Mounties head into Round 16 of the Ron Massey Cup with a four-point buffer at the top of the table.
Wentworthville Magpies sit in second spot with a game in hand; while Asquith Magpies, Blacktown Workers and Windsor Wolves take up the next three positions on 18 competition points.
Mounties have lost just one game this season, and it came against their opponents who they facethis weekend – the Concord-Burwood Wolves.
That 38-16 upset took place in the allocated spare round, and Mounties coach Chris Hutchinson admits they will be a tough side to beat.
“Concord-Burwood were very good against us last time,” said Hutchinson.
“They were very good up the middle with Masada Iosefa, and their middle forwards were very good.
“They’re just a very strong team, they keep coming at you, and if you give them a bit of an opportunity they’ll take it.”
Hutchinson believes if his team does the little things right, the result will speak for itself as it has in their 12 wins this season.
“We’ve got to just try to complete our sets and play patient footy, and hopefully we can go with Concord-Burwood.”
A win for Mounties will go a long way to maintaining first position but their spot on the ladder is not in the focus of Hutchinson or the playing group.
“We haven’t even focused on the ladder; we’ve never spoken about it,” said Hutchinson.
“We’re just trying to play better each week.”
For Concord-Burwood, they will be hoping to replicate the previous showdown between these teams as they sit in ninth place and cannot afford to lose many more matches.
They have proven earlier this year that they have the talent and capabilities to beat Mounties, and they will need to do it again this week to keep their season alive.
In other matches, Kingsgrove Colts will be hoping for their first win of the season when they take on fifth placed Windsor at Jubilee Oval, who are coming off a 24-point loss at the hands of Blacktown Workers.
The Workers will be confident after that win when they host the Auburn Warriors this Saturday at H.E. Laybutt Sports Complex. Only two competition points separate these teams, who are gunning for a top-four position.
Third-placed Asquith will be looking to maintain their spot towards the top of the table when they take on the struggling Western Suburbs this Sunday at Storey Park.
Cabramatta Two Blues will host Wentworthville this Sunday at New Era Stadium. Wenty will need a win to stay in touch with first-placed Mounties, while the Two Blues are only one loss away from falling out of the top eight and are desperate for a win.
