Hard to pick a winner in four-horse title race
SOME significant transfers and a number of established names unavailable look set to make for an unpredictable start to the new Premier League season.
Slightly later than initially planned, action in the four-team local top-tier kicks off tonight as Resolution IT face Nerine Thunder at the Grammar School.
The second match sees Nerine Blaze face the Guernsey Men but, as ever, the men’s matches do not count towards the final league standings.
Blaze will therefore officially get their 12-match campaign under way next week, while reigning champions Nerine Titans follow suit in a fortnight’s time.
The consensus across the quartet is that it will be a wide-open title race, with all bar Thunder having had title-winning experience in recent years.
Arguably the most new-look side are the defending champions Titans, who have made the notable signings of Carrie Bacon and Panthers player Charlotte Hill.
They offset the losses of Emilie Batiste and Shelley Jager to pregnancy, although the former could return to play some time over the winter.
Laura Bygraves is also soon to leave the island in what will be a blow, but captain Donna Brehaut is expecting to be fit in time for the opening game as she recovers from a broken toe.
She is one of several experienced players in the ranks, with Steph Batiste, Lorna Hall and Kerri Brown all still of Titans persuasion this season.
‘Bringing in Charlotte and Carrie gives us some really strong and extra centre court options and we have a good squad with several talented youngsters in our lower league teams,’ said Brehaut.
More in Tuesday's Guernsey Press.
