The question needs to be asked... will anyone actually be able to stop a full strength Tiger team winning the title or are we all playing for second place??

Marsh, Hooper, Malpass, Antonio, Harper, Lobb and then shower that with Stear who can stick a shot and some youngsters. Where will it be that other teams can get the edge?

I’ll tell you what it takes to beat Willetton- a combination of the following if anything:

• The girls go on holiday and aren’t here for finals (as a group- not gonna happen, although I have heard that one or two will be missing during the season).
• The play terrible, absolutely terrible and the opposition plays incredibly well (ummm... with a line up like they have, it will take 4 of the big 6 to have embarrassingly bad games in any one game- likelihood... almost as good as you and I getting invited into the change rooms of the Wildcats after a game- randomly of course, just randomly).
• The referees see only the Tigers on every foul call (no the referees are fantastic and quite sure that they aren’t colour blind! ;)).
• Or they carpool to a game and get stuck in traffic and can’t make it!

No but in all seriousness, I have heard plenty about their only loss, against East Perth. And with all due credit to the Eagles- I have heard referees, to super coach Glenn Clarke not coaching to even Melissa Marsh missing the game as reasons for why they dropped! But I’ll tell you what really makes this group tick... it was the conclusion by the girls that the loss was good for them and is a bit of a reality check! Cliche?? Yes. True? Definitely! This loaded team of talent can come away from their first loss and come up with that?? Wow!! Watch out I say...

In other buzz beats around the league...

Wanneroo have come in for some criticism of late... 3 losses on the trot and people are jumping off them! Bunbury and Suns was a great get up and should set the team back on course. It must be remembered that they did drop games without the likes of Shani Amos and the very fit-looking and in-form Sherelle Johnson. Shez has been on fire this season and is one of the reasons in my mind that the she-wolves are doing so well. Despite what it seems on the outside with half the world talking about their coach handing the whiteboard to one of his players during a time-out... nothing really comes out of it and it happens in every team. Expect them to be in the mix at the end.

Perry Lakes Hawks are another team to do extremely well so far this season. The change of coach certainly has not affected this team. Their Coach has always come across as very confident and obviously this has impacted on his players in the same way. Christine Boyd has been a revelation- I don’t even remember seeing her play when I was a junior! But my gosh that is one big woman!! I’d probably pull up on the drive if she was on split line too!

Kudos to the Rockingham Flames on getting their first win of the year. Sometimes, a team needs a little bit of luck and it was good to see them experience their first win for the year- with no disrespect to my Slammers girls. Jacinta was on –fire by the looks of the stats sheet, so that might mean yet another mention on SBL radio for her! Oh to be loved by the media!! ;).

Of the imports... some quality around the league this year with Suns’ Rush, Magic’s Dunham, Lavessa now at Slammers and the ever reliable Emma Pass. Was interesting listening to the SBL radio podcast interview with the Magic import where she said they recruited her for a whole season and want her to stay in the country... West Coast Waves in motion perhaps?? I think she’s good, and if that eventuates then good luck to her. I’m sure she would make an impact on the League.

Next edition I may look at the coaches around the league... from a player’s stand point... going to cause a stir!!