The NT Thunder have regained two hugely important big men for tomorrow night’s intriguing clash with Morningside in Darwin.
Friday 9 July 2010
The NT Thunder will field one of their stronger teams of the season for their crunch game against Morningside at TIO Stadium, Darwin tomorrow night.
The return of big bodied Cam Roberts and Zephi Skinner, crack under 18 All-Australian Steven May and a number of other talented teens will ensure the Thunder test the second-placed Panthers.
The Thunder have never beaten Morningside, falling by 23 points in Alice Springs in Round 3 after being level at three-quarter-time, losing by 53 points in their only ever home defeat in Darwin late last season, and by 23 points in Cairns last July after having led by 14 points late in the third term.
So they have been close and competitive, which will have a Morningside team gathering momentum clearly on their toes.
“We had a pretty good game against them early in the season and now we’ve got a few back hopefully we can settle the side,” said Thunder coach Murray Davis, who has been forced into wholesale changes on a weekly basis.
The Thunder have lost all three games in Alice Springs in 2010, which has hurt them, and they need to maintain their unbeaten record in Darwin – which includes a win over Southport – to redress the balance.
“Whenever you lose a home game in the Territory it is a concern,” Davis said. It’s not ideal but we are absolutely looking forward to this week’s game.”
Davis is expecting his charges to rebound hard after the disappointment of last week’s loss to Redland, which saw their solid grip on fourth place become greasy.
“The group was pretty disappointed – we were our own enemy at times last week. In a competition that is this even you need a few things to go your way and we have to start making them happen,” he said.
