Hi all!
So how are we all shaping at roughly the half way mark?
IF every team scores exactly there average for the remainder of the season, the final ladder will be:
Position Name Wins Losses
1 Buenos Aires Armadillos 17 0
2 Mexico City Suns 16 1
3 Dublin Destroyers 13 4
4 Sao Paulo Pumas 13 4
5 Seoul Magpies 11 6
6 Moscow Spetsnaz 10 7
7 Paris Nice Lyon Reindeers 10 7
8 Cairo Sands 9 8
9 Berlin Brewers 9 8
10 Toronto Wolves 9 8
11 London Royals 7 10
12 Cape Town Cobras 7 10
13 Tokyo Samurai 5 12
14 New York Revolution 5 12
15 Pacific Islanders 4 13
16 New Delhi Tigers 4 13
17 Beijing Thunder 3 14
18 Wellington Warriors 1 16
Also, based on season averages, the following ranks each team's draw over the last 9 rounds from easiest to hardest:
1 Sao Paulo Pumas
2 Moscow Spetsnaz
3 Toronto Wolves
4 Mexico City Suns
5 Berlin Brewers
6 London Royals
7 Dublin Destroyers
8 Buenos Aires Armadillos
9 Wellington Warriors
10 Cape Town Cobras
11 Paris Nice Lyon Reindeers
12 Seoul Magpies
13 New Delhi Tigers
14 New York Revolution
15 Tokyo Samurai
16 Pacific Islanders
17 Cairo Sands
18 Beijing Thunder
So the Pumas have the easiest draw for the rest of the year :/ Which is a little scary. Shouldn't get too comfortable, as its main top 4 competition Moscow is only marginally behind at 2nd. Toronto's season has hope of recovery, while Cairo would be getting very nervous. Beijing have some tough times ahead also...
:'( probably going to have another top 5 pick to play with
Beijing
Current position: 17th, 2-6
Best Win: Round 4 victory over Seoul the highlight, with the Magpies a shot at the finals this year, this showed Beijing's increased competitiveness this year.
Worst Loss: Round 5 loss to Toronto, not so much the loss, but the way they lost - it was the Thunder of old.
The story: Matt Kreuzer's injury and Harry Taylor's poor form has hurt Thunder this year, but huge positives coming from Oli Wines, Cale Hooker and James Aish.
Remaining fixture: Last 9 matches features games against 3 of the top 4, and only 1 of the bottom 4. New Delhi's its best chance to notch a win in Round 14, and maybe New York in Round 10, but I can't see Beijing winning more than 4 games.
Q/Toga - what are your thoughts?
Berlin
Current position: 7th, 4-4
Best Win: Round 8 victory over Beijing - it was a match they were always expected to win, but it was its first 150 score of the year, and topped off a good month which demonstrated how they made a Prelim last year.
Worst Loss: Round 4 loss to Cape Town was an 8-point match, and this loss could prove the difference between making the finals and not. The week before they only put up 122 against Sao Paulo, but it was Cape Town that hurts.
The story: Berlin's depth has plummeted this year with injuries to Colin Garland, Jack Steven, Mark Jamar, Daniel Wells, Jack Trengove and Brad Crouch really hurting, while Mitch Clark retired before pulling on Berlin colours. But Berlin have managed to cover them all, with Nat Fyfe and Daniel Jackson proving they are stars.
Remaining fixture: Dublin looms large in Round 10, while matches against PNL, Cairo, Seoul, Tokyo and Moscow will determine where Berlin will finish. Should get at least 3 wins easy, and winning half of the remaining would get to 10-7 and that should be enough for finals.
Buenos Aires
Current position: 1st, 8-0
Best Win: Round 7 against Mexico City - this is the kind of match that Buenos Aires would have let slip in the past. But not only did they win, they won well! And are deserving premiership favourites.
Worst Loss: No losses! Though they only scraped victories over Toronto and New York which could be counted a bit lucky.
