LAST week’s Northern Territory Football League (NTFL) Men’s Premier League competition was cancelled after government restrictions were enforced over the latest COVID-19 scare. It means all NTFL players had a week off to rest and relax ahead of a big Round 7 of action on a Super Saturday – a triple header at TIO Stadium, the last of which coincides with a game under lights at Cazaly’s Stadium sums up the day.

TIWI BOMBERS vs. SOUTHERN DISTRICTS
Saturday, November 13 @ 2:00pm
TIO Stadium

Cellar dwellers Tiwi Bombers will be hoping they can account much better than their Round 4 effort against Southern Districts, when they were blown away by 73 points. The Bombers were no match for the Crocs, losing 23.7 (145) to 10.12 (72), and are yet to win a game in the 2021/22 season, much like their 2020/21 campaign. A closer 56-point loss to Waratah before the weekend’s bye has the results heading in the right direction, but they still need to improve drastically to turn their season around. Southern Districts are far better than their sixth placed ladder position might suggest. They went down by 11 points in Round 1, pipped Darwin Buffaloes at the post with a draw in Round 2, then suffered another narrow defeat to Waratah in Round 3 before their massive win over the Bombers the following week. They will want to quickly move on from their 61-point shellacking at the hands of Wanderers prior to the bye and get back on the winners’ list.

ST MARY’S vs. WARATAH
Saturday, November 13 @ 4:30pm
TIO Stadium

If it was not for the points penalty, St Mary’s would be atop the ladder, having won four out of five matches and possess a superior percentage. They went down to Nightcliff in Round 4, but knocked off the reigning champions in Round 1, with a mind-boggling 142-point win over Tiwi Bombers the week before the highlight. Yet to face Waratah, the match is predicted to be an evenly matched contest, with the Tahs’ also sitting at 4-1 and in second thanks to the Saints’ points penalty. They crushed Palmerston Magpies in Round 1, then bounced back from a Round 2 loss to Nightcliff with three consecutive wins over the bottom three sides in Southern Districts, Darwin Buffaloes and Tiwi Bombers. The big question having avoided Nightcliff last round because of the bye, is whether or not Waratah is the real deal, and that question should be answered by the final siren.

WANDERERS vs. DARWIN BUFFALOES
Saturday, November 13 @ 7:00pm
TIO Stadium

Wanderers have had an up-and-down season but effectively sit mid-table where their results suggest they should. Playing five games, the Eagles started the season off with a win over Southern Districts, but were crushed by last year’s grand finalists in the next fortnight. Suffering a massive percentage loss after going down to St Mary’s (48 points) and Nightcliff (76), they bounced back with two big wins of their own against Palmerston Magpies (54) and Southern Districts (61). Now delicately balanced at 100 percentage points, Wanderers will be secretly miffed they missed out on the chance of facing cellar dwellers Tiwi Bombers last round, but need to capitalise against the Buffaloes in this match. The Buffs are looking to snap a three-game losing streak, having gone down to Palmerston, Waratah and Nightcliff in successive weeks after starting the season with a win – albeit over the Bombers – and a draw against the Crocs. That Southern Districts draw stung having led by more than five goals midway through the last quarter, but the Round 6 bye might be just what the doctor ordered.

PALMERSTON MAGPIES vs. NIGHTCLIFF TIGERS
Saturday, November 13 @ 7:00pm
Cazaly’s Stadium

Palmerston Magpies are the latest side to have a crack at the reigning premiers, who sit atop the table thanks to St Mary’s points penalty. The Tigers have won four on the trot since going down to St Mary’s by 12 points in Round 1. Wins over the Saints, Waratah and Wanderers who occupy the other top four spots, and Nightcliff remains as the benchmark team in the competition. In their most recent encounter, the Tigers got up by 39 points over Darwin Buffaloes at TIO Stadium, but will now head back to Cazaly’s Stadium to try and bring down the home side. After a forgettable 12-goal loss to Waratah in the opening round of the season, the Magpies got back on track with victories over Tiwi Bombers and Darwin Buffaloes. Just as they regained form, they ran into the in-form Wanderers and St Mary’s, to sit at two wins from five games and fifth overall on the table.