There was much anticipation ahead of the first round of the ‘new-look’ Wheelchair Rugby National League competition in Melbourne back in February. New teams and combinations formed across that weekend, with evidence that suggests the new ‘club rugby’ franchise model has certainly added some capacity, colour and team rivalry to our sport, with all signs indicating that it will be here to stay.

Now, with competition points at a premium as teams jostle for positions on the ladder, it is no secret that the results from the upcoming Sydney Slam will play a major role in determining the outcome of the National League for 2022.

Wheelchair Rugby Australia has undertaken a deep dive into the competition thus far, with a tournament preview ahead of this weekend’s competition.

University of Queensland presented by Sporting Wheelies & Disabled Association

Round 2 Team Preview
Not only were the mighty ‘Red Heavies’ undefeated in round one, they barely broke a sweat as they firmed as the competition frontrunners taking out the Victorian Invitational in empathic fashion. Chris Bond played a tournament to remember that weekend, making the tournament ‘dream team’ and scoring at every opportunity. UQ possess one of the most well-balanced rosters in the competition, with a mixture of youth through Connor Tweedy and West Australian Taye Williams and experience in the likes of Thompson and Ozanne.

Strength: Experience. Great balance of wheelchair rugby experience right across the side. Watching on in Melbourne, this is a highly efficient outfit who demonstrated great composure in key moments.

Weakness: In Melbourne, the Red Heavies were able to rotate plenty of court time and in particular, get some good rest into Chris Bond. With plenty of sides having improved line-ups for the Sydney Slam, Bondy’s minutes will likely increase. The impact this has in terms of team cohesion and fatigue will be telling.

Brothers RFC presented by Sporting Wheelies & Disabled Association

Round 2 Team Preview:
Brothers were one of the more consistent round 1 teams across their 5 matches, competitive every time they took the court. The improvements in the games of Cam Whittaker and Luke Matthews were noticeable, both rewarded with selection into the Australian A squad as a result. Defensively, Brothers were strong all weekend only occasionally lacking the attacking potency required to mix it with the top sides in Melbourne. That is sure to change this weekend, with new high-pointer Blake Cochrane and WA product Robyn Lambird – Walton adding some much-needed pace and scoring potential to what was already a steady line-up. These inclusions give coach Ben Newton plenty of options with his line-ups in Sydney, with many tipping Brothers to be a dark-horse in round 2 if the new combinations can gel quickly.

Strength: Game Management. Ben Newton has been around wheelchair rugby a long time, and with his playing time set to reduce in order to focus more energy on the coaching and tactical side of the game for Brothers, expect them to be much better equipped technically then they were in round 1. Brothers have received some great additions to this round’s roster, if anyone is likely to design a gameplan to ensure the maximum impact of this, it’s Newton.

Weakness: Experience. With Newton’s minutes set to reduce, the limited wheelchair rugby experience Cochrane has seen, combined with Lambird-Walton’s return from wheelchair racing, do Brothers have enough ‘game-nous’ to make the right calls in the big moments? Time will tell.

Sydney University presented by Wheelchair Sports NSW/ACT

Round 2 Team Preview
With a number of key personnel missing from round one, Sydney Uni have an uphill battle to hoist the National Championship crown in May, and will now have to come from fifth place to do so. To win the competition, they will need to win round 2 and perform well again in round 3 hoping that other results go their way.

Enter Ryley Batt.

One of the all-time greats of the sport, Ryley’s inclusion into the line-up is a sure-fire way to ensure Sydney University are in the box-seat to secure a win on home turf at the Sydney Slam. Wheelchair Rugby fans alike are already salivating at the thought of another Batt vs Bond match-up, however to bring Uni back from the brink he will not be able to do it alone. The emergence of mid-pointer Jayden Jackson, both Emilie Miller and Ruby Gallagher, coupled with the form of Ben Leaudais and Chad Graham in round 1 will ably support Batt and Harry Clist in what shapes as the most improved line-up in the competition. This will need to be a team performance to pull off victory, but they now head into round 2 as one of the top seeds.

Strength: Ryley Batt. Sure it’s a team performance that will deliver the gold for Sydney University should they triumph this weekend, however the impact of Batt’s inclusion cannot be understated.

Weakness: Confidence. How much will their fifth placing in Melbourne be on the back of the players minds as we progress through the weekend. Sport is a fickle beast, and overcoming their poor start to the National League and their finish in round one is vital for Uni to salvage their season.

Tuggeranong Vikings presented by Wheelchair Sports NSW/ACT

Round 2 Team Preview
Finishing with Bronze in round 1, Tuggeranong were outstanding and probably the best-performing team given their line-up options in Melbourne. Adding to their roster for round 2 is two debutants in the form of recent winter Paralympian Josh Hanlon, who performed strongly for AU Barbarians in the 2021 National Championship, along with local ACT product Eliza Stankovic-Mowle on debut in her first outing in the National League.

Tuggeranong are a team with exceptional depth across the low and mid-point range, and they will be looking to utilise the additions of Hanlon and Stankovic-Mowle to provide more attacking options then they had at their disposal in round 1.