The story: Buenos Aires have fallen down at the Prelim stages in both seasons so far, with 2013 being a particularly harsh match losing after the final siren had gone. They are determined to take the flag this year, with Steve Johnson and Matt Boyd leading the charge. No Brad Sewell and a drop of form for Swan and Cox are minor causes of concern.
Remaining fixture: The two biggest chances of a loss come against Dublin in Round 11 and Sao Paulo in Round 17, but with 3 matches to come against the bottom 4 also, even a worse case scenario basically seems them guaranteed top 4. I think 1st place, if not 2nd, the likely outcome here.
I was really keen to get a number of wins on the board early because of our tough-ish run home. Hopefully a fully fit side and some players regaining form can steer the ship in the right direction.
Good to see the draw finally opening up for us. Time to get all those members back that left after the winless start to the year?
Great work btw oz 8)
Loving your work os! Also loving that I have supposedly got the easiest back 9 :)
Cairo
Current position: 11th, 3-5
Best Win: Cairo have not yet won a match against a top 10 side this year, but the Round 3 score of 166 against a plucky Tokyo was Cairo's most impressive win - at this point in time they were averaging 158 over the first 3 rounds.
Worst Loss: No contest - the Round 6 loss to Wellington was disastrous. Managing only 121, as the previously winless Warriors edged them in New Zealand. This loss is a catastrophe for Cairo.
The story: Cairo came out firing - an extremely close loss to Dublin first up, followed by two mammoth 160+ scores in succession had many tipping Cairo as a top 4 - and therefore a flag - fancy. Since then however, they have managed just the 1 win (against struggler Pacific) and averaged 131.8. Shane Mumford's loss has been huge, and they will be desperate for him to return.
Remaining fixture: Unfortunately, its a disastrous last 9 rounds. With 5 top 7 teams remaining, and only 1 bottom 4 team. If Cairo are good enough, they can make, as they still have a strong percentage.
Summed up well.
I'm confident we can battle on and fight our way into the 8 and play finals. Just gotta pray for a bit of luck and hope things go our way.
Cape Town
Current position: 10th, 4-4
Best Win: Round 8 victory of rival Cairo Sands was a huge result, and evened the ledger for Cape Town.
Worst Loss: The round 6 loss against New Delhi was clearly the most costly, though a loss to New York and a missed opportunity against Dublin also rates.
The story: Cape Town have been up-and-down all year, and seem far from the side that made the finals the last 2 years. The big story was a couple of coaching infringements that saw them lose a point. Still hope though, at a 4-4, and the return of ruckman Zac Smith.
Remaining fixture: Have a couple of big matches to come against Mexico City and Sao Paulo, challenging matches against Seoul, London, Toronto, Moscow and PNL, and matches they should win against Wellington and Pacific. It is a tough draw, but if they are good enough, they can do it.
Dublin
Current position: 3rd, 6-2
Best Win: Scoring 174 against the reigning premier Sao Paulo really underlined how serious a flag threat this team is!
Worst Loss: Putting down the Round 4 loss to Tokyo as a freak occurrence, but yet another round 6 loss to rival London has to be Dublin's biggest disappointment - its lowest score, and still haven't taken home the British Isles Cup.
The story: Dublin have been strong for the vast majority of the year, but let slip 2 games against Tokyo and London that had people questioning its premiership potential. However, those questions where answered over the last 2 weeks with 160+ scores against Toronto and Sao Paulo. They are the real deal.
Remaining fixture: Top 4 looks likely, but where in that top 4 is the question! They have Round 11 and 15 matches against Buenos Aires and Mexico City which should decide that, with some other potentially tough matches scattered around also. The last 2 rounds of the year are against New Delhi and Pacific, so by Round 15 we'll likely know where Dublin will be at.
London
Current position: 9th, 4-4
Best Win: Came into Round 6 at 1-4 and massive underdogs against premiership favourite and rival Dublin. But took home its 3rd British Cup, with its highest score of the year.
Worst Loss: Came out of the gates stuttering, only managing 117 against Berlin in Round 1. A missed opportunity as Berlin weren't that impressive that week.
