We are now into the last two rounds of club rugby before the finals. Palmyra have been the surprise packet, Wests have dropped their standards, Nedlands have been competitive and Associates have been up there, despite being bedevilled by injuries.
Let's forget the nonsense and excuses.Lesser teams such as Perth , Kalamunda and others have deluded themselves as to their prospects this year. Perth obviously believed a u- beaut coach from the land of dreams was going to solve all their problems. Kalamunda believed a mickey mouse award for u -beaut volunteers would compensate for real work in recriutment and retention of players. Wanneroo believed a magic injection of five Force players would make them invincible. Rockingham believed all they had to do was regain their lost colts from Cottesloe and be readmitted to first grade and they would be competitive. University believed a flash in the pan streak last year was not an abnormality and could be reproduced at will by relying on what they had, and Cottesloe-well who knows what Cottesloe thought, maybe they should have appointed mentors for all their players, not only those who threatened to leave.
Wests, having poached everything that moves ( have you heard of their outrageous arrangement with Aranmore College and what they did to Southern lions/ Leeming/Fremantle/ Murdoch or whatever they call themselves this week- colts?) have run out of ideas and have relied on whining to the Union about how disadvantaged they are by everything any other club does that is honest and sucsessful.
Nedlands desperation to win at all costs has been demonstrated by their last minute recriutment of the two fat props from New Zealand- impressive but as this week showed- no cigar.
Associates are pinning their hopes on young Matty Dreyer who they recriuted from Palmyra last year with the promise of a coaching job for his dad , which job is yet to materialise.
Which leaves Palmyra, bottom in all grades last year, written off by the pundits and whose modest success so far is being treated as an abberation to be corrected by the bigger boys throwing a few dollars at it- ie buying a team.Well guess what, catch us if you can!!
