Premier League Mid-season Report card
Men’s BCiB Metro Pennants At the half way point of the season it’s time to review our predictions and look at how the Premier League sides have fared through 9 rounds of competitions. We firstly take a look at the Men’s Premier League which surprisingly see’s last years Premiers outside the four. Next week we will review the Women’s Premier League competition.
Cambridge
Position: 1st
Grade: A+
What’s Working?: Role Players. After a losing five potential backend players before and during the season the Knights’ lesser lights have stepped up. An even contribution has also helped with every rink winning more than half its games.
What’s Not?: Not a lot is going wrong at the moment for Cambridge. Despite their good form they were unable to beat pre-season favourites Manning in round four, whom the Knights also struggled against last year, case in point being the preliminary final. Their round thirteen clash may be pivotal as they look to put the bogey to bed.
Summary: The Knights are firing on all cylinders. Fears that they might struggle after losing state player Trystan Smallacombe have been quelled as they are perfect without him. The biggest difficulty is sustaining this form and avoiding falling back to the pack. Even so with a 13.5 point gap between them and third placed Osborne Park it’s hard to see the Knights missing out on the double chance.
Revised Prediction: 1st
Bassendean
Position: 2nd
Grade: A
What’s Working?: Justin Opie and Blake Nairn’s rinks. Between them they have lost just three games and have been instrumental in Bassendean holding top spot for most of the season thus far. With the other two rinks both 50/50 or worse these two rinks will be vital again in the second half of the year.
What’s Not?: Their recent form. Some may consider winning three rinks and losing to top placed Cambridge unlucky but the Knights did lead much of the game on two or three rinks. That was followed by an away loss to Osborne Park and then last week an unconvincing six point haul against cellar dwellers Vic Park. Hopefully it’s just a temporary slump and they come out swinging in the new year.
Summary: After a very strong start to the year the Lions’ form has started to waver. Although their last three games are slightly concerning they have come against the other top three sides. It’s very unlikely that the Lions will finish outside the top three and they will be every chance at the business end.
Revised Prediction: 2nd
Osborne Park
Position: 3rd
Grade: A-
What’s Working?: Stability. Despite not getting off to the best of starts the Saints have stuck to their guns, making very few changes and reaping the rewards. Wins against pre-season favourites Manning and Bassendean as well as a strong showing at Cambridge have pushed their title claims.
What’s Not?: Could their slow start to the year come back to bite them? Cockburn caused their first upset win of the year when they won at Osborne Park in round one and then a poor showing at eighth placed Kardinya saw the Saints 2-2 to start the season. Other contenders will consider both of those fixtures winnable games and could pick up points the Saints missed out on. A better start in the new year will be pivotal.
Summary: Despite their slow start the Saints find themselves in fourth having won four of their last five. At six and a half points clear of fifth it’s vital that they continue their form to stay in the four. If they win the games they should it should be enough to make the four. If they can get a win or two against the top two second place could be there for the taking.
Revised Prediction: 3rd
Cockburn
Position: 4th
Grade: A
What’s Working?: Playing away. The Roosters are 4-1 away from home and have beaten more fancied opponents Osborne Park and Doubleview on their own turf. Their only loss was by a single shot at Manning. Often a team’s success on the road can determine how far they go and if that’s the case here then Cockburn look in good shape.
What’s Not?: Playing at home. For all their away accomplishments Cockburn have just one win from their four home games. Whilst losses to league leaders Cambridge and Bassendean are hardly anything to be embarrassed about they would’ve hoped for better against seventh placed Wanneroo. If they can turn it around who knows where they could end up.
Summary: The Roosters have been much better than we expected and have done very well to be well clear of relegation and in the top four. Cockburn’s fortunes could depend on what turns first in the back end of the season. Will they start winning at home or will they start losing away? The Roosters are only five points clear of seventh and therefore any drop in form could be disastrous. Can they continue their great form and hold onto a finals spot?
Revised Prediction: 6th
Doubleview
Position: 5th
Grade: C+
What’s Working?: Rink wins. Doubleview have won the third most rinks in the competition, putting them ahead of Manning despite winning one less aggregate. Only one rink has won the less than half of its games and that rink is just one win off that mark. This indicates the View aren’t far away from being a contender.
What’s Not?: Winning aggregates. For all their rink wins Doubleview head into the break on the wrong side of the ledger at 4-5. Unexpected losses to Wanneroo and surprise packets Cockburn have kept the View out of fourth spot and in the pack. If they want to make finals they’re going to have to beat the teams they should be beating.
Summary: Doubleview aren’t far off the pace and well in the hunt for a finals place. They’ve lost their last two but both were to teams that are higher than them on the ladder and they had won their three previous fixtures. The View need to concentrate on beating the teams around and below them. Two extra aggregates in the second half may be enough to make the four.