The story: London lost its first 3 games with an average of only 122.7, but the last five weeks they have improved the team's average up to 136 and with a 4-1 record. London do not have the most talented list, but hats off to players like Dane Rampe and Brandon Matera who looks to be improving fast. London have yet to play a ruck all year, but Bellchambers looks to be back from injury for Round 9.
Remaining fixture: The next 5 weeks will decide London's season - they take on Cairo, Seoul, Wellington, Pacific and Cape Town. Think they need to win at least 4 of those to make the finals, that will bring them to 8-5. The next three rounds are tough taking on Mexico City, Toronto and Sao Paulo, before finishing against Beijing. It will tough to make the finals, but if they somehow win 2 of its last four 10-7 would probably be enough for the finals.
Mexico City
Current position: 2nd, 7-1
Best Win: Gotta a little bit of revenge against Sao Paulo in Round 1, comfortably winning by 19 points, as new coach JROO8 showed straight away the Suns are still a force.
Worst Loss: Only the one! But it was a big one, Mexico City registered its lowest score of the year against Buenos Aires to lose hold of the minor premiership.
The story: Mexico City are boringly great! Very hard to defeat in any round, and this year is no different. They will cruise to a top 4 spot.
Remaining fixture: The last 9 rounds they play only 2 sides currently in the top 8 - PNL and Dublin. The match against Dublin could decide whether they secure a home qualifying final or not, but really, its hard to see the Suns doing any worse than 7-2 over the last 9 rounds, which would bring them to 14-3.
Moscow
Current position: 5th, 5-3
Best Win: Although they knocked off Sao Paulo in Round 2, I've gotta say Round 8's victory over PNL was the team's strongest. It was 5th v 6th in match where the loser would find it very hard to push for the top 4, and Moscow responded with a mammoth 156 and a 22 point victory.
Worst Loss: Spetsnaz only have the 3 losses, and 2 of those were against the current top 2 in the comp. The 3rd was against a London side they were clearly better than on paper, and the Spetsnaz will be hoping this match doesn't cost them too much.
The story: Inconsistency is the story. The last 4 weeks have had them score 124, 146, 132 and 156. I feel Nic Naitanui is the key, if Nic Nat can return to his century scoring ways, this side will be hard to beat.
Remaining fixture: The good news for Moscow is the draw opens right up for them! They run straight into Dublin right after the break, but after that play only 2 more current top 8 sides (Seoul and Berlin). If Moscow fix its consistency, they could legitimately win 8-1 or 7-2 over the last 9 rounds to give them every shot at a surprise top 4 spot.
New Delhi
Current position: 16th, 3-5
Best Win: Sneaking by Seoul in Round 3 came after a dire first 2 rounds from New Delhi, they also posted a decent post-130 score, showing the kind of thing they can produce.
Worst Loss: Had a farcical round 1, with poor coaching decisions meaning they couldn't even push 100 against Tokyo. It was an early wake-up call for them!
The story: New Delhi have vastly improved its depth - proven by the fact its reserves team Mumbai are currently undefeated - but they lack some star power. Leigh Montagna has performed admirably for them, but the form of its midfielders Gaff, Bastinac and the suspended Greene, is a disappointment. They have managed to win 3 matches - against Seoul, Pacific and Cape Town - and look to have improved from last year. Although they sit 16th, they are only 1 match out of the 8!
Remaining fixture: The next 4 weeks are simply from hell. They face all 4 of last year's preliminary finalists in succession! And it's hard to find a win amongst that. The last 5 weeks are a bit better, with New York, Beijing and Wellington winnable games. I think 5 wins is a reasonable target.
New York
Current position: 14th, 3-5
Best Win: In Round 3, New York arrived with an epic 150 to shock London and shoot up the ladder! Any team that can score 150 should be taken seriously.
Worst Loss: Had a slow start in Round 1, with an extrememly disappointing effort against the Pacific. This is a game they could live to regret!
