Basketball On The Internet.

ANY battle between Sydney and Melbourne always is big but Round 2's WNBL showdown in the NBL double-header at Qudos Bank Arena with the Kings-Bullets is a monster, given the fact Guy Molloy, Cayla George and Tess Madgen were all formerly with the Boomers and now face their former club.

The Flames losing their season-opener to unheralded Perth also will have them fired up to put a quick end to Melbourne's league leadership.

But they must first negotiate Bendigo which will be loathe to drop a second game at home when banking early wins is a key to long-term success.

After capping the Caps, can Southside fire up against Townsville? The Fire's starting group is a gem, though Shannon Seebohm's champs are not as deep as last season while the Flyers certainly are.

In fact finding minutes for everyone will be a perennial Southside headache. Expect Townsville to only add to that.

Perth was impressive in Round 1, Adelaide less so, blowing a golden opportunity against Melbourne and showing considerable inexperience in Canberra when the Caps made their run.

If the Lynx get busy on the Izzys - Borlase and Bourne both with 20 points in Canberra - they will have the recipe for success.

How much will the growing crowd in Qudos Bank Arena influence the officials and the outcome of Sunday 's double-header? That's a damn fine question.

The boxscore will have the definitive answer.   

ROUND 2 TIPS
Southside will bounce back from its Rd1 loss by beating the Caps in Canberra.
Bendigo is an even money bet but Sydney may have just enough to sneak this.
Townsville will flex its muscles at home, adding another L in Southside’s column.
Touch-and-go in Perth where the Lynx should go 2-0 over Lightning.
Guy Molloy and Sydney Co. v Boomers should be hot, with Melbourne winning.

WNBL RANKINGS – WEEK 1
This          *Last
Week       Week   Club
  1               4        Melbourne (2-0) Tough gig in Sydney but up for the task.
  2               1        Townsville (1-0) An early home challenge but one the Fire will meet.
  3               7        Perth (1-0) Can go to 2-0 at home, beating a vulnerable Adelaide.
  4               5        Adelaide (1-1) Blew it to Boomers, snuck in at Caps. Question marks.
  5               2        Southside (0-1) Can jump right back into the mix with at least a split.
  6               3        Sydney (0-1) Two chances to bring record into the positive.
  7               6        Bendigo (0-1) Unlucky at home but may suffer same fate this round.
  8               8        Canberra (0-1) Would be season-defining if Caps could nail Flyers.
*(These aren’t Last Week’s rankings technically but our Preseason rankings)