1st - Osborne Park

The Saints are so team focussed and getting everything they can out of a game, fiercely competitive and strong across all areas. Losing Sean Mawdsley who was developing nicely creates a dillemma with the 4th skipper, not sure yet who it will be but the same 3 as last year represent great talent and they will be hard to beat again home or away, as they showed last year by winning 15 in a row. They will be burning about losing the GF when they had all the momentum of the season and they will be looking to go one further this year.

IN: E Martin, P Potts
OUT: S Mawdsley

2nd - Doubleview

Last years winners look really strong again this year. Thye are a team that look strong during the year but when finals come around they grow another leg. Despite losing Dave Rankin to Kardinya, they have replaced him with a part time Daniel Trewhella and John Slavich who returns to the View and I'm sure the team will be wanting to win one for Chevy. Probably the only team for mine with 4 skippers of upper level quality, they are my tip to win the flag again this year

IN: J Barry, J Slavich, D Trewhella
OUT: D Rankin, B Willesee

3rd - South Perth

Have recruited brilliantly in the off season with one of the best skippers around in Justin Opie, he complements them nicely and they will be the club rising with a bullet this year. The loss of Danny Penman hurts but with Opie, Beau Manton, Dave Downey, Mitch Cranswick and Tom Reid to already go with the Sth Perth regulars, it promises to be a hard to beat team both home and away. How they click will be interesting and it might take a week or three for them find their mojo, but when they do they it will be impressive

IN: J Opie, B Manton, D Downey, M Cranswick, T Reid
OUT: D Penman, R Bresland (maybe)

4th - Kardinya

My last tip for the finals this year is Kardinya, with Dave Rankin and Daniel Brown coming in for the season, they look to have their skippers sorted, added in to that mix Kevin McKay Dinko Golem and Paul Davies, it shapes as a well rounded team with strength in all lines. It might be the first time they can be equally competitive away, as well as capitalising on their home ground advantage. They will be pushing fr a flag for sure.

IN: D Brown, D Rankin, K McKay, D Golem, P Davies, J Rochford
OUT: P Brotherston

5th - Manning

A club that has been so strong in recent years and some may think I'm mad to include them out of the finals race this year especially when they still have State Squad people like Tom Mitchell, Shane Knott, Anthony Williams, Dale Marsland but this might be the first time their depth will be tested when we see their departures. Matt Mitchell is a huge loss, but also people like Withers, Tiller, Biggs, Ayres are very good players which I don't think they will cover. Their class skippers will carry a lot of the load this year

IN: L Such, S Patterson, S Collins, P Kelly
OUT: M Mitchell, M Ayres, S Withers, R Tiller, M Biggs

6th - Bassendean

My club and we have recruited well and very bullish about our season ahead. We haven't got the stars like the above 5 sides, outside of Blake Nairn who is an obvious talent, but the remaining squad are all solid bowlers. David Rhodes and Andy Elmer improve our backend and with junior state side member Marcus Simpson getting a go first game, it's a bit of a watch and see for Bassendean. The first 5 weeks will dictate how the season shapes, win more than 50% and the club is right up their in finals calculation, less than 50% and it may again be a year knocking on the door of finals without getting there

IN: J Krstic, M Simpson, A Elmer, D Rhodes
OUT: E Martin, J Opie, B Manton

7th - Cambridge

Someone has to finish 7th I suppose, but picking Cambridge here doesn't mean they won't make finals, it's still a quality outfit and will be hard to beat. The only reason I have picked them a bit lower is the quality of bowler not there this year. The sad passing of Daniel Patterson, the departure of Jon Sharp, the unavailability if Pieter Harris means they need to find 3 skippers which I'm sure they will, but it pushes depth to the limit and a bit like Manning, a lot will rest on those 4 bowlers and support from the rest of the team

IN:
OUT: J Sharp, D Patterson, P Harris, J Barry

8th - Sorrento

The first of our promoted teams and I reckon they will be the ones that hold ground this year. The departure of Brad Ball hurts a lot as does Steve Rixom going back east but the influx of Morley bowlers will balance that out. The club itself is massive and probably has the most pennant teams from any Metro club, so they have plenty of resources to draw upon. The wind will play a part and not many PL players would have played there in recent years, but if they can hold and keep the club on the slow build look for them to be stronger next year.

IN: R Butler, A Barron, B Gunson, L Oldham, M Burton, M Hulbert, I Linford, M Browne
OUT: B Ball, S Rixom

9th - Warnbro

I know Warnbro celebrated long and hard after achieving promotion in to the Premier League but they look to have a long hard road ahead. What will save them is their new indoor facility, early on in the cold it has been a very quick surface which may find some teams out, but I see them struggling away from home and some sides will be too strong for them even at home. They will certainly be competitive and may look back at the season and pick out a couple of games that could have gone their way and they could have retained their spot, but they will enjoy the year and the experience

IN: D Tinley, A Cowie
OUT:

10th - Morley

I think Morley will be on everyones list to sit at 10th, the off field dramas has taken their toll on the player personnel but their aim is to rebuild the club off the field and then they can re-group and push again for the Premier League in a couple of years. It has the potential of being a 0-18 year, what will likely happen now is they will win Round 1!

IN: S Aungier
OUT: H Lim, R Butler, S Bainbridge, A Provost, M Browne, G Armstrong, J Berecz, A Barron, W Neilson x 2, L Spinks, B Gunson

Well here we are what a great off season it has been and well done to Bowls WA and all the clubs who held some great off-season carnivals and Saturday off season fours and pairs games to ensure we could all get a game in when the sun was out. Below is my Ladder prediction for the 18/19 1 Blue pennants season. Always a little hard to gaze into the crystal ball and get it all right but I have given it a crack. All the very best to all the sides this season and If you would like to complete a report on your sides performance each week that would be great just forward to Bowls 360 and we will include. Also please send your sides line up each week to Bowls 360 by Wednesday or Thursday latest and we will publish with the review each week.

1. Kalamunda – Never in 1 Blue for to long history tells us they will be a force in this division.
2. Bassendean – Much more depth than when they were last in 1 Blue – Expect big things
3. South Perth – Will push for promotion this year again great recruits makes the 1 blue side very strong
4. Mundaring – Always tough in this comp especially at home.
5. Swan – No losses so they should be more than competitive once again and would expect to hold onto their 1 blue for another season.
6. Doubleview – Should hold onto 1 blue again
7. Wanneroo – Just scraped in last year should be strong enough to hold once again
8. Rossmoyne 2 – Not too sure about their chances in 1 blue but have some very good players and will be there about.
9. Cambridge – Seem to struggle a bit when promoted into 1 blue in seasons past will be trying to change that.
10. Yokine – Have great greens and are like Cambridge they just seem to struggle for a bit of consistency in the 1 blue division.