The story: Despite a round 1 disaster, New York looked like an unlikely final 8 aspirant with midfielders Treloar, Liberatore and Stokes in strong form! However, the last four weeks they have been plagued with injuries and suspensions, and only had 15 players. In Round 8, Tom Liberatore scored a whopping 28% of its total :/
Remaining fixture: The last four weeks they played 4th, 5th, 7th and 1st. Next week they play 9th, a brief respite with Beijing, followed by 8th and 3rd. So times have been tough for sure! Finals look unlikely, but I imagine they will cause an upset here and there.
Pacific
Current position: 15th, 3-5
Best Win: Round 2 had Pacific face off against Beijing in what shaped as a battle to potentially avoid the wooden spoon. In one of the matches of the year, the vocal Pacific crowd edged out Beijing by a point.
Worst Loss: An epic 62 point thrashing at home against Buenos Aires was very embarrasing, as the Islanders really highlighted the difference between the best in the comp, and the last.
The story: Pacific won its first 2 matches, but unconvincingly, but wins are wins and it took the pressure off them to perform. However, they have only the 1 win from its last 6 and the focus is starting to come down on them. The question is what can they achieve for the remainder of the year?
Remaining fixture: After the break they have Wellington. This shapes as its best chance for a win, because after that they have very few winning games and will have to rely on upsets. I can't see any more than 2 wins, and I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't win any.
Quote from: ossie85 on May 19, 2014, 12:06:53 PM
Q/Toga - what are your thoughts?
Definitely looks like a difficult fixture to end the season, but we're confident we might be able to steal another couple of surprise wins. NYR can be a bit inconsistent at times so if our team all fires as one we might be able to knock them off, while NDT are a young side, same as us, so hoping we can put up a good performance against them.
Our win over Seoul is definitely the highlight for our season I think, the disappointments are clearly Kreuzer & Taylor performing well below expectations this year after being our best two players last season. The loss against Pacific, which we would have won on neutral ground, was also a bit disappointing.
PNL
Current position: 8th, 4-4
Best Win: An 18 point victory over Cairo in Round 4, and suddenly the unlucky PNL look finally to have broken out!
Worst Loss: Hard one to pick, because the Reindeers generally only lose due to the other team playing great! But last round's loss to Moscow with a potential top 4 spot on the line was disappointing, and they scored the lowest of the year.
The story: PNL entered the top 8 for the first time ever this year! But in a lot of ways it was the same old story. The Reindeers, again, have had the most points scored against them - and the 4 matches they have lost this year they have lost with scores of 142, 149, 138 and 134. Hardly embarrassing scores.
Remaining fixture: A tough draw home still, as they still haven't played the top 3 yet. I think they will need to beat at least one of them to make the finals, which is why the Moscow loss was so disappointing.
Sao Paulo
Current position: 4th, 5-3
Best Win: At 1-2, the Pumas faced off against a Wolves team determined to win, and came away with 154-147 victory. A Loss here would have had people really questioning them and they came out smiling.
Worst Loss: Only managing 133 against Moscow in Round 2, and a stretched defense, and the reigning premiers were winless. But they have recovered nicely!
The story: The reigning premiers kept largely the same list that took them to a flag last year, and some were questioning that decision early on with the Pumas having particular struggles in defense. However a 5-match winning streak from Rounds 3 to 7 showed they are still a powerhouse. My question is that Gary Ablett has averaged 151.50 (or 303 as Captain), what happens if he goes down?
Remaining fixture: A dream final run, with only 2 top 8 teams left to play (Seoul and Buenos Aires) should see the Pumas make another top 4. But a slip up and Moscow could take them down. I'd back the Pumas in.
