APRIL 13, 2008
FINALS
Well the pennant season has almost finally reached conclusion and last years winner, the Doubleview PowerHouse take on last years runners up the Osborne Park Saints in what will be a fiercely contested second semi-final
Cambridge have returned to the bigtime after a previous season of disappointment to play in this first semi-final while the Victoria Park Reds who were promoted from One White have done a great job to make it to play in this cut throat first semi.
----Harold Christensen plays a great lead role
Harold Christensen is a highly regarded leader for Cambridge has had a pretty good season. Harold is quietly confident that the form the Knights have displayed thru the season will stand the club in good stead for the finals.
-----------FINALS 12/13 th APRIL 2008
----------------SECOND SEMI-FINAL
D/VIEW POWERHOUSE v OSBORNE Pk SAINTS
J.Slavich(sk)K.McILroy,D. Slavich, C. Tunstall
D.Katunarich(sk),P Buller,R Dempsey, A. Delaporte
J. Sharp (sk),L. Thorn, R. Barns, M. Mitchell
R. Ball (sk), B. Urquhart J. Bausor, C. Slavich
---------------------Versus
G. Caffell (sk), D. Rankin, G. Nicol,J. Coleman
J. Jaworski(sk) G. Evans, , F. DiGuiseppe, P. Ker
D. Trewhella (sk), P. Caffell, D. Guelfi, G. King
J. Goddard (sk) I. Payne B. Galloway, D. Appleton
-Charley Slavich gun leader for the PowerHouse
Charley Slavich has been a very good leader over a long period of time and thrives on big game atmosphere, will play an important role for his club over the weekend
Now it is showtime where we see if the planning and recruitment by both sides will bring a premiership to either of these two powerful clubs.
The Saints bought in James Jaworski, Peter Ker and
David Rankin and Daniel Guelfi.
For the PowerHouse they bought in Jon Sharp, Roger Barns and Cameron Tunstall
In anyones language that is a powerful addition to both line ups.
Over the season the PowerHouse have been THE side to beat and many sides found that a hard chore, the exceptions being Cambridge and Cockburn who each won both home and away games,
----Pat Caffell really stretches out in this shot
Pat Caffell has played three for Daniel Trewhella and major part in the success of the rink that is the best performed rink in the Premier League this season
Osborne Park have also done what they have had to and have been terrific of late, we did say at one stage last years combination would beat this years combination citing the chemistry of last season was not the same. If it has improved we will know by next Sunday evening, form of late is hard to fault.
Gary Caffell led rinks have not had the same impact as last season but still have a healthy 10/7 + 67.
The big improver has been the rink of Daniel Trewhella which will be the main thrust as is the rink of John Goddard who has stats of 12/5 + 91
New skip James Jaworski has done well since taking over the reigns and calling the shots. However The pressure is now on for the rink to step up a notch, they have a 5/4 + 5 aggregate.
For the Powerhouse there has been none better than the rink of Dennis Katunarich who has very good stats at 10/5/1 + 96, while John Slavich has a good stats 10/5/2/ + 44.
Alan Eddy medallist Jon Sharp who was in brilliant touch during the sides series
has 10/7 + 43.
The PowerHouse are as ready as they can be but recent form of a couple of rinks does suggest they are very vulnerable with the Doubleview rink of John Slavich losing their last 3 games 18/19, 12/23 and 13/28.
Bruce Urquhart didn't have Robbie Ball in his rink in their last game and have lost 3 of their last four games.
Some late news is Robbie Ball will take over from Bruce Urquhart to call the shots. This is a very sensible move for the big games ahead
Osborne Park have lost both home and away games to the PowerHouse this season so psychologically the Powerhouse would have reason to feel good about their chances
With recent outstanding form I do feel that the bookmakers would make Osborne Park favourites to win this Second semi-final but as we know that with these 2 super sides anything can happen.
6/2
----------------FIRST SEMI-FINAL
CAMBRIDGE KNIGHTS v VICTORIA PARK REDS
T.Smallacombe (sk) N. Lewis,W. Maher, B. Kiely
The Jones Boy (sk) T. Walsh, N. Bolton, R. Bolton.
R. Stockton (sk), C. Lander,G. Kane, H. Christensen
B. Katunarich (sk), A. Heal ,M. McGann,C. McKenna
-------------------------versus
G. Wishart(sk), T. Mitchell, D. Florence , G. Hiskens
R. Hughes (sk), R. Gilbert, J. Finlay, Long
R. Butler (sk), K. Beaglehole, S.Knott.G. Faulkner
J. Mitchell (sk), C. McNeil, J. Finlay, D. Patterson
Cambridge have had one major recruit and it would be fair to say the The Jones Boy has been the recruit of the year in the Premier League. He has made a difference to Cambridge, of course he can't do it all by himself as he often says and gives his team mates all the credits
The big change for the Knights has been the great form this season of Trystan Smallacombe and his rink who have turned around the ordinary season they had in 06/7. This is a top class rink full of skill and hard workers and will be hard to toss
I think Cambridge would be happy with the position of making the final four but unhappy they didn't get the valuable double chance second place.
They only have themselves to blame for that after the loss to Vic Park Reds where they won on three rinks and then got smashed the following day by Osborne Park in what could be a near record margin between the two clubs.
Well I guess from here on it is a matter of pick your self up dust yourself off and start all over again.
Victoria Park recruited heavily and major recruits to the club have been Russell Hughes, Rhett Butler, Shane Knott, Rick Gilbert Daniel Patterson, they are the reason for their re-emergence as a force in the Premier League
Victoria Park would be delighted with their performance to make the final four on their return to the Premier League. A position they certainly deserve. However I don't think the Reds have quite the depth they need to win the Grand final and their last two games have seen just 2 rink wins for their efforts.
Their skips are all great players, I say that by including Jeff Mitchell who played a fine game at Cambridge where he was continually under the pump in losing game and The Cockburn boys in the follow on game passed on that he was very good again in a losing rink in their game.
One of the surprises of this season is the stat sheet of Russell Hughes who has 8/9 + 14. I cannot ever remember seeing these type of figures for a side led by him, however Russell Hughes only has to produce the form he displayed in the Sides Series and his rink would take the point for the game you would think.
Rooster Wishart has a tough hard to beat rink that will not be easy to put away, The stats for this rink are pretty good after a change of personell and a bad start to the season.
The King of Swing Rhett Butler is in charge of the top rink at Victoria Park.
The stat sheet shows a healthy 11/5/1 + 41.. The rink played a huge role in the Reds victory over the Knights a couple of games ago and will once again be hard to put away. The shot play of this rink is outstanding and plays a big part of their game plan
----Rooster has a perfect delivery in this shot
Rooster Wishart has been an important player for the Reds, having a very good season getting the most from his players to help the Reds make the finals in their return to the Premier League
Victoria Park have had the wood over the Cambridge Knights in the two home and away games played this season. The first a great come from behind victory (40 shots) and a last bowl of the game win provided by Russell Hughes to win the second game
Overall form throughout the season says the Cambridge knights will reverse their losing trend against the Victoria Park Reds
6/2
