Super League Round 1 Preview

With little to go by on each club after much off-season manoeuvring, trying to pick any winners this weekend is sure to have dire consequences.
There won?t be any tickertape parade welcoming Macarthur Rams back to Super League when Central Coast Lightning host them at Pluim Park on Saturday night (March 14, 7.30pm kick-off). The Coasties have picked up two wins and a draw from their four meetings with the Rams. Since Macarthur won their opening encounter 1-0 at Lynwood Park in 2006, they have gone on to lose to Central Coast 1-3 at Pluim Park, 0-1 at home and they drew 1-1 in their latest SL result in July 2007.
PCYC Parramatta take on new boys on the block GHFA Spirit FC clash at Christie Park on Saturday with kick-off scheduled for 7.30pm. Spirit pulverised all before them in division one State League last year to more than earn their promotion into Super League, while Parramatta have been knocking at the Premier League door for two years running. But whose door will open up this weekend is anyone?s guess.
Defending champions FC Bossy Liverpool kickstarts a four-game pile-up on Sunday (March 15) against Sydney University at Ernie Smith Reserve (3pm kick-off). Bossy?s success last year saw their playing ranks taken to the cleaners, while Uni have momentum to burn following a great end-of-2008 finish themselves. Strikingly, Uni?s only SL success against Liverpool in seven fixtures has come from a 1-0 upset at Moorebank two years ago. Bossy have won three and drawn three of their other clashes.
Granville Rage tackle Mount Druitt Town Rangers at Popondetta Park on Sunday (3pm) in a game that?s sure to provide plenty of spice. Sharing the Great Western Highway is about as amicable as the two sides will get with neither yet to win at home in four Super League tries. Granville won the first match at Popondetta 3-1 in 2007, only for Mount Druitt to return serve 4-1 at Garside two months later. A 0-0 draw at Garside early last year failed to separate the two, with the Rage edging ahead with a 2-1 win at Popondetta last July.
In what many will pick as the match of the round, the Northern Tigers travel to the Ilinden Sports Centre on Sunday to take on 2009 hot-tip Rockdale City Suns (3pm). The home side has plenty of pressure on them to perform this year, but they are yet to beat the Tigers in five Super League match-ups. In fact, four of the five games between these sides have ended in draws (three of them at 1-1). The Tigers can claim the sole victory, eclipsing the Suns 2-1 at Rockdale in 2007.
St George Saints will be full of confidence when they face Fraser Park FC at St George Stadium on Sunday afternoon (3pm). Fraser Park realise staying in Super League will be their 2009 Mount Everest, but you just can?t underestimate the energy and passion of young talent. St George, however, have hit the ground running and enjoy great success against this weekend?s rivals. After Fraser Park took the first encounter 1-0 (at St George Stadium), the Saints have secured 4-1, 4-2 and 1-0 victories. A 1-1 draw at St George in 2007 means the red and whites have not yet beaten Fraser Park at home.
-By Daniel De Nardi