Some statistics.... Top 5 game holders at each club
* No longer at club
Beijing
Surname Given Games Points Ave
Taylor Harry 41 3568 87.02
Betts Eddie 37 2611 70.57
Kreuzer Matthew 31 2870 92.58
Hooker Cale 29 2414 83.24
Wines Oliver 25 2168 86.72
*Guerra Brent 25 2040 81.60
Berlin
Surname Given Games Points Ave
Wells Daniel 42 4063 96.74
Hibberd Michael 36 3298 91.61
Trengove Jack 35 2608 74.51
Garland Colin 35 2603 74.37
Jackson Daniel 34 3023 88.91
Buenos Aires
Surname Given Games Points Ave
Cornes Kane 44 4350 98.86
Swan Dane 42 4843 115.31
Scotland Heath 39 3534 90.62
Boyd Matthew 36 3997 111.03
Schulz Jay 34 2712 79.76
Cairo
Surname Given Games Points Ave
Hanley Pearce 40 3682 92.05
Puopolo Paul 28 1825 65.18
*Armitage David 28 2529 90.32
Malceski Nick 27 2512 93.04
Breust Luke 27 2353 87.15
Cape Town
Surname Given Games Points Ave
Kennedy Josh P 46 5281 114.80
Cotchin Trent 45 5064 112.53
Hawkins Tom 43 3468 80.65
O'Keefe Ryan 37 3908 105.62
*Watson Jobe 34 3992 117.41
Dublin
Surname Given Games Points Ave
Mundy David 39 3724 95.49
*Atley Shaun 33 2362 71.58
Selwood Joel 25 2867 114.68
Goldstein Todd 25 2624 104.96
Boak Travis 25 2591 103.64
London
Surname Given Games Points Ave
McVeigh Jarrad 42 4367 103.98
Mayne Chris 40 3281 82.03
Stanton Brent 39 4005 102.69
Pearce Danyle 39 3275 83.97
Mackie Andrew 39 3223 82.64
Mexico City
Surname Given Games Points Ave
Ebert Bradley 48 4762 99.21
Lewis Jordan 47 4467 95.04
Bartel Jimmy 45 4578 101.73
Riewoldt Nick 45 4547 101.04
Goddard Brendon 44 4632 105.27
Moscow
Surname Given Games Points Ave
Martin Dustin 44 4176 94.91
Shaw Heath 38 3722 97.95
Naitanui Nic 35 3434 98.11
Frawley James 35 2545 72.71
*Treloar Adam 32 2706 84.56
New Delhi
Surname Given Games Points Ave
Podsiadly James 34 2615 76.91
Giansiracusa Daniel 33 2236 67.76
Mullett Aaron 25 1844 73.76
Bastinac Ryan 24 2071 86.29
Montagna Leigh 23 2563 111.43
Palmer Rhys 23 1573 68.39
New York
Surname Given Games Points Ave
*Gaff Andrew 33 2707 82.03
Pyke Mike 33 2685 81.36
*Heppell Dyson 31 2774 89.48
Dempsey Courtney 28 2199 78.54
Liberatore Tom 25 2686 107.44
*Birchall Grant 25 2404 96.16
Pacific
Surname Given Games Points Ave
Elliott Jamie 31 2220 71.61
Gibson Sam 28 2387 85.25
de Boer Matthew 25 1863 74.52
Mohr Tim 25 1666 66.64
Howe Jeremy 23 1720 74.78
PNL
Surname Given Games Points Ave
Jones Nathan 41 3985 97.20
Priddis Matt 39 4050 103.85
Simpson Kade 38 3594 94.58
Rioli Cyril 34 3321 97.68
Harbrow Jarrod 34 2909 85.56
Sao Paulo
Surname Given Games Points Ave
Sloane Rory 46 5010 108.91
Ablett Gary jnr 45 6040 134.22
Minson Will 45 4685 104.11
Roughead Jarryd 45 4364 96.98
Houli Bachar 45 3829 85.09
Seoul
Surname Given Games Points Ave
Dangerfield Patrick 40 4537 113.43
Gibbs Bryce 38 3571 93.97
*Deledio Brett 34 3738 109.94
*Bolton Jude 34 2847 83.74
McEvoy Ben 33 3366 102.00
Scully Tom 33 2510 76.06
Tokyo
Surname Given Games Points Ave
Jack Kieran 41 4633 113.00
Dahlhaus Luke 40 3369 84.23
Selwood Scott 38 3825 100.66
Carlisle Jake 38 2704 71.16
Parker Luke 36 3239 89.97
Toronto
Surname Given Games Points Ave
Riewoldt Jack 45 3861 85.80
Johnson Michael 45 4050 90.00
Pendlebury Scott 42 5260 125.24
Ryder Paddy 34 3340 98.24
Ziebell Jack 34 2929 86.15
Wellington
Surname Given Games Points Ave
Murphy Marc 37 3840 103.78
Hayes Lenny 36 3672 102.00
Smith Isaac 32 2556 79.88
Golby Mitch 29 2110 72.76
Lester Ryan 26 1817 69.88
Great stuff, ossie!
