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Predictions for 10/11 - Event Date: 01 Jun 2010 - 01 Jun 2011 |
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Calendar Blue 
British and Irish Lion 
Joined: 29 Jan 2009 Location: Blues Country! Online Status: Offline Posts: 206 |
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 Calendar Event: Predictions for 10/11Posted: 31 May 2010 at 00:41 |
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Am feeling a little light-headed and optimistic... so let's get started....
I'll happily put my (internet) money where my mouth is, and say....
Bedford to finish 4th.
Come on guys....
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Dalesman
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Joined: 22 May 2007 Location: Yorkshire Dales Online Status: Offline Posts: 337 |
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Posted: 31 May 2010 at 10:41 |
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Well it's a race to finish third next season, with Bristol and Worcester and their cash in the Championship. My bet on third place is London Welsh, given the amount of money they seem to have judging on their recruitment this summer. For most clubs the aim will be to finish in the top eight only so early season good starts not too important.
For me it looks like being a season of less interest and my visits to Roth & Donny will be replaced by a new enthusiasm for the traditional values at Otley, as they so bravely survived to live another season at level 3.
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Remember Otley too........
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Robbo
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Joined: 21 Feb 2010 Online Status: Online Posts: 36 |
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Posted: 31 May 2010 at 11:03 |
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There are likely to be four seperate groups next year.
Worcester and Bristol at the top then London Welsh and Bedford battling it out for third with Pirates, Nottingham, Plymouth, Doncaster, Moseley, Rotherham, Esher fighting for the other promottion places and Birmingham on their own again.
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Rob
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CratchBees
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Joined: 15 Jul 2007 Location: New York Online Status: Offline Posts: 296 |
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Posted: 31 May 2010 at 12:15 |
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Bees to finish above Moseley!
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BeeBeeHoray
First XV squad
Joined: 26 Mar 2010 Location: Solihull Online Status: Offline Posts: 46 |
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Posted: 31 May 2010 at 12:19 |
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Bees to finish 8th! Just you wait and see haha!
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I don't know what the fuss is about; Top Cat lived in a bin for years.
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champion
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Posted: 31 May 2010 at 12:35 |
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I agree. Have a sneaking feeling bees will finish top 8, then suffer a serious sophomore slump the following season.
It will be interesting to see what sort of money Rusty will be spending in the summer, and if this will disrupt Moseley. I could imagine both of his wings moving on to pastures new. and in reality, he only had a squad sufficient for the play-offs rather than the long haul
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DW40
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Joined: 30 May 2010 Location: Nottingham Online Status: Offline Posts: 29 |
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Posted: 31 May 2010 at 13:07 |
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With the return of Bester i expect Rotheram to be well back up there. Think Esher could suprise a few.
Biggest fallers may be Notts/Donny who appear to be reducing costs, Notts only have 10 confirmed players atm which as far as cost cutting goes is pretty drastic :P
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BeeBeeHoray
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Joined: 26 Mar 2010 Location: Solihull Online Status: Offline Posts: 46 |
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Posted: 31 May 2010 at 13:52 |
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I'd be understanding if they did. IMHO Both are of quality I've felt that could improve any side.
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I don't know what the fuss is about; Top Cat lived in a bin for years.
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Nottmrugbymad
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Nottingham Joined: 23 May 2007 Location: Bouvet Island Online Status: Offline Posts: 991 |
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Posted: 31 May 2010 at 15:17 |
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Notts are selling players, not cutting costs. apparently our chairman thinks it is clever. Someone tell him that in order to play rugby we need them, I know he knows nothing about the sport, but even he must have spotted the hole in his bucket. Or perhaps losing all those games at the end of the season was what he had in mind? Heading for the wet towel on the forehead, darkened room. Still feeling mildly nauseous at seeing so many of "our" players walking the turf at Twickers on Saturday after the game with their real club. Still at least he hasn't found a way to sell DR players yet.
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DW40
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Joined: 30 May 2010 Location: Nottingham Online Status: Offline Posts: 29 |
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Posted: 31 May 2010 at 15:47 |
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Fair point i suppose unlike many clubs Notts arent letting dead weight go but in many cases their best players. Surely this should free some funds up. As Exeter have proved the best way to challege for promotion is to keep a settled squad over a period of time, which is what Notts used to pride themselves on. However with so many duel reg players it always gonna be tough to gel.
Lots of championship quality players off contract atm though such as Neil Starling, Mark Ireland, Bevon Armintage not to mention the numerous fringe/surplus premiership academy players about.
