World Footy News

In front of an ecstatic home crown at Tiwi Oval on Bathurst Island, the Tiwi Bombers finally got their first win of the season. They downed St Mary’s by 21 points to not only gain their first four points of the season but also claw their way off the bottom of the ladder. In other results, the Palmerston Magpies resurgence continued with a win over Wanderers, The Darwin Buffaloes downed Waratah and in the top of the table clash, Southern Districts defeated Nightcliff.

Over in Wurrumiyanga, the Tiwi Bombers were up against an equally desperate St Mary’s. Both teams needed a win to keep finals on the radar, but more so the Tiwi Bombers who really had to win this one. The enthusiastic home crowd played their part as the Bombers gained the lead and stayed there before running out 21-point victors. Mathematics says that Saints are still right in the mix for finals, but form is another matter altogether. Their first six rounds have been shaky, at best, and they need to find the firepower to win consistently.

The Palmerston Magpies have jumped into the top five with another good win, this time against Wanderers by 19 points. A tight first half saw the Magpies lead by just four points at the main break. A three goal to one third term gave Palmerston the breathing space they needed to go on to their third win of the season. The loss saw Wanderers slump to last place, with plenty of work to do to climb the ladder again.

The Darwin Buffaloes continued their solid start to the season with a tight 13-point win against Waratah. The game remained tight for most of the day. The third quarter was where Buffaloes wrested a three goa advantage which was enough to see them over the line. It sees them equal second with Nightcliff Tigers – behind them on percentage – and setting up a great opportunity for another flag tilt later in the season. Waratah have now lost two in a row and face top team, Crocs, next weekend. It will be a tough ask to upset the reigning premiers, but they almost need to if they are to restore order.

The Crocs themselves jumped two games clear on top of the ladder when they downed the Tigers by 17 points. The game was tight for the first three quarters with Crocs just keeping their noses in front. However, their three goal to one final quarter saw Crocs respond when they needed to grab the game when it had to be won. Both teams showed enough to suggest they are the two best teams in the league this season, though Darwin are right up there with them.

Next weekend will see the Tiwi Bombers take on Darwin Buffaloes at TIO Stadium in the opening game of the triple-header. This will be followed by the clash between Wanderers and the Nightcliff Tigers and the Palmerston Magpies up against St Mary’s. The Sunday match will see Southern Districts host Waratah.