As you mentioned, we're looking for a strong finish to the season.
Nice stuff oss!
I'd reckon 8-1 + 4th could happen, but more realistically 7-2 to make us 12-5 and get a home semi-final would be great for such a young side, especially seeing how crap our "star player" Nic Nat has been.
Seoul
Current position: 6th, 4-4
Best Win: Round 1 Seoul came our firing, scoring 150 and knocking out a stunned PNL.
Worst Loss: Hard to see where it came from, but a Round 4 capitulation to Beijing could really hurt in the jostle for finals position. The 118 they scored looks like a fluke though, with no other score below 131.
The story: Not many people rated Seoul at the start of the year, and I had tipped them to slump towards the bottom 4 as they aggressively chased draft picks. But they have drafted smartly, and with a player like Dangerfield, you can not underestimate them. They are a chance of making there first final series ever.
Remaining fixture: The problem for Seoul is that over the last 9 matches they have no guaranteed victories. Everyone of it's last 9 opponents has the capacity to score 150+, so they will need to lift its game. 5 wins would bring them to 9-8 for the year, which may not be enough, they may need 6 wins.
Awesome reads so far Oss! Just caught up on them today.
Agree we have been unlucky but some of the losses we could have scored more to get us in there. Certainly need to snare a win against one of the current top three if we want a shot at finals for the first time in history!
Amazing stuff Oss, awesome read. Hopefully we can beat your prediction of 5 wins for the year
Nice write up of the Pumas ossie, but please don't even suggest GAJ goes down injured!! Fair to say he is carrying this team a lot more than he did last year as others just aren't meeting the required standards at the moment. Hopefully they will find some form in the back half of the season :)
Scary thought for the others that I have so many under performing, yet still in the top 4 ;)
Quote from: Honey Badger on May 21, 2014, 08:49:24 PM
Nice write up of the Pumas ossie, but please don't even suggest GAJ goes down injured!! Fair to say he is carrying this team a lot more than he did last year as others just aren't meeting the required standards at the moment. Hopefully they will find some form in the back half of the season :)
Scary thought for the others that I have so many under performing, yet still in the top 4 ;)
Back in your box, Honey Fan. :P
Quote from: ossie85 on May 20, 2014, 06:52:12 AM
Cape Town
Current position: 10th, 4-4
Best Win: Round 8 victory of rival Cairo Sands was a huge result, and evened the ledger for Cape Town.
Worst Loss: The round 6 loss against New Delhi was clearly the most costly, though a loss to New York and a missed opportunity against Dublin also rates.
The story: Cape Town have been up-and-down all year, and seem far from the side that made the finals the last 2 years. The big story was a couple of coaching infringements that saw them lose a point. Still hope though, at a 4-4, and the return of ruckman Zac Smith.
Remaining fixture: Have a couple of big matches to come against Mexico City and Sao Paulo, challenging matches against Seoul, London, Toronto, Moscow and PNL, and matches they should win against Wellington and Pacific. It is a tough draw, but if they are good enough, they can do it.
Those losses will end up costing me I bet. Need to win at least 3 of those games against London, Toronto, Moscow and PNL, or get an upset over City or Sao Paulo.
Zach Smith back should definitely help. Even if he only averages 70 from here out, it's probably
at least an extra 20 valuable points.
Tokyo
Current position: 12th, 3-5
Best Win: Round 4 Tokyo notched up 152, led largely by two debutants in Lloyd and Gleeson, and shocked the highly rated Dublin Destroyers. Tokyo showed they can beat anyone on its day!
Worst Loss: Went down to Pacific away on Home Ground Advantage, which could prove the difference between a shock finals appearance and not.
