This second double-header weekend of the season will feature six games across two days at both Nissan Arena and Carrara Stadium.
The Jets currently maintain an outright lead at the top of the table, with just a single bye giving the Ipswich-based franchise the advantage over the Titans.
Their clash away to the Titans on Saturday night is one of three round ten games scheduled to start at 6pm.
“It’ll be a really good game,” Jets coach Paula Stuart said.
“They’ve had their second bye, we haven’t.”
The last time these top sides met was in round seven when the Jets scored a 65-49 victory at Nissan Arena.
“I thought they had an off game against us, and I don’t think that’ll happen on Saturday so we’ll be prepared for them,” Stuart said.
“That was the first game they didn’t have Cat (Tuivaiti) so they had to adjust and I think we had them on the back foot. They’ll be a lot more settled now, so we’ll be ready to attack.”
The Jets won’t have to back up for round eleven on Sunday due to it being when their second bye of the season is scheduled.
Meanwhile, Thunder coach Simone Nalatu is also grateful for some luck regarding the draw, as her side’s round ten bye means they’ll enter Sunday’s round eleven game against the ACU Brisbane North Cougars with fresh legs.
The Thunder continue to fight to remain in the top four but will be buoyed by last weekend’s five-goal victory over rivals Carina Leagues Club Tigers.
“This is a key game to stay in touch, and we’ve got to win more than we lose now,” Nalatu said of the upcoming Cougars battle.
“I would expect Leesa Mi Mi won’t be there, similarly we don’t have Ava (Black) in the middle either so it’s almost like playing again for the first time.”
When these sides last met, in round two, the Cougars managed a seven-goal victory over the Thunder, and will be determined to find that winning feel again, after last weekend’s surprise loss to the Bond University Bull Sharks.
They’re to take on the Brisbane South Wildcats, this season’s danger team, on Saturday before Sunday’s clash with the Thunder.
The Bull Sharks may be buzzing but have a tough couple of games coming up against the Tigers (Saturday) and the Titans (Sunday).
“I like to think this is a turning point,” Bull Sharks coach Bec Stower said of the victory over the Cougars.
“It was just really not so much about beating Cougars, but performing how we know we can. We’ll approach Saturday as a must-win, and went down by one goal last time but I think we learnt a lot out of that game on how to finish.”
Stower is hoping Bull Sharks fans once again turn out in force for Sunday’s ‘Clash of the Coast’, starting from 4pm at Carrara Indoor Sports Stadium.
“I’ll regroup Saturday night to tackle the Titans on Sunday,” she said.
“We’ve been doing our emerging programs so those kids will be keen to come and see their next level. We had a big crowd against the Cougars which I thought helped get us over the line.”
One of the last games to wrap up the double-header on Sunday evening may be one of the more pivotal in determining which team slots into that all-important fourth position come finals.
It’s the fifth-placed Tigers against the seven-placed Wildcats, and while the latter may be on the bottom of the ladder, only four points separate these sides heading into this weekend.
For a comprehensive draw and the HART Sapphire Series ladder, please click HERE.
KommunityTV
Round 10, June 17
Brisbane South Wildcats v ACU Brisbane North Cougars
4pm Ruby, 6pm Sapphire
Round 11, June 18
Bond University Bull Sharks v Gold Coast Titans
2pm Ruby, 4pm Sapphire
