Since I called the Dingoes the premiership favourites after round two, they have had the bottom score in the two rounds since. So with a 100% strike rate as the kiss of death so far, it’s time for the Judge to ruin some other teams aspirations in the Champions League by making some predictions.
With three games down we are halfway through the first stage of the Champions League, and while technically that means that every team is still in with a chance, conservative statements like that aren’t going to cut it here. So group by group, how is everyone going to go?
Group A – With three teams equal on 8 wins this group may look like the most open, but its not. Without an undefeated front runner, the Charges are actually further behind than they appear. Natas have the best points for in the entire competition and so whilst I think they wont lose another game in Stage one, in reality they probably only need to win one more to make it through. What this means is the second qualifying spot will come down to the last round match between the Sons and Atoms. And with the Atoms trading some superfluous forwards for some significant improvement in their back line and midfield, I am predicting them to clinch the second qualifying position for stage 2.
Group B – Every other team in the Champions League is wishing they were in Group B. Two of the three lowest scoring Champions League team are in Group B and no team in this group would be in the top two for points for in any other group. Every team in this group is still in contention based on the fact that every other team in this group has been that bad. Having said that, the Wild Cards are undefeated, and the Guru might be able to tell us if a team who won their first three games has ever missed qualifying for Stage 2. Probably not. So history says they are going through. The Scorpions and Warriors are the lowest scoring teams in the Original and Super League respectively, which means that they didn’t do that well either in the week that Champions League had a bye. And whilst those annoying Superannuation ads say “past performance is not an indicator of future returns”, history does suggest that the Scorpions either win the whole thing or go out in the stage 1. And I’m predicting the latter. Wild Cards and Coat Hangers through.
Group C – Lets just write off the Doozers. After some terrible drafting in the PSD and some untimely injuries specifically to their forward line causing them to have rotated four different players through there already and their best forward to have only a total of 3 goal. They will get better, but not fast enough for Champions League Stage 1. Undefeated Nexus seem like a certainty to make it through, and the Titans just have too many nearly league leading stars to not lift their game. Nexus and Titans.
Group D – I called this group the group of death after round 1, and they are living up to that reputation. If all 16 teams in Champions League were ranked on points for, group D would have the teams ranked 2nd, 3rd, 4th & equal 6th. Even Natas are happy not to be in this group. Somehow the Blue Flames, who are undefeated in the Original League averaging 174 there, are sitting on the bottom of the table with no wins. If the Brawlers can lose their next three games (which is possible in a group of this standard) then I can see the Blue Flames making Stage 2 ahead of them. But then again, for the Blue Flames to pass the Brawlers they need to beat the Bucks – and because I am tipping the Bucks to finish in top of this group going undefeated for the rest of the Stage 1… Bucks and Brawlers.
So now for some long term predictions. Natas will be looking extremely good until the third game of Stage 2, when after equaling the Dingoes Original League record of 22 wins in a row they fall off a cliff after not being able to top up with anyone good in the MSD due to their strong start to the season giving them poor draft position. The Bucks, Wild Card, Brawlers and Nexus to make the semi finals. With the Bucks taking their revenge on Cameron by beating his other team in the Champions League final this year.