The story: Really hard to get a read on this team, with players like Kieran Jack, and the 3 Lukes (Parker, Dahlhaus and Shuey) playing particularly well. They have scored post 150, and sub 120! Sam Mitchell's injury hurts though, but Kurt Tippett back is a bonus!
Remaining fixture: The next 5 weeks are crucial to the Samurai, as they face off against 5 tough teams in Toronto, Sao Paulo, Moscow, Berlin and Buenos Aires. If they are any chance to make the finals, they will need to win at least 3 of those (bringing them to 6-7), and they meed need to win there final 4 (New York, Beijing, PNL and Seoul) which will also be difficult. Unfortunately I don't think Tokyo will be able to do it.
thanks ossie
injuries being the key word would be nice to see how we would be going with Henderson, Ibbotson and Judd just have not been able to put our best XV on the field which is really annoying
one thing i'm happy with is our drafting most of the guys have played or going to play
Tom Derickx
Patrick Ambrose
Sam Lloyd
Anthony Miles
will be wanting to promote 3 rookies come draft time
Toronto
Current position: 13th, 3-5
Best Win: Round 6 Toronto had a do or die match against the PNL Reindeers, a loss would have seen them in the near impossible position of 1-5. But they came out strong with a 158-149 victory!
Worst Loss: Hard to go past the Round 1 shocker against Moscow, a 112 from a team that had made the last 2 finals series is not the kind of tone they wanted to be setting.
The story: Started the year with 0-4 record, and although that was a terrible start, they did play 4 very good teams (all currently in the top 7), before recovering well over the last few weeks to be at 3-5 and still a chance of finals football. Scott Pendlebury his usual awesome self, and Ryder has been solid, but the others have been touch and go.
Remaining fixture: Toronto are still in finals contention - they play only 2 current top 8 sides in the final 9 rounds (Seoul and Mexico City). However, they still might need to find 7 wins to give themselves the best shot of finals. It is tough, but not impossible.
Wellington
Current position: 18th, 1-7
Best Win: Only the 1 win this year, but it was a big upset, edging out Cairo 123 to 121. But this game was more about Cairo being bad than Wellington being good.
Worst Loss: Some pretty poor performances to choose from really, and they've been scoring pretty lowly consistently, but the ugliness of the 47 point loss to Dublin in Round 3 showed they'd struggle to be competitive.
The story: Wellington has averaged only 118, with a high score of only 125. Wellington have disappointed in its stalled improvement, and look to be the favourite for a 2nd Wooden Spoon. Murphy has been solid, as has stalwart Lenny Hayes, but big recruit Brett Deledio (who they traded #1 pick for) has struggled with fitness. Good to see HMac on the park, and they need to promote Adam Schneider as soon as possible.
Remaining fixture: The best they can hope for is to avoid the wooden spoon, and they will likely need to win at least 2 matches and hope results go their way. Best chances of winning come against Pacific (in Round 9) and New Delhi (in Round 17), but in between that they play quality teams that would require a big upset to win.
Quote from: ossie85 on May 19, 2014, 12:06:53 PM
Beijing
Current position: 17th, 2-6
Best Win: Round 4 victory over Seoul the highlight, with the Magpies a shot at the finals this year, this showed Beijing's increased competitiveness this year.
Worst Loss: Round 5 loss to Toronto, not so much the loss, but the way they lost - it was the Thunder of old.
The story: Matt Kreuzer's injury and Harry Taylor's poor form has hurt Thunder this year, but huge positives coming from Oli Wines, Cale Hooker and James Aish.
Remaining fixture: Last 9 matches features games against 3 of the top 4, and only 1 of the bottom 4. New Delhi's its best chance to notch a win in Round 14, and maybe New York in Round 10, but I can't see Beijing winning more than 4 games.
Q/Toga - what are your thoughts?
Great thread Os, only saw it now.
A few let downs for us this year but most of the guys who were expected to lift SC wise have this year. Caddy's injury was a shame too, hope to see him back as soon as possible as he a future star for us. Would like to see a few more wins this year, all building up to the next few years where we could push for the 8.