by Paul Cook - ********************** THE WARM-UP: ********************** One win from four starts was not the first half of the season the Rays were seeking. But a draw that had pitched them against each of the top five sides in the first five rounds, as things stood before kick-off, meant that they certainly knew what it was going to take to be a genuine challenger. Having beaten Perth Spirit in Perth and pushed Sydney Stars, Melbourne Rising and Brisbane City hard in defeat, they came into this clash keen to turn those positive efforts into victory over one of the competition favourites. Given the UC Vikings record of four wins from four starts, with an average tally of just under 50pts per game, that was going to be a task much easier said than done. The Canberra side arrived in Sydney’s northern beaches off the back of a 76-16 demolition of Sydney Stars, and with games against their fellow heavyweights in the offing as the regular season nears completion, a bonus point dismissa