Revised Prediction: 5th
Manning
Position: 6th
Grade: D+
What’s Working?: Matt Mitchell’s rink. Matt Mitchell is ranked fourth on the Premier League skipper’s ladder with six wins. His +80 shots up has been crucial to Manning in winning five aggregates. Mitchell has won by double digits five times with the Eagles winning four of those games.
What’s Not?: The other three rinks. Whilst Matthew Mitchell has won six games the rest of the rinks combined have won just eight. Their next best skipper is Matt Ellul on four wins and then Peter Ker on two. Only bottom ranked Victoria Park have less rink wins with relegation candidate Innaloo equal with fourteen rinks. This has caused Manning to lose valuable points in the title race.
Summary: A D+ grade may seem a little harsh on a team that has won five aggregates but this team is failing to live up to expectations. Their team has been unstable for some time and they have won just one of their last five games. It’s not all doom and gloom however as Manning find themselves in a similar position to last years premiership run. This group has the talent to turn their season around but they will have to do it quickly in order to make the finals.
Revised Prediction: 4th
Wanneroo
Position: 7th
Grade: B-
What’s Working?: Beating teams above them. Wanneroo have taken the scalps of some this season with three of their four wins coming against sides above them. Wanneroo have beaten Manning, Doubleview and Cockburn to keep themselves reasonably clear of relegation. If they can continue to pull off some upsets then who knows where they could end up.
What’s Not?: Beating the teams below them. Wanneroo have won just one game against the three sides below them this season, against Innaloo. Whilst a loss to Kardinya away isn’t worth panicking over the loss to Victoria Park would sting. It is Victoria Park’s only win of the season and a win that could have had them as a genuine finals contender.
Summary: The goal for any club coming up from White is to hold and Wanneroo should do that. Just five points behind Cockburn they are a sneaky chance for a finals position but forgive us if the losses to Kardinya and Vic Park leave us unconvinced. They’ll have to beat all three teams below them and probably beat at least two of Manning, Doubleview and Cockburn to be any chance.
Revised Prediction: 7th
Kardinya
Position: 8th
Grade: B
What’s Working?: Competitiveness. Kardinya have a net shots difference of just -3 despite winning just three aggregates. This indicates just how close Kardinya have been. They nearly rolled league leaders Cambridge away and lost by one bowl to Doubleview at home. If they keep testing out the better sides surely they must claim another scalp eventually. Beating Osborne Park in round four was a highlight.
What’s Not?: Playing away. Most teams struggle away, especially the lower ranked sides, but Kardinya have only beaten Victoria Park away from home. They have put in a couple of good performances but overall their record drops when away from their home surface. The loss at Innaloo has brought them back towards the relegation zone and a win there would’ve all but secured their place in the Premier League next season.
Summary: Kardinya have put up a stern fight despite significant player losses and deserve to stay out of the drop zone. The loss to Innaloo was a setback but the Kats are still in a strong position to hold. They play both the current relegation teams at home in the new year and wins in those two games will be enough to secure their position. If it comes down to their last game of the season against Innaloo at home they’ll be confident.
Revised Prediction: 8th
Innaloo
Position: 9th
Grade: D+
What’s Working?: Not a lot at the moment. Their current form is building with two wins in their last two games including a win against Kardinya to keep them in the hunt for survival. The team should be close to its strongest with the return of John Berecz from injury and Mike McKeague playing every second week. Innaloo may be building into a strong second half.
What’s Not?: Instability. The Redbacks have been ringing the changes this season with multiple changes most weeks. They have had seven players play skip this season indicating they may be unsure of their best team. Hopefully in the 2016 they get the chance to settle and gel to give themselves a chance at holding.
Summary: Their win against Kardinya was crucial in giving themselves a chance to hold. They’ll need to find their best team in the second half of the season and cause an upset to give themselves a strong chance. If they’re within striking distance of 8th place with two rounds to go they might fancy themselves with games against Vic Park and Kardinya to close.
Revised Prediction: 9th
Victoria Park/Carlisle
Position: 10th
Grade: B-
What’s Working?: They’ve won a game. We knew this side would struggle and they have but that victory has been an obvious highlight. It was an impressive fightback after their worst loss of the year the week before. Barring one match against Cambridge they have done well to be quite competitive despite their issues. Tom Reid has also shined as a skipper winning five of nine.
What’s Not?: Most of the damage was done at Vic Park before a bowl was delivered. The pre-season exodus has meant that the club is significantly weakened. Unfortunately the Reds just don’t have the depth to cover the quality they lost but their competitiveness has been admirable.
Summary: At fourteen points behind eighth the Reds are almost certain to be demoted. The goal for Victoria Park should be to continue to be competitive. If they can push hard they may get another win which would be much better than many expected.
Revised Prediction: 10th
