Welsh RL Conference Previews - week 3

COUGARS AIM FOR THIRD SUCCESSIVE VICTORY WHILE BULLDOGS WANT FIRST BRIDGEND WIN

Blackwood Bulldogs v Bridgend Blue Bulls - at Blackwood RFC Cardiff Demons v West Wales Sharks - at St Peters RFC Torfaen Tigers v Newport Titans - at Pontypool United RFC Valley Cougars v Neath-Port Talbot Steelers - at Nelson RFC

All games K.O at 2:30pm

The Welsh Rugby League Conference goes into its third week on Saturday with all eight teams again in action.

The Valley Cougars currently lead the way with two big victories and they welcome the Neath-Port Talbot Steelers to their Nelson RFC home. The Steelers will be hoping to claim there first win after consecutive loses to the Demons and Titans.

At Blackwood RFC the Bulldogs host the Bridgend Blue Bulls. Blackwood have never beaten Bridgend but their last two encounters have been close affairs and it will be the first time the Bulldogs will have home advantage.

The Blue Bulls will be without there inspirational captain Jon Purnell but they welcome back forwards Ross Megraw and Tevita Manaseitava, and are expected to give a first start to 17 year old prop Rhys Hawkins who impressed when coming off the bench last week.

There will be a tense local derby at Pontypool when the Torfaen Tigers host the Newport Titans, the Titans had a big win over the Steelers last week and contain lots of good youngsters in there team while Torfaen will hope to bounce back after last weeks home defeat to the Cougars.

The final game sees the Cardiff Demons play the West Wales Sharks at St Peters RFC, both the Demons and Sharks made late comebacks in there games last week but just failed to overall there opponents leads and both will be desperate for victory.

Despite having both lost last week both teams contain talented players with Demons wing Andrew Bradshaw having scored three tries in the opening two games and the Sharks will travel with speedsters Dai Norman and Christiaan Roets, both of whom are capable of scoring tries from anywhere.