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Double header this weekend.
Winter may not be coming, but the deadline certainly did and the locals of the realm were getting restless. Morning coffee in hand, and yet, no weekly preview. But fear not, order has been restored, the King in the North has returned, quill sharpened ready to bring word of this weekend’s battles.
A double header awaits, two games, twice the battles, twice the glory (or excuses) and twice the opportunity for everyone to gather round and talk about how good they are long into the night.
Cambridge: (Wanneroo (H) and Yanchep (A)
Cambridge welcome the Roo Boys on Saturday afternoon hoping to protect their home fortress as they did so well last season. They battled hard last week just going down to Warwick away and they will go into this game with a certain level of confidence. Sunday brings a journey north to face the newly promoted Yanchep, who were reminded last week that the step up is more “Wall of Westeros” than garden hedge.
Two tricky tests ahead for the Knights of Cambridge – they’ll need their best on both days.
Cambridge 2-6 Wanneroo
Cambridge 2-6 Yanchep
Mount Lawley: (Morley (H) and Ellenbrook (A)
The Mounters were rampant last week, flattening the Den like Drogon at King’s Landing. Saturday they host Morley, who ride in wounded after a loss.
Sunday they march into the Valley to meet Ellenbrook, whose home walls have already shown cracks. The Mounters’ big guns are firing — and their sights are set on a perfect weekend.
Mount Lawley 8-0 Morley
Mount Lawley 7-1 Ellenbrook
Sorrento: (Warwick (H) and Wanneroo (A)
Sorrento recorded a fantastic away win last week in the Valley. Saturday they welcome Warwick, fresh off their own victory – this one should be a belter. Sunday is a heavyweight clash: 2nd vs 3rd from last season, as they fly into Roo territory for early bragging rights. I think Sorrento will win at home but get beaten away and finish even steven for the weekend.
Sorrento 7-1 Warwick
Sorrento 2-6 Wanneroo
Ellenbrook: (Quinns (A) and Mount Lawley (H)
Ellenbrook have a tough weekend ahead as they play against two powerhouses of the division. They travel to Quinns on Saturday and will be lucky to bring home a point. Sunday morning doesn’t get much easier as they host the Mounters who will be galloping into the valley with their chests out. I think if Ellenbrook get a point, they’ll consider that a small victory.
Ellenbrook 1-7 vs Quinns
Ellenbrook 1-7 Mount Lawley
Yanchep: (Bassendean (H) and Cambridge (H)
Yanchep hopefully learned a few things last week after going down to Wanneroo away. They did record a point and they won’t be the first to get beaten in that away fixture. Time to regroup and look ahead to their two home games this weekend where I give them a good chance of getting a couple of wins. They welcome the Lions first up who were beaten at home last week. Then Sunday, the Knights of Cambridge ride north, and Yanchep will be ready.
If they show up with purpose and the locals rally behind them, they could walk away with two wins — and a few tankards raised in celebration.
Yanchep 6-2 Bassendean
Yanchep 7-1 Cambridge
Quinns: (Ellenbrook (H) and Warwick (A)
The Quinns crew made light work of Morley last week with a 20-shot win — a good start, though perhaps not yet worthy of a bard’s song. They host another side coming up from 2nd in Ellenbrook and will fancy a big win on Saturday. Sunday will be a bit trickier when they travel to the nest to take on a strong home side in Warwick. They will win on Saturday, Sunday is 50-50 but I’ll back them in with Ward still glowing from his big win last week
Quinns 7-1 Ellenbrook
Quinns 6-2 Warwick
Wanneroo: Cambridge (A) and Sorrento (H)
The Roo Boys are up and hopping after a solid home win last week. Saturday, they travel to Cambridge and will hope to get a tough away win and announce themselves as title contenders. They welcome the Swans on Sunday which will be a tightly fought contest. Wanneroo could go two from two and stake their claim as early contenders for the crown.
Wanneroo 6-2 Cambridge
Wanneroo 6-2 Sorrento
Bassendean: Yanchep (A) and Morley (H)
Bassendean were disappointing last week getting beaten at home by 50 shots – an early wake up call for them hopefully. They travel to Yanchep on Saturday and I don’t think their form will carry them to a victory there. They will rely on Sunday’s game against a Morley side who will be coming from a trip to the Mounting yard, most likely resembling a lost patrol from the Night’s watch. I expect them to go 1-1 this weekend.
