Five talking points ahead of Illawarra Premier League's eighth round

Will the upsets continue?

Round eight will kick off on Saturday with the Blueys hosting Cringila at Tarrawanna Oval; Helensburgh tackling Albion Park at Rex Jackson Oval; and Coniston meeting Corrimal at JJ Kelly Park.

The action continues on Sunday with Wollongong Olympic facing Shellharbour at PCYC; Port Kembla hosting Wollongong United at Wetherall Park; and South Coast United to tackle Bulli at Ian McLennan Park.

Here are five key talking points ahead of round eight:

Can Tarra, United continue to win?

The last two weeks in the IPL have tossed up some fascinating results, including the good form of Tarrawanna and South Coast United.

After a tough start to the season, the Blueys have hit a purple patch in recent times, claiming impressive 3-0 and 4-1 wins over Bulli and Port Kembla respectively.

Tarrawanna's attacking prowess in particular has been impressive, and they've been able to share the workload. There has been five individual goalscorers in the past fortnight, with Cody Waller and Daniel Carella scoring two apiece.

However, a bigger test awaits Tarra this weekend. The Blueys will host Cringila, who again look like one of the teams to beat in 2024.

Meanwhile, there was plenty of emotions showed in SCU's 2-0 win over Olympic last weekend, which was popular club stalwart Ted Valic's last game as team manager. That result came on the back of a 5-2 thrashing of Corrimal which has seen the side rise to eighth on the table.

SCU now have a golden opportunity to put together three wins on the trot when they meet Bulli on Sunday.

The Balls Paddock side have traditionally been one of the league's powerhouse clubs, but they are yet to find consistent form this year.

Will the Rangers spring a surprise?

There was plenty of exciting surrounding Corrimal in the pre-season following a big recruitment drive, however, the men from Memorial Park have endured a tough start to 2024.

The Rangers remain winless after seven rounds, with four losses and two draws next to their name.

Corrimal showed plenty of heart in holding Cringila to a 2-2 stalemate on March 24, but the side has fallen apart in the past fortnight, shipping 11 goals in heavy losses to Port Kembla (6-0) and SCU (5-2).

Unfortunately, the task doesn't get any easier this Saturday as they prepare to meet ladder leaders Coniston at JJ Kelly Park.

Last year's grand final winners haven't missed a beat this season so far, showing dominant form at both ends of the ground. 'Cono' have scored 17 goals and only conceded three.

It shapes as a David versus Goliath battle on paper, however, the IPL has certainly produced its fair share of shock results this season.

If the Rangers can put in a similar shift to their performance against the Lions, they could return home with a point in hand.

Who will stand up at Wetherall Park?

It could be a vital three points up for grabs at Wetherall Park.

Not many IPL fans would have had this fixture pencilled into their calendars, but Sunday's clash between Port Kembla and Wollongong United shapes as huge for both sides.

United would have been the pre-season favourites to win this affair, but the Zebras will head into the clash on the back of a better performance last week.

Port flexed their attacking muscles in a 6-0 rout of Corrimal which was easily their best game in 2024.

It was the side's first win of the season, and they will hope to prove it wasn't a one-off this Sunday.

Meanwhile, United's campaign has hit a roadblock in the past fortnight, following 3-2 and 4-1 losses to Cringila and Bulli respectively.

However, after claiming a 2-1 win over Central Coast United in the Australia Cup on Wednesday night, Rob Jonovski's side will be eager to keep building momentum this weekend.

How will Olympic respond?

It's been a rough couple of weeks for Wollongong Olympic.

Matt Bailey's men were poor in their 3-0 loss to Coniston a fortnight ago, and they didn't fare much better against SCU last Saturday.

Olympic were one of the favourites in pre-season to win the league title, and they started the year with four straight wins.

Now, following those back-to-back losses, Bailey will be hungry to steady the ship.

That could start this Sunday when they return to PCYC to host Shellharbour.

Rod Williams' team has also struggled to find consistency, but they would have been happy to hold the White Eagles to a 1-1 draw last weekend.

That result came on the back of a disappointing 3-1 loss to Helensburgh, so it's difficult to read into Harbour's current form.

Are Park flying under the radar?

There has been plenty of hype around competition leaders Coniston this year, but Albion Park continue to nip at their heels.

Last year's league champions also remain undefeated in the opening two months, securing four wins and two draws.

While Cono have grabbed the headlines with their goalscoring prowess, the White Eagles have quietly picked up points each week.

They will be confident of adding to their tally this Saturday when they head north to face Helensburgh at Rex Jackson Oval.

However, Burgh shouldn't be underestimated.

They've shown plenty of grit under head coach Paul Michlmayr, accumulating three wins so far in 2024, to remain in touch with the top five.

Saturday will be one of their toughest challenges to date, but Burgh will be hungry to prove that they can match it with the best.