Mounties remain undefeated to sit atop the Ron Massey Cup heading into Round 11.
Asquith and Wentworthville have only lost one game each and sit in second and third place on the table respectively, whilst three teams are in range of the Windsor Wolves' fourth spot on the ladder.
One of these three teams is the Blacktown Workers who will be looking to climb up the ladder this week when they face the Asquith Magpies in a blockbuster at Storey Park this Saturday afternoon.
The Workers are sitting lower on the ladder but have recorded success over Asquith in recent times in defeating them 34-32 the last time they played, and 28-21 in the opening round of the 2014 season.
Asquith coach Scott Clarke is very aware of this.
“[Blacktown] are a funny side, they’re bogey side for us,” Clarke said. “They got us last year early on.
“They’re a hard side, right across the park they’ve got some big strong centres and big strong wingers who carry the ball well.”
Clarke has a very specific yet simple goal for his team in every game they play and this week is no different.
“Defensively we’ve got to be on,” Clarke said. “Little goals I set my [team] are keeping sides to less than 16 points a game, and we can normally score more than that.”
Asquith have won seven out of eight games to start the year. In 2013, Asquith finished second last when they first entered the Ron Massey Cup. Clarke believes their last two seasons has shaped their recent success.
“We learnt a lot after our first year in [the Ron Massey Cup],” Clarke says. “We learnt a lot last year on where we needed to be.
“I think we’ve just stepped up another notch this year knowing that we have to stay in the arm wrestle and compete for the full 80 minutes.”
Clarke has highlighted his halves pairing Ben Fisher and Aaron Groom as two players that have impressed him so far, as well as Joel Latham and Francis Tuigamala.
These four players will have to step it up this week in order to beat the Workers who are carrying some momentum into this match after winning their previous two games.
In addition to this game, Guildford will attempt to topple the undefeated Mounties, Kingsgrove will be looking for their first win against Western Suburbs, Wentworthville will play Auburn, and Concord-Burwood will take on Cabramatta.
