Can anyone stop the mighty TWP? Well, yes, they can!
The early running in the season was set by the Survivors but a "no-show" proved costly for them. "Maybe next weekend" is a great motto, but not when it comes to winning championships! TWP, meanwhile, gained strength and pulled away from the pack mid-season but nearing the end of the season, Tits for Hands have emerged as the real deal, belying their rather dubios name (have you noticed, it never appears in the papers like that?). All three teams can win it this weekend and with big prizes up for grabs, it could get tasty.
Critical issues? For the Survivors, it will be staying cool under pressure. They have rarely finished a tournament with all the toys still in the pram and with refereeing getting higher quality and more strict, this could be the time to eradicate that weakness. T4H meanwhile have to weather the departure of Brad Dowson, the skipper who has shaped this team through the season. And how about TWP....will they have playmaker Wade Broderick back? He is rumoured to have selected himself for the Shanghai gig late November so this should be just the job to shed the rust following a shoulder reconstruction.
Amongst the also-rans, there is still room for someone to cause an upset or two. Yonsei/Princes could, finally, progress beyond the semis and Waegook have been progressing steadily but the early session on the bus up to Seoul normally puts paid to any serious challenge they might mount. My contacts tell me the Frogs are on fire now, so Jamwon could see some grenouille grille this weekend. And will the Exiles respond to a return to their home track? Without chefmeister Schenk, it is hard to see but with star performers being passed over for the trip to China, they will have a serious point to prove. Perhaps the big question is, will they ever recover the loss of Duncan Cole? The Stormers also flirted with greatness on their own turf (read "sand") but faded later in the tournament...could they hold it together this time? And last but not least, is this the time for Sisters to get one over on the boys? The crowd would love to see it happen....and strange things do happen in Seoul....like we'll be playing on a dedicated grass pitch for starters.
Good luck one and all, 10:30 at Jamwon on Saturday November 8 and the first match touches off at 11:00. Festivities should end approx 3:30pm. Come on down and bring the friends, family, dog etc etc
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