best place to challenge them. Yeah, we'll wait and see who can
02:07challenge Shoalhaven in the Illawarra Rugby Union final series. Obviously, it's the business end of
02:12the football season in the Illawarra Premier League. There's four points just separating
02:15the top four with three games remaining. So some huge games this weekend. I'll have my eye on
02:20Coniston against Paul Kembler at JJ Kelly Park on Saturday. And of course, Cringilla against
02:24Wollongong Olympic is another big game. And of course, Wollongong United against
02:27Abbeyham Park play again this week. Of course, they played last week with a washout game,
02:32so a couple or a few massive games as they all are in the IPL at this time of the season.
02:37The Wolves, they play at three o'clock on Sunday at Ian MacLennan Park. They've got two games left.
02:42And of course, they were 2-0 up last week against the Mariners and lost 3-2. So they have to win
02:48this weekend against NWS Spirit to make sure that they make the finals. Congratulations should be
02:53said to the Illawarra Stingrays. They're going to make the semifinals this year. So that's a great
02:58achievement from Steve Gordon's side. And also, mate, we've got a couple of professional teams
03:02in action. We can't miss the Dragons. Of course, they're in their top eight battle with the NRL.
03:06And of course, the Illawarra Hawks are back. They are back. They're back tomorrow. They're
03:09playing against Shanghai at the Snake Pit at 5.30. It's the first pre-season game. So
03:15get down there and support them. And then on Sunday, huge game for the Dragons. Both the NRLW
03:22girls and the Dragons. The girls play the Roosters at 12 and then the Dragons play the Titans. It's
03:28a huge game for the Dragons. Obviously, they're missing Kyle Flanagan who's suspended. But they
03:33really need to win to make the top eight. So yeah, huge game. On Kyle Flanagan, I actually thought
03:40it was a tough call on him. Sure, it probably seems like there was a biting motion there. But
03:46Steve Crichton had his nose right in his mouth. You can see him trying to get off and play the ball.
03:57I know it's tough. The NRL want to stamp it down. But I really think it was a tough call.
04:02Yeah, and I think Kyle Flanagan himself, just speaking to him throughout this season and the
04:05kind of person he is, I definitely don't think there was any malice involved in that. And
04:09obviously, like you said, Crichton was right in his face. It was a bit of 50-50 with one another.
04:15And obviously, Kyle did have a biting motion because there was blood on Crichton's nose and
04:20mouth. But yeah, of course, Kyle Flanagan would have been absolutely shattered with that decision
04:25by the NRL. For all the sporting stories from myself and Agron across the weekend,
04:30head to the Illawarra Mercury website or app for all the latest updates.