Round 6 Preview – PS4 NPL NSW Women’s

Sydney University continues to hold the lead on the PlayStation®4 NPL NSW Women’s competition ladder but there is quite the group in close proximity.

Some enticing fixtures await us in round 6, with the pick of the bunch Macarthur Rams taking on the Illawarra Stignrays.

Macarthur Rams v Illawarra Stingrays

Lynwood Park will host the match of the round as the second placed Macarthur Rams host the fourth placed Illawarra Stingrays.

It was a much tougher than expected win for the Rams last week after suffering their first lost of the season the week prior.

Experienced coach Norm Boardman knows that despite it being early days, in a competition as tight as this, every point is important.

The Stingrays are starting to come together just fine, picking up their third straight win at the weekend to move into fourth place.

Brett Wallin is slowly welcoming his injured first teamers back as the girls begin to hit form.

A win for Wallin’s side could see them jump above the Rams.

Points are key for both sides as they look to chase down the leading University.

Emerging Jets v North West Sydney Koalas

The Emerging Jets are at home again this week as they welcome the North West Sydney Koalas to Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility.

The Jets gave a solid a showing of themselves last weekend but still went down.

That performance is one that they can certainly build from and move forward on as they look to secure their first points of 2017.

Stephen Peters’s side has finally hit their straps after a shaky couple of games, shooting up to fifth on the league ladder.

The Koalas will look to continue their rise up the ladder and victory will do just that for them.

Northern Tigers v North Shore Mariners

At North Turramurra Recreational Area, the Northern Tigers host the North Shore Mariners.

It was a tough pill to swallow last week for the Tigers as they went down to a heavy defeat against the Stingrays.

They’ll want to forget about that result and re-focus ahead of this weekend’s match.

Without a win since the first game of the season, alarm bells may start ringing at the Mariners soon if results don’t turn.

The Mariners may see this match as an opportunity to turn their fortunes.

Football NSW Institute v Manly United

Valentine Sports Park will host the clash between Football NSW Institute and Manly United on Sunday afternoon.

The Institute hasn’t won in three and have dropped down to seventh on the league standings.

Craig Foster will have his side focused as they look to regain some momentum and move back up the ladder.

Manly’s season has been tough to judge so far but they currently sit in sixth place, equal points with their opponents.

Remy Siemsen was fantastic for Chris Williams’ side on Sunday and the squad looks very well drilled moving forward.

It’ll be a fantastic match between two quality young teams.

Blacktown Spartans v Sydsney University

At the slightly later kick off of 4pm on Sunday the Blacktown Spartans host Sydney University.

Consistency seems to be an issue for the Spartans so far this season but three victories has them sitting in third spot on the ladder.

This will be another test for them and a place where they can really stake their claim for a finals spot, possibly even a fight for the premiership.

Heather Garriock’s team was held to their second draw of the season on Sunday against Manly but still lead the table.

They’ll be wary of all the dangers the Spartans possess in what could be a tricky fixture for them.

-By Nikola Pozder