Bassendean 2-6 Yanchep
Bassendean 7-1 Morley
Morley: (Mount Lawley (A) and Bassendean (A)
The Mavericks face two away fixtures this weekend, both brutal. Saturday at Mount Lawley will feel like marching into the North without a jacket.
Sunday they head to the Den, where a bruised Bassendean side will be desperate to bounce back. A rink or two might be all they can muster.
Morley 0-8 Mount Lawley
Morley 1-7 Bassendean
Warwick: (Sorrento (A) and Quinns (H)
Warwick opened their campaign with a fine home win at the Nest, but this weekend’s flight path looks rough.
Two strong opponents await — Sorrento away, then Quinns at home.I see them going 0-2 this weekend, but they should pick up some rinks and I give them an outside chance of a home win on the Sunday – I think that one could go either way. Warwick will be competitive this year, but this weekend will be tough…
Warwick 1-7 Sorrento
Warwcik 2-6 Quinns
Cambridge v Wanneroo
Cambridge
Andrew Ness, Clifford Wooldridge, David Foulsham, Peter Easom
Keith Granger, Edward Leahy, Garry Hawkes, Geoffrey Jones
Shonah Buckley, Phillip McShane, Mark James, Stuart Lofthouse
Robert Gauntlett, Nicholas Parker, David Sladen, Neil Bolton INS: Wooldridge OUTS: Phillips
Wanneroo
Leslie Bryson, Noel Davey, Martin Nievelstein, David Triffitt
Glen Jack, Robert Burns, Kyle Rayner, Kingsley Toster
Neil Williams, Gareth Hughes, Derek Griffin, David Anderson
Gregory Sarich, Harold Whitman, Eckhard Widermanski, Pieter Geus INS: Burns OUTS: Binnie
Mount Lawley v Morley
Mount Lawley
John Fielding, Ian Watt, Laurence Kelly, Andrew Jones
Denham Delmore, Mark Glasson, Keith Scott, Enda Munnelly
Janice Miles, Mick Palumbo, Stephen Connell, Michael Erceg
Peter Callison, Lisa Bowden, David Morris, Carmelo Lenzo INS: Scott, Bowden OUTS: Loftus, Cottier
Sorrento
Gary Bayne, Stanley Lindsay Baker, Ian Linford, Timothy Murray
Robert Jeffs, Alan Walton, Ronald Rogers, Lance Martin
Gerald Hanna, Pauline Bourne, Ricky Hutchinson, Richard Bone
Philip Potts, Lily Leach, Brad Wicks, David Dunstan INS: No change OUTS:
Warwick
Wayne Wyatt, Andrew Dixon, Keith Willett, Raymond Loran
Dean Herbert, Stuart Hutchinson, Clive Boyle, Geoffrey Hinge
Andrew Howitt, Colin Shier, Graeme Smith, Sean Wright
Heath Berryman, Bernie McNamara, Allan Hornby, Ivan Sparrowhawk INS: Herbert, Shier OUTS: Fraser, Yabuka
Ellenbrook
Glenn McGill, Boyd Eynon, Graham Falconer, Robert Ball
Leigh Farrow, Ray Kosovich, Josef Rollnik, Michael L Ryan
Hamish Hellyer, Mark Boyd, Philip Moore, Michael Lovett
Malcolm Nicol, Brian Kapitzke, David Hammon, Aaron Cole INS: McGill, Kosovich, Hammon OUTS: Debarro, Currie, Ryan
Yanchep v Bassendean
Yanchep
Chris Roe, Tamara Arnold, Damian Deegan, Callum Arnold
Wayne Evans, Stephen Hyde, Anthony Passeretto, Daniel Hartzer
Russell Drury, John O'Brien, Michael Tomasso, Patrick Daley
Leon Smith, Mark Jones, David Hitchman, Chris Street INS: Tomasso, Deegan OUTS: Morfitt, Cank
Bassendean
Saffronne Alden, Nolan Hall, Wayne Davidson, John Holman
Gregory Sadler, Geoffrey Malaspina, Phillip Hutchinson, Neil Strachan
Norman Kirkup, Shane Colegate, Joel Hitchcock, Butch Dinnison
Nick Pleasance, David Snelgar, Grant Stokes, Jovan Krstic INS: Krstic OUTS: Chaney