---------

October 15, 2008
WELL BOWLERS WELCOME TO ANOTHER SEASON IN ONE BLUE NORTH, I AM THE NEW WRITER FOR ONE BLUE NORTH REVIEWS, MY NAME AT THIS STAGE WILL BE "THE PHANTOM".

THERE MIGHT BE A PRIZE DURING THE SEASON IF YOU THINK YOU CAN IDENTIFY ME.

IT IS FAIR TO SAY THAT THE BLUE DIVISION WITH THE CURRENT RELEGATION SYSTEM IS VERY CUT THROAT AND THE SIDES THAT GET OF TO A GOOD START LEADING UP TO XMAS WILL BE AT AN ADVANTAGE OVER THOSE THAT LOSE MORE THAN THEY WIN IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR .

CARPET WOULD SEEM NOT TO BE AN ADVANTAGE WITH 6 CLUBS HAVING CARPET GREENS THIS YEAR ALTHOUGH AS MOST BOWLERS WOULD AGREE SOME CARPET GREENS CAN BE TRICKY AND CAN BECOME AN ADVANTAGE TO SOME CLUBS

DOUBLEVIEW ALMOST WON PROMOTION AND RETAIN PLENTY OF KEY PLAYERS SUCH AS KEN SCREECH, EDDY JOHNSON, WINTON LANGDON AND GARY NELSON TO NAME A FEW.

WANNEROO ARE THE INTERESTING TEAM IN THIS DIVISION BECAUSE THIS IS WANNEROO'S THIRD SIDE. I DON'T KNOW MUCH OF THE PLAYERS WHO WERE PROMOTED SO LETS SEE HOW THEY GO

SOUTH PERTH WHO I DONT KNOW MUCH ABOUT EITHER ARE IN THE SAME BOAT AS WANNEROO. THIS BEING THE SECOND SIDE AND THIS WILL TEST THE DEPTH OF THE CLUB.

CAMBRIDGE WHO RETURNED AFTER A YEAR IN SECOND DIVISION HAVE SOME VERY GOOD PLAYERS SUCH AS GRAHAM LEEKS AND GARY HAWKES IS ALSO THEIR SECOND SIDE AND SOME OF THE PLAYERS COULD BE PUSHING FOR A PLACE IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE.

MUNDARING ARE A BREATH OF FRESH AIR AND A REAL SUCCESS STORY FOR THAT CLUB WHO WERE FLOUNDERING WHEN THEY CONVERTED TO CARPET A FEW YEARS AGO NOW THEYARE BACK ON TRACK WE COULD SEE THEM A FORCE IN THIS COMP

BASSENDEAN WHO WERE VERY UNLUCKY LAST YEAR HAVE RETAINED AND RECRUITED WELL AND I WOULD BE VERY SURPRISED NOT TO SEE THEM AT THE TOP OF THE TABLE WITH PLAYERS SUCH AS JUSTIN OPIE, CRAIG GREENHALGH , STEVE BLACK, MARCEL HEURER, JAME DAVIES AND A HOST OF OTHER WHICH WOULD JUST ABOUT MAKE THEM FAVOURITES TO WIN THE PENNANT

SORRENTO ARE ALWAYS TOUGH TO BEAT AND WITH PLAYERS LIKE IAN LINFORD, NEIL ADAMS JOHN BROWN AND JOHN HAMMOND I WONT BE AT ALL SURPRISED TO SEE THEM IN THE FOUR.AND POSSIBLY WINNING THE PENNANT

SCARBORO ARE ALWAYS HARD TO BEAT AT HOME BUT HAVE LOST ONE OF THEIR BEST PLAYERS, TIM MURRAY WHO TOOK OVER AS SKIP ALONG WITH BRIAN AXFORD WHO WAS SUCH A VALUABLE PLAYER HE HAS TRANSFERRED TO WANNEROO SO I WOULD EXPECT THINGS TO BE TOUGHER FOR THEM THIS SEASON.

WARWICK SHOULD BE A GOOD SIDE IN THIS DIVISION AND DO HAVE SOME OUTSTANDING PLAYERS ON THEIR LIST, BRIAN FRIEND IS A GREAT SKIP AND HAS THE STATS THAT MANY WOULD ONLY DREAM OF HAVING BRIAN IS A TOP CLASS PLAYER. THERE ARE OTHERS SUCH AS TOM GATES WHO IS A VERY HARD COMPETITOR AND GREAT VALUE BECAUSE OF HIS ABILTY TO PLAY ALL THE POSITIONS. JOHN MARTIN, JOHN MATHER, ALAN DOWSON, ELLIOT TAYLOR AND STEVE BENN ARE ALL VALUE PLUS PLAYERS. I EXPECT THIS TEAM TO BE WHERE ACTION IS AT THE END OF THE SEASON

BAYSWATER WOLVES HAVE BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN THEIR RECRUITING AND ARE DETERMINED TO DO WELL IN THIS DIVISION. KEVIN BEAGLEHOLE, GORDON GRAY, ANDY SIKES AND PHIL SIMMONETTI. THESE PLAYERS COMBINED WITH REGULARS LIKE KEVIN SMITH, KELLY AND COX WILL MAKE SURE IT WILL BE AN INTERESTING SEASON

ALL IN ALL IT LOOKS LIKE A GREAT COMPETITION THIS YEAR AND I LOOK FORWARD TO BRINGING YOU THE REVIEWS EACH WEEK

YOURS IN BOWLS "THE PHANTOM"