The Gridiron Queensland semifinals are upon us in Australia as the Brisbane Rhinos take on the Spartan Raptors for the right to play in the championship against the Bayside Ravens. These two teams met in the regular season with the Spartan Raptors winning 16-8, so fans can expect another evenly matched game again today.
The home team MB/SCS Spartan Raptors are coming off of a dominant win last week, defeating the Mustangs 42-0. Their defensive line is one of the strengths of this team as they were able to wreak havoc in the backfield last weekend shutting out their opponent’s offense. On offense, running back Ben Gough looks to make a difference in this one. Gough is an experienced ball carrier with years of success playing in Queensland.
LIVESTREAM AUSTRALIA: MB/SCS Spartan Raptors vs Brisbane Rhinos, December 4th, (3:30 am CET, 9:30 pm Dec. 3 ET, 12:30 pm Dec. 4 Queensland)
Receiver Maxi Schlatter and linebacker Mark Stinson are two other key players to keep an eye on in this matchup. At quarterback, the athletic Jordan Nofoagtotoa will look to make some big plays with his arm and legs.
The Rhinos are eager to bounce back after a 42-13 loss to the Bayside Ravens last week. Head coach Samuel Harkness will look to get his team in the championship with a win today. Overall, on the season, Brisbane has scored 209 points while giving up 144. Some key players to watch for Brisbane are safeties Tyson Snagg and Chiam James (formerly with the Rostock Griffins of Germany). On the defensive line expect Xavier Savelino to get some pressure on the Spartan Raptors quarterback.
Offensively, coach Harkness will be without starting quarterback Mitchell Bradford and will rely on the receiver and backup Jarrod Toshack. Brisbane will have to play better today as they struggled to move the ball last week, without their go-to signal-caller in the run and shoot offense.
Expect both teams to be ready to go in this one as a championship appearance is on the line. Fan’s can anticipate the Spartans Raptors line to match up well with a physical Rhinos offensive line looking to get their offense rolling again.
LIVESTREAM AUSTRALIA: MB/SCS Spartan Raptors vs Brisbane Rhinos, December 4th, (3:30 am CET, 9:30 pm Dec. 3 ET, 12:30 pm Dec. 4 Queensland)