Blues and Croweaters firm as early favourites
NSW and South Australia are shaping up as likely contenders after two sessions of play at the coveted Australian Sides Championships in Perth today.
The NSW Blues again look like the team to beat in the women’s competition with an unblemished record after overcoming Victoria and the ACT to round the first of the four day competition.
The Blues, who are hunting a historic fourth consecutive Marj Morris Trophy for the women’s winner, produced a stunning 86-42 defeat of the highly fancied Big V contingent, before a clinical 86-41 display against the ACT.
South Australia also loom as genuine contenders, having never secured the ultimate honours in the women’s event, after upsetting perennial powerhouse and nine-time champions Queensland in the opening round before a telling 107-21 performance against a resilient Northern Territory team.
Tasmania holds third position, having upended the Top Enders 64-38, while the Maroons sit hot on their tails after having the Tigers’ measure 60-36 in the second rubber .
Both the Croweaters and Blues also have an untarnished record in the men’s competition, with NSW sneaking ahead on rink victories, 6 to 4, after edging out the same states as their women counterparts.
Defending Alley Shield titleholders Queensland had a forgettable morning, dropping their opening morning rubber to South Australia 54-60, before gathering the momentum to power past Tasmania 60-36, finishing the first day in fourth position, slightly behind the Tigers, due their their 70-48 win over the Top End in round one.
Host state Western Australia were relegated to fifth place in the men’s event, after beating the ACT and falling to Victoria, and seventh in the women’s competition after dropping both rounds.
The third round of play on day two of the four day, seven round event sees the host team Western Australia face its toughest task yet in NSW, South Australia encounter Tasmania, Queensland face the Northern Territory, and Victoria square off against ACT.
Click here for full results from the 2015 Australian Sides Championships.
Caption: NSW’s Aron Sherriff leads the men’s best skipped rink for NSW.