South Australian products Tai Martin-Page and Brodie Healy continue to develop well under the keen eye of SA coach Andy Phillips, who joins Andrew Edmondson in the coaches box as the masterminds behind the Vikings play.

If the Vikings can again perform to third place or higher in round 2, they stand a genuine chance of lifting the overall trophy at the end of the competition. With Australian Steelers athletes not confirmed to be available for round 3 as yet, the Vikings still would possess a fairly balanced roster, and, if they can stay close enough to UQ and Melbourne, stand a good chance of coming home the stronger in round three.

Strength: Combinations. With a strong NSW Gladiator representation right across the squad, the on-court understanding between Edmondson, Bartlett, Voris, Kennedy, Greentree and Ashford is something you can only replicate by spending time in the chair together. A luxury many teams have not had.

Weakness: Combinations. Sounds strange to include the same strength and weakness for the Vikings, but hear us out. Whilst both great athletes, both Hanlon and Stankovic-Mowle have spent little time in a rugby chair, and even fewer with their team-mates. Combinations take time, and in a three-round competition, that may be something the Vikings simply do not have.

Melbourne RUFC presented by Wheelchair Rugby Victoria

Round 2 Team Preview
What a tough and uncompromising rugby team this Melbourne RUFC side is. Achieving second place in round one, Melbourne will be bolstered by the return of Australian Steeler Jayden Warn which is sure to make the world of difference on both sides of the ball in Sydney. Jayden was unavailable for much of the round 1 tournament in Melbourne and having him for the entire competition will be a big boost to their chances this weekend. Melbourne tend to break teams down with their relentless nature and consistent approach to their rugby, with many experienced heads and the most Australian Steelers representatives of any team in the competition.

Melbourne possess an incredibly balanced roster, providing them with the ability to be flexible with their line-ups and more options regarding gametime to key members. Don’t expect them to win with the flashy plays, but more consistently grinding teams down across each quarter to get a result. Another top two finish in Sydney will see Melbourne as one of the favourites to hoist the inaugural championship trophy. Their match-up with UQ will likely be one of the matches of the weekend.

Strength: Balance. This is a side with full faith in every one of its members and some wonderful performances from a few of the lesser-known players in round 1 vindicated this. Darren Cuomo from Western Australia is coming along in leaps and bounds and has fitted in seamlessly with his Victorian counterparts. Having Access to 300-game Steeler Naz Erdem provides the experience and direction to win the tight matches and the addition of Warn to Graham, Hose and Harrison’s experience ensures that Melbourne will be competing with any side right across their matches this weekend.

Weakness: Scoring. This will change with Jayden Warn’s inclusion, but without the speed of some of their competing teams on court, Melbourne’s wins tend to come in low-scoring, tight affairs. With many teams bolstering their attack for round 2, Melbourne will need to be sure to add some potency in this area as well in order to ensure they are not outgunned across the weekend.

Box Hill RUFC presented by Wheelchair Rugby Victoria

Round 2 Team Preview
Box Hill struggled with the pace of competition in round 1 in Melbourne, finishing in sixth position at the end of play. That result however is not indicative of their performance, having troubled plenty of teams and generally placing themselves in a winnable position more often than not.

A huge addition to this team is Tom Klein, due back for Box Hill and tipped to be one of the top-scorers in Sydney in round 2. Klein was a standout for the Victorian Thunder in the 2021 Wheelchair Rugby National Championship and his addition is sure to change the fortunes of Box Hill this weekend. Add to this inclusion the recent exposure to international rugby that young-gun Justin Goh has received in the US and the development in the game of Ben Owens in round 1 and it is safe to suggest things will be different for Box Hill this time around.

Strength: Strategy. Australia A coach Jason Lees is in charge of this side and is one of the more competitive individuals you will meet. The results of round 1 would not have been lost on Lees, and the point-scoring ability Klein adds to this roster is sure to give him more options in terms of gameplay strategies to negate the threat of opposition teams. Expect Box Hill to play an amended style in round two and utilise their substitutions effectively as they seek their first win of the competition.

Weakness: Experience. Despite boasting a very impressive list of individuals, scanning the team-lists of the National League for round 2 certainly highlights the lack of international experience and wheelchair rugby games this Box Hill team possess. Vecchio and Fawcett are both experienced campaigners, but outside of this the side is young and could be caught out in the big moments when the pressure mounts. Maintaining a level head and making calm decisions under pressure in Sydney is Box Hills best hopes of jagging a result.

Event Details

Friday, 22 April: 9:30am - 4:00pm at Bernie Mullane Sports Complex, Kellyville NSW

Saturday, 23 April: 9:00am - 2:30pm at Hills Hornets Basketball Stadium

Sunday, 24 April: 8:30am - 11:30am at Hills Hornets Basketball Stadium

The Sydney Slam is proudly run by Wheelchair Sports NSW/ACT.

Competition Preview | Wheelchair Rugby National League Round 2 - Sydney Slam