Predicitions 18th October

[East Freo]

Hitchin v Spencer - Spencers first real test.
Blues v East Grinstead - LDO system to triumph over home grown talent.
Hampstead v Reading - 'nuf said.
Purley v Swansea Hawks - As above.

[jsgi]

Blues v East Grinstead - LDO system to triumph over home grown talent.

Interesting comment Mitch...
...the LDO system leads to homegrown talent.

[laxwill11]

Myself and Mandy have had some long conversations about this over the summer, as we got ready for the new season and the dilemmas that come with running two teams at Harlequins.

I think any restriction on player movement - up or down - is to the detriment of the club. I want players in the A team to know that they can move up on merit, and equally, the 1sts to know there is no such thing as 'too good for the A team'. That should mean, on occasion, dropping someone from the 1sts who missed training and performed poorly on a Saturday for someone who made training and played well in the As. That shouldnt, in my view, mean the reverse cant happen the following week if the same thing happens again - but that is prohibited by the SEMLA bye-laws, which as Mandy points out, require the guy dropped from the 1sts to play there for 3 weeks.

The idea behind the byelaw is to prevent lower teams being 'loaded'. My belief is that the only time that becomes an issue is when the 1st team does not have a game, and the A team gets loaded with 1st teamers - at the expense of regular A team players. This has obvious detrimental effects on the club, as players at the bottom end will leave and find a sport where they actually get to play and develop and the end result will be the inevitable folding of the A team.

My belief is that the issue should be left up to the conscience of clubs, without byelaws or regulation by SEMLA. I dont honestly know how the 3 match rule can be policed, without relying on the honesty of clubs (for example, if we were to introduce teamsheets signed by opposing captains - how does that opposing captain know who played the week before, or indeed if the names on the teamsheet are the real names of the players they're playing against)- in which case, lets save ourselves the paperwork and effort, and instead rely on the honesty of clubs to act in a fair and decent manner in the first place.
99% of people I've ever met in lacrosse are honest, who try to do what is in the best interests of the sport - ahead of themselves or their club. I think it would be good to reflect that in the laws that govern our game.

[blues24ianb]

Will & Mandy

I personally am in agreement with you guys and I know Andy Lowden and I chatted about it last season as well. The 3 weeks barrier is quite a large percentage of a 20 game season and doesn't always assist clubs in thier development.

SEMLA bye-laws can be altered and perhaps that's the route we should go with this - Andy and I were going to do something but never got round to it - perhaps you'll be more efficient.

[jonfast]

Prem:
Blues v East Grinstead Blues with too much firepower
Hillcroft v Welwyn Low scoring game
Hampstead v Reading Hampsters to run away with in 2nd half
Purley v Swansea Hawks if it happens it won't be an easy day for hawks!

West1
Cheltenham v Harlequins Quins strong attack to just score enough
Tridents v Portsmouth
Southampton City v Warwick
Bath v Bristol Sharks
Bristol Bombers v Exeter Could be a close one after Ex scored a few on the Quins

West 2
Cheltenham 2 v Penarth
Aberystwyth v Swansea Hawks 2
Bath 2 v UWIC The influence of Ken too great for UWIC to handle.
Harlequins A v Bristol Sharks

East1
Cambridge v Croydon
Hitchin A v Bucks
Panthers v Blues 2
East Grinstead A v Herts Comets
London v East Coast

East 2
Canterbury v Spencer 2
Imperial v Northampton
Kent v Welwyn 2
Spencer 3 v UEA

[kjk20]

Prem:
Bath 2 v UWIC The influence of Ken too great for UWIC to handle.

I'm not even playing!

[Soton_Jeds]

Prem:
Bath 2 v UWIC The influence of Ken too great for UWIC to handle.

I'm not even playing!

thats how much of an influence you are going to have on the game

[jonfast]

Prem:
Bath 2 v UWIC The influence of Ken too great for UWIC to handle.

I'm not even playing!

I was merely hoping the viscous rumours of your demise were correct...

[kiddo]

Blues v East Grinstead - LDO system to triumph over home grown talent.

Interesting comment Mitch...
...the LDO system leads to homegrown talent.

sackly greg


and because two players will win the match for us....

[EGRy]

Prem:
Blues v East Grinstead Blues with too much firepower...

We'll see.... The way i see it is either of us could beat each other and have beaten each other in the past.

It should be a really close game and hopefully enjoyable too, and if we shut Bagley down well enough, who knows!
Depends who's day it is I guess.

That of course depends on how many LDO's they have and what standard those LDO's are!

[EGRy]

Blues v East Grinstead - LDO system to triumph over home grown talent.

Interesting comment Mitch...
...the LDO system leads to homegrown talent.

sackly greg


and because two players will win the match for us....

shouldn't it be your whole team winning the game for yourselves rather than just two players?! =P

and may I ask who those two players might be? haha

[kiddo]

haha was sarcasm saying yeh their wicked players and add LOADS to the team and that, but people make it seem like theyll win the game on their own. I was just saying itll take a good TEAM effort to beat you guys, not just our ldos

[jsgi]

I'm sure you will find out on Saturday, Although I'm somewhat puzzled myself as to which two will win the game for us...

...I would say I would be one of the but I'm in France. Gutted to miss out to be honest, I have always enjoyed games against EG.

[kiddo]

no two will win the game for us hahaha forget i said anything lol

[EGRy]

lol glad we got that sorted out.. but yeah im sure they do add alot.. im expecting them to be a handful!

but still, it's always a fairly close game between us so should be good fun!!
may the best team win on the day haha
whats ur pitch like atm?!
Ry.

[jake]

West1
Cheltenham v Harlequins going to be a tough one, but recon we'll do 'em
Tridents v Portsmouth
Southampton City v Warwick
Bath v Bristol Sharks
Bristol Bombers v Exeter. Ex were looking good from the game last sat but the bombers should get the pointsWest 2
Cheltenham 2 v Penarth
Aberystwyth v Swansea Hawks 2
Bath 2 v UWIC come on Si and co!
Harlequins A v Bristol Sharks .This'll be a hard fought one, but i recon the A team boys will do it for us on home turf

[blues24ianb]

I think the EG vs Blues match will be a good game for all concerned - no doubt played hard and fast but hopefully with good spirit.

It's a game that could go either way with both teams having different styles of play and a different group of players and abilities. I think it will be within a couple of goals at the end. Either way it will be a team game played by both sides and not won or lost by closing down specific individuals.

Sorry can't be there to watch - Reffing at Univ of Kent -= atleast you're saved from that. Good luck to both teams - come on the Blues.

[Uggy21]

Prem:
Bath 2 v UWIC The influence of Ken too great for UWIC to handle.

I'm not even playing!

Thats bad news for UWIC, they could have done with you playing Ken!

[jsgi]

lol glad we got that sorted out.. but yeah im sure they do add alot.. im expecting them to be a handful!

but still, it's always a fairly close game between us so should be good fun!!
may the best team win on the day haha
whats ur pitch like atm?!
Ry.

The pitch is in pretty good nick, but we still have not been able to remove the slope yet.

[EGRy]

Good news =) and lol I guess that would be asking too much from you guys.. would be a massive job!