Also as Donny have proved with the aquisition of a tongan international from the lower leagues there is plenty of talent about that wouldnt cost the earth.
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champion
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Posted: 31 May 2010 at 15:53 |
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DW40 - that a player has been playing at ND1 doesn't mean that they will be free - there are some serious salaries sloshing around in ND1 and don't let anyone tell you otherwise
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DW40
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Posted: 31 May 2010 at 16:10 |
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Im sure most wouldnt be free and that other things other than just salary would have to be considered, but for every London Scottish there is Manchester...
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Exeforever
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Posted: 31 May 2010 at 17:58 |
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LW were pretty adjacent this year, I wouldn't bet against them making it to the play off final next season given that Bris seem to have the out door open rather than the in door. That said I can't see LW having the firepower to down Worcester. Wuss, Welsh, Bedford, Bris as the top 4 with Pirates clear in 5th and a blanket covering the rest on the strength of the declared squads and apparent budgets to date. Purely on gut feeling I suspect that Esher and Roth will do rather better than expected and Donny and Notts will do rather worse. Bees for the drop based purely on economics not spirit. I shall watch with interest and a degree of trepidation about rejoining you all
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Bluesman11
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Posted: 31 May 2010 at 18:33 |
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My Prediction:
1. Worcester - Top comfortably with an immediate return to Prem. May stay undefeated
2. LW - Competing with Bris for final spot
3. Bristol - Higher if they can keep the majority of squad, but I feel they will lose their best players
4. Bedford - Competing with Pirates for semi spot
5. Pirates - Comfortably top 8, with a fairly large cushion before the other contenders
6. Rotherham - With Bester back and some good signings announced, expect them to be the most improved team and make top 8
7. Nottingham - Could be higher depending on DRs
8. Esher - Expect them to surprise a few people and could even squeeze into top 8
9. Moseley - Hardest team for me to predict as very little squad news announced, so could be higher or lower. Mulldowny is a big loss
10. Plymouth - Will grind out some wins over winter but I don't think will make top 8 with their money troubles
11. Doncaster - Slashed budget, key players gone, would be surprised if Donny can make top 8.
12. Bees - May not win a game and bankers for relegation... surely? But you never know what Rusty can pull out of his hat!
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redski
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Posted: 31 May 2010 at 19:24 |
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plymouth have only lost three players. the other 12 starting players that beat nearly everyone will remain and be a better group next season. so if that puts us 10th then the league will be much stronger.
my bet is worcester to go up ang london welsh to go down after they go into administration and the rfu enforce it.
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Your just not thinking 4th dimensionally. Once you hit 88 those indian's won't even be there.
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rotherhamtillidie
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Posted: 31 May 2010 at 23:02 |
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I'm not going to make any predictions for 3-4 weeks. Most teams have only announced around half of their squads for next season and I think some might have financial difficultly over the summer months. I still cannot believe there have been ZERO rumours about Birmingham players, I havent heard or read anything, players like Hunt must be targeted by other clubs?!
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Calendar Blue
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Posted: 31 May 2010 at 23:59 |
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Oh goody, look what I started!
Am (in some ways) in agreement with the idea that Roth & Esher could surprise a few. One of our good guys is off to Roth, and Esher should never have gone down anyway, so this could be a very interesting season!
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Clem
First XV squad
Joined: 09 Sep 2009 Location: Erdington Online Status: Offline Posts: 58 |
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Posted: 01 Jun 2010 at 09:27 |
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I suspect Mose will struggle next year,a great shame but unless things radically change i think we risk being overtaken by Bees. I also suspect, however, that Esher will crash and burn. The standard of Rugby in the Chmapionship is now far higher than it was when they were last in the league and it will take them a few months to adjust by then will be well adrift. My hopes for next season are:
Survival in Championship Work to start on the new stand Mose to find some backs who can tackle. |
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I am the Walrus, I am the Eggman!
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Exeforever
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Posted: 01 Jun 2010 at 10:15 |
Albion were the only side to beat Exeter on aggregate in the League, perhaps it's a question of motivation at Brickfields!!
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stadium
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Joined: 27 Jan 2010 Location: uk Online Status: Offline Posts: 69 |
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Posted: 01 Jun 2010 at 12:15 |
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The Dark Horses will be the PIRATES. They surprised the punters by winning the B&I CUP this season.Next seasons team a lot more stronger with a large number of new signings.
