East Div 1 Predictions

[mandy]

Who will make it to the playoff match with the West winners?

Who's going to struggle at the wrong end?

Can one of the 2's teams win and block promotion for one of the other teams?

[J-Lo]

Damn that's one strong league.

[Blind Zebra]

You're all safe, Mandy!

When the Tooz win the division the highest team eligible for promotion gets the play off place.

BeeZee.

[jsgi]

Unless Cambridge or London get a stack of good yanks that stay all year (the difference between pre and post christmas London Uni last year was huge) I predict that it will be an extremely close.

A lot of solid teams but no-one is really standing out. Oxford would probably have walked it if they had not pulled out.

I will be interested to see how East Coast and Brighton get on, but I think that Croydon are a good bet for the playoff spot....which they will probably lose as there are 5 very good sides in West 1.

Another interesting sideline is who will be crowned the best 2nd team there was not much between Blues ad Hitchin last year and EG will definitely be stronger with their summer recruitment.

1 Croydon
2 Cambridge
3 Blues Tooz
4 Brighton
5 EG 2
6 East Coast
7 Hitchin A
8 Herts Commets
9 London Uni
10 Buckhurst Hill

To be honest I don't think there will be much between 2 and 7 I think London will struggle with the loss of Imperial players Bucks struggled last year for players and unless they recruit well I could see them slipping down to E2 next year.

[happylaxer]

Have to say I largely agree with jsgi. Unless anyone has recruited well over the summer I think it's sad but true that no-one will be really challenging the west in the play-offs. Croydon were definitely the strongest team from last year so I'd fancy them to take it but with another year under the belt for the blues tooz juniors they could pose a threat.

Oh, and I'd put cambridge tenth but that's just being petty...

[Ash]

I voted for croydon too. Everytime i see them at sixes or the likes they always seem to have a good stack of young players.

Will they get affected badly at somepoint by the youngsters going to uni? or is there a steady flow of croydon youth players.

[mandy]

You're all safe, Mandy!

When the Tooz win the division the highest team eligible for promotion gets the play off place.

BeeZee.

Has this one been tidied up now? (It may have been already - the memory goes a bit hazy now)

The first proposition that would have cleared this problem by giving the second placed team the right to play in the play-off should the first placed team not play (either by choice or by not being eligible for promotion) was inexplicably rejected. I know an almost identical rule change was discussed, but can't remember whether it's actually been voted on and passed yet.

[Blind Zebra]

When the bye laws were changed to stop clubs having two teams in the premier division, promotion was changed so that the highest team eligible for promotion gets the play off place.

BeeZee.

[fresher309]

I defo see the intermediate flags winner coming from the west!!!

[happylaxer]

Only cos Oxford aren't there to beat Bristol this time round...


... oh wait

[J-Lo]

I think Blues for the leauge.

I agree that the West has the stronger 'front-running' teams i.e Bath, Cardiff, but that the East division is stronger in depth.

East Coast to attain a respectable mid-table position. Maybe we will try for 7 games with 9 or less player again if it looks like we're doing too well.

[mishy]

I think London will struggle with the loss of Imperial players

mate, I was the only imperial player last year and im still elegible to play for ulu for another 3 years if I come back south

of course i dissagree with ulu coming near bottom - ulu will do exactly the same as they did last year, get a stupid number of d3 guys (only 4 of which ever play), use them to win a bunch of games before xmas, lose them all and then lose a bunch of games .... think of it as the circle of life! Im more concerned about ulu not having a ground next year!!

youve really lost the plot coming below commets, EC and brighton ... right about the top 3 tho (but i dont know what order they will come in)

[Jon_B]

very strong league. My guess would be Croyden for the top spot, with Blues Tooz close on their heels.
Could be interesting to see the new boys perform taking the step up from a relatively seperated East 2's league this year; especially Brighton do after a pretty impressive first season. Have they shown us all they've got, or are they just getting started??

[jsgi]

I think London will struggle with the loss of Imperial players

mate, I was the only imperial player last year and im still elegible to play for ulu for another 3 years if I come back south

of course i dissagree with ulu coming near bottom - ulu will do exactly the same as they did last year, get a stupid number of d3 guys (only 4 of which ever play), use them to win a bunch of games before xmas, lose them all and then lose a bunch of games .... think of it as the circle of life! Im more concerned about ulu not having a ground next year!!

youve really lost the plot coming below commets, EC and brighton ... right about the top 3 tho (but i dont know what order they will come in)

Hey I was just speculating...as always in the pre season guesses as to how the season will come along. I was assuming that as Imprerial were striking out on their own they would have a fair number of ULU players...seems I was wrong.

As an aside don't underestimate the teams coming up from E2. I know Brighton are a good side, EG2 will be better this year than last year and East coast will be strong when they get 10 players on the field. To be fair....I have no idea how strong the comets will be.

HappyLaxer, I think you may find that a number of the Blues juniors will make the 1st team this year although the expreince coming down to the tooz of those they replace may make the tooz a strong team.

Any way you look at it it will be an excellent season!

[mishy]

yea, i know - ive reread what ive written and it does sound a bit aggressive if you dont reliase i joke about a bit - so sorry if you thought that

either way the league will be very exciting next year and i really dont think there will be much between any of the teams (maybe the top 3 will be a bit better than the rest)

... plus if ulu finally get rid of one player inparticular (you all know who i mean!! ) then everyone else might actually like us again!! (im going to get sat on for saying that)[/footnote]

[blues24ianb]

This may surprise a few - but I'll back Croydon for top spot this season - not sure how well they could do in the Prem - but they have a good young core of players to build around and I think they will surprise a few. (PS: By young I don't mean Harpic, Andy Morris or Duncs.)

Blues as a club may well be in a transition year and my expectations wouldn't be too much above mid-table. Youngest going up - old ones coming down and some by passing the Tooz to the 3's. Much more important to get cohesive play and battling for places this season and move forward the following season but anything's a bonus.

EG2 could be a stronger outfit than last season, especially with a registered 3's to take the pressure off of trying to give everyone a game and therein being able to develop the side.

Brighton had an impressive start last season and I hope they continue to develop but not sure how much strength in depth they have. Did they loose any experienced players last season?

Also don't right woff Hitchin A - you never know who is in thier squad and with thier recruitment there could be a few more faces familiar with Prem lacrosse.

[tea leaf]

shud be a gd fun season anyone no wen it all starts?

[J-Lo]

I fancy revising my predictions:

Croydon
Hitchin A
Cambridge
Blues Tooz
EG 2
London Uni
Brighton
East Coast (people keep leaving Norwich for some odd reason)
Herts Commets
Buckhurst Hill

[Lee]

Brighton have lost 2 players from last season but hope to be as competitive as possible in what looks a very good league. The boys will be raring to go after plenty of hard work in early term time to insure the team is full of running again. Can't wait for the season to start.

[qwertyd]

I must say thanks guys for the votes for top spot i am sure they have a very good D to go with them young players what are the names of these guys ??