- Holland Park Hawks have won three and lost three of their six home games in the Queensland Premier League 2026.
- St. George Willawong have won two of the last three meetings between the two clubs, but Holland Park Hawks have never beaten them at home.
- St. George Willawong FC have lost all of their last five matches and have failed to win or draw their last two away games.
Hawks can take flight over struggling Willawong
The bookmakers have priced this game like a sure thing with Holland Park Hawks as low as 1.47 to take all the points in this clash. St. George Willawong FC, who are on an awful run of results, are listed as big underdogs at 4.74 and are in danger of being left behind.
Holland Park Hawks, who are 8th in the Queensland Premier League 2026 on 16 points from 13 matches, will be desperate to improve on their recent form which has seen them suffer four defeats in their last five, including two straight losses. They last won at home three weeks ago when they beat Sunshine Coast Wanderers 3-2 in a thriller.
St. George Willawong FC are in even worse shape with just four points from 14 games and occupy 12th place in the ladder. Coach Ronno Ferreira has opted for a pragmatic 4-2-3-1 approach for this season with an emphasis on trying to get the defensive shape back in place while his team attempt to counter-attack through the wide areas.
Hawks can be dangerous in transitions
Ferreira's approach to the game and his team's current situation will no doubt mean they will play a deep, compact low block and sacrifice possession in order to keep their shape and try to snare a goal on the break.
Holland Park Hawks boss Luke DeVere, on the other hand, is an experienced coach who has overseen a young, academy-driven side with a structured playing style that dictates tempo, has a patient build-up and can press the opposition in certain situations depending on the game. The problem they have at the moment is that the transitions are a little messy, but the system is in place to be successful.
St. George Willawong FC have been smashed 8-0 by Sunshine Coast Wanderers and 4-1 by Broadbeach United in their recent past and Ferreira's low-block has not worked as advertised yet. But he will be hoping that the players execute the plan and they can keep it tight until they get the opener against Holland Park on Friday.
Hawks have conceded 13 goals at home and St. George Willawong FC have shipped 2.62 per-game away, so the Over 2.5 goals option should come in at 1.28. This has the potential to be a cagey game until one side makes the first breakthrough and the clash of low-block and probing build-up could produce a game of two very different halves.