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BillesleyNomad
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Moseley Joined: 05 Jun 2007 Location: Derbyshire Online Status: Offline Posts: 735 |
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Posted: 01 Jun 2010 at 12:18 |
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I think the top end will be much as people have suggested - although what's happened to LW's commitment to align spending with income? If they are going to get realistic about money I'd have to put them down as mid table club based on gates etc.
Beyond that I think there are just too many variables to comment with any certainty. Have Bees got a significant new source of income? If not they will presumable have to either return to part time rugby or go bust again. As noted above - interesting that no news has surfaced regarding players.
Moseley have yet to announce anything about the squad. The stated aim was to retain the majority from last season and "strengthen key areas". With some good summer signings we may be able to live a little more comfortably next season but I still have some doubts over the cause of the inconsistency being purely a player centred problem.
Will the second bite of the cherry be as sweet for Bester at Rotherham? The man seems to have legendary status in South Yorks, but how many legends replicate their legendary deeds a second time round?
What will the implictaions of cost cutting measures be? We know Donny are scaling back, Albion had well reported problems, are there any others making downward adjustments quietly that may show in thinned out squads as the season wears on?
What will Esher bring to the party? Only been out for a season so should'nt have lost too much sense of what's needed and if the structure remains the same can afford to feel their way in and pull off the great escape in the play-offs.
And that leads to the last big question: How will league structure effect coaches' planning? will we see some sides being a liitle cynical in their approach to the main season? If so could skew things a little. lets imagine 2-3 "safe" top 8 sides decide to take it easy around Christmas to safe guard fitness while, say Mosely, determined to avoid "poolC" at all costs go hell for leather at the regular season. It has the potential to develop some fo the chatacteristics of formula one with re-fuelling stops!
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'To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is.' Proverbs 15:23
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Greendoc
First XV regular
Joined: 25 Sep 2009 Location: Solihull Online Status: Offline Posts: 95 |
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Posted: 01 Jun 2010 at 14:29 |
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Bees board a little quiet re players - bit frustrating for the fans as well. We should at least start this next season in a lot better spirit with a more stable squad than last season, and it seems that the move to the Moors has been sanctioned. Will be interesting to see if moving almost out of Solihull and towards Birmingham will have any effect on crowds - hopefully a positie one! Facilities better, car parking for a start! Would be surprised if Hunty moves away - but we do have 3 players in New Zealand at the moment? coming back at all. I am sure much is going on behind the scenes, and now the Sevens are out of the way Rusty just has his new infant to distract him!
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ayepod
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Joined: 12 Jan 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 100 |
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Posted: 01 Jun 2010 at 15:11 |
By this do you mean the Bees will be playing at Solihull Moors FC next year? Interesting if so, not as public-transport friendly as Sharmans, but as you say better facilities. Would this be the Bees renting use of Damson Park, or becoming co-tenants and sharing the costs of running/upgrading said facilities.
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BeeBeeHoray
First XV squad
Joined: 26 Mar 2010 Location: Solihull Online Status: Offline Posts: 46 |
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Posted: 01 Jun 2010 at 16:14 |
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From what I've gathered we are co-tenants at Damson Parkway. I believe its understandable that we haven't heard anything regarding players; Rusty's only just back from seven's (maybe he's been talking to some top 7's players? Heres to hoping), this whole business plan thing with the RFU, and the move to Damson park/parkway (whatever it's known as).
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I don't know what the fuss is about; Top Cat lived in a bin for years.
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Tupper
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Posted: 01 Jun 2010 at 16:49 |
When did they say that? All the announcements so far (Brentford stadium, Ospreys etc) suggest a full on push for the Premiership.
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Quickdraw Mgraw
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Joined: 08 Jun 2007 Location: Argentina Online Status: Offline Posts: 352 |
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Posted: 01 Jun 2010 at 18:23 |
Greendoc, I hope whoever you recruit has a better sense of direction than your good self! Moving 2.5 miles to further EAST I think you'll find the city you are approaching is Coventry!  |
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Dagfish
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Posted: 01 Jun 2010 at 18:27 |
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Greendoc's geography is fine. The new ground is much closer to the boundary between Solihull & Birmingham than the current one.
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Quickdraw Mgraw
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Posted: 01 Jun 2010 at 18:33 |
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Spin it all you like, you'll still be 2.5 miles further away from most of the population. Closer to the airport though, for all those international visitors.
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SABees
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Posted: 01 Jun 2010 at 20:05 |
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And just up the A45 for all those Cov boys who are going to do a mass exodus
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rotherhamtillidie
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Posted: 01 Jun 2010 at 20:42 |
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london welsh http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icarus
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