Bulldogs, Jets and Magpies continue to search for first win of 2022

While still early in the season, teams are starting to round into form and the standings structure is becoming more solidified.

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For teams such as the Lions, Gorillas and Superoos they have flexed their muscles on the way to putting fourth dominating displays of footy this season and standing clearly at the top of the competition.

However for the teams of the Shoalhaven, it hasn't been nearly as glorious.

The Milton-Ulladulla Bulldogs, Nowra-Bomaderry Jets and Berry-Shoalhaven Heads Magpies, are yet to record a win this season and currently sit in the bottom three positions in the standings.

All have shown talent and fight this season in multiple games, but always seem to come up just a little bit short in matches that were there for the taking.

The Bulldogs have continuously received praise from other teams for their physicality and effort on the field, with one side calling them one of the toughest opponents in the competition.

It's a case of the record not reflecting the teams talent, with prop Paul Thornton, fullback Travis Wooden and five-eighth Cody Roach all being noted for their strong performances this season.

If the Bulldogs are able to find some semblance of a consistent offensive identity to pair with their strong defensive backbone, there's no reason why they couldn't still turn this season around and make a late run.

Their next match this weekend is against another strong defensive side in the sixth seed Shellharbour Sharks who are coming off a 28-28 tie against fourth seed Kiama last week.

This match is set to be a low scoring and scrappy affair, can the Dogs get on the board on their home ground at Bill Andriske Oval?

That match kicks off at 3:00pm on Saturday.

The Jets biggest problem this season has been consistency.

You never know which team you are going to get week in and week out.

Is it going to be the Jets side that almost took down the powerhouse Jamberoo Superoos? or is it going to be the Jets team that lost 50-22 against the Warilla Lake South Gorillas?

No one can deny that there is talent down there in Nowra-Bomaderry but the teams struggles mainly seem to come from an identity crisis where the team can't put together a consistent 80 minutes.

Skipper Adam Quinlan, his brother Kurt Quinlan, Second rower Tyson Simpson and winger Brayden Walsh have all been more than solid for the Jets but it just hasn't translated to the win column yet.

The Jets can put points on the board, but they have struggled to hold the line throughout matches this season, if their defensive effort can improve, then they'll hold tight with the majority of the teams throughout the comp.

Their next chance to secure a win is this weekend against the first seed, Gerringong Lions, who are coming off a 62-0 win vs the Park.

It won't be an easy task but if they were able to pull it off, it would most definitely put the league on notice.

That match kicks off at Michael Cronin Oval at 3pm on Saturday.

It was always going to be tough for the Magpies returning back to Group Seven after a year off in 2021.

The team has shown promise this season under the guise of new coach Mitch Allgood, but the inexperience and youth of the roster has been the downfall of the team in the majority of their games.

As a development season, it has been fantastic for the Magpies as the young guns of the team are able to get a run in the top league, but it's not a recipe that's going to translate to wins very often as showcased by their recent 54-6 loss to the Superoos last weekend.

There have been moments for the side however, including a narrow 20-20 tie against the Jets in round four, that really could have been a win for Berry if a couple plays had turned out differently.

There is still a lot to be proud of for the young Magpies as they continue to develop their skills and find their identity as a collective unit.

This weekend is a good opportunity for the Magpies, as they verse the shell-shocked Eagles coming off their 62-0 loss vs Gerringong.

Can the Magpies attack early and pull out the win? The local fans definitely hope so.

That games kicks off at Centenary Field at 3pm on Sunday.