photo by Mark Harris

There is a huge amount to play for this weekend in the Welsh Rugby League Conference. The Bridgend Blue Bulls will be aiming to finish top of the Conference table for the fifth successive year by beating the Newport Titans at Porthcawl but they could still be caught if the Titans claim their first ever win over Jon Purnell’s men.

The Titans, along with the Torfaen Tigers and Valley Cougars have each lost just two games and should the Blue Bulls be defeated it could all come down to points difference.

Titans coach Dan Clements said “Its going to be a tough game, especially as we are coming off the back of two defeats, but we are hoping to correct that on Saturday against Bridgend and we have got a lot of players who feel they have a lot to prove”

For their match against the Titans the Blue Bulls welcome back their Wales A quartet but will be without Craig Fox, Paul Smithson, Matthew Morgan and Anthony Isaac. But they are boosted by the return of Michael John who made an imediate impact from the bench a week ago.

There will be lots of other battles this weekend, the side that finishes top will go straight through to the Wales semi finals on Saturday 28th July while the sides finishing second, third and fourth will get home draws in the play-offs against the sides in fifth, sixth and seventh place, with the eight placed team dropping out of the competition.

The Blue Bulls and Torfaen are the only sides guaranteed to finish in the top four but any other team apart from the West Wales Sharks could still claim that all important home tie with the Newport Titans and Valley Cougars favourites to do so.

Torfaen will travel to Aberavon to take on the Neath-Port Talbot Steelers hoping to secure second place but they would have to beat the Steelers by way over 100 points to knock the Bulls off the top, while the Steelers will aim to win for only the third time this season in order to guarentee finishing off the bottom and missing out on the play-offs.

The Cougars will be favourites to beat Cardiff at Ferndale but the Demons will be fired up knowing that a victory could see them claim a home tie in the play-offs. The final game will be a tense affair as a win for the Sharks could see them go through to the play-offs if other results fo their way, but they will need a big win over the Blackwood Bulldogs if they are to go through on points difference

But whatever happens this weekend who finishes top, bottom and who gets a home draw may not be decided for another week with two games still be rescheduled.

article by Simon Green
5 July 2007