So, How Do You Rate Their Chances? - Division 1 - Our Brief Take on This Weekend's Grand Finals

Having spoken to Aroai Alu and Vagi Boga, Ombudsmans captain and vice captain and Works' coach Ati Rawali and playing president Davera Guru, the outlook for Division 1 is just as hard to pick as the premier division.   Clearly you have the experienced premier division campaigner dropped from the senior division, looking to make amends and claw its way back into contention and then you have the charging young spirits that have embraced a bird of prey to be their mascot, the "Eagle".

Having dispensed with minor premiers, the Didmeri's, comfortably, both teams are confident they have each others measure.

So how then do they rate:

Division 1

"Take it as it comes". Comments that ooze confidence and perhaps rightly so, it is the Ombudsman Commission Eagle's team moto for this weekend.  They have certainly come places, climbing steadily from division 5 to now stand squarely on the parapet of an invitation into premier division in the 2010/2011 season.

(above) The Ombusdman Commission Eagle looking to fly high

high in 2010

(above) The Department of Works team - will the experience

they have serve them well in 2010

Works on the other hand have to deal with the indigence of being relegated to division 1 after a poor showing in the premier division last year so it was always coach Ati Rawali's and captain Veroka Buruka's intention to restore their status as a premier division outfit.  Their journey this year has been one of clearing all before them but it has not always gone as planned having to fight their way from 2nd position on the ladder to earn the right to be in the grand final.  Ati is very conscious however, that the Eagles have quite a talented group and that under Renagi Dringo stewardship, they have become a respectable "work in progress" and can only get better.  At season close the three top teams were only separated by one loss each way.

Ati has great confidence in the experience of her senior players and a very promising young pack in offense.  Captained by seasoned defender Varoka Buruka the Works attack are expected to be explosive this Saturday.  Their offensive lineup if they take the court like they did two weeks ago will include two very young and agile players in Boi Soge (17 yrs old) as Shooter and Kimberley Alex (16 yrs old) in her familiar role as GA.  Seasoned campaigner Davera Guru will problably start as WA to support the two up front while Eileen Panap will cover the mid court. Captain Varoka Buruka will most likely start off the game at WD with National U21 player Lama Lua adding balance to the team and tall Gulf keeper Kevau Oakaiva the custodian under the net.

Knowing Ati, there will be changes at the break to accommodate Rose Kupe and Miriam Vavine depending on how the game pans out.  With the added incentive of playing with new uniforms this weekend, the "new look" works team will have something to prove.

(above) Kevau Oakaiva guarding against the Didimeris 

in an earlier match this season

(above) The eagles proving too strong against NCDC

The Ombudsman team will most likely use the lineup they have successfully developed over the season with vice caption Vagi Boga leading the attack as shooter and Nina Mulina and Numa Renagi supporting her as GA and WA respectively.

Judith Saito has been an efficient centre and will no doubt start there on Saturday while the defensive trio of Hane Rumaso -WD and Alexia Luk - GD and captain, Aroai Alu keeping under the net will be working hard to box out the Works offence.  How busy they will be will be determined by how hungry the Works attack is and we are guessing they will be very hungry. Asked how they will do this weekend both Aroai and Vagi are confident that they have what it takes to bring home the prize. Vagi Boga who will be leading the Eagles attack has every faith in her front four, you can tell they are just jumping out of their skins to take the court.

This game will be hard to call because not very much separate the two teams and whether or not the exuberance of the Ombudsmen side will win over the experience that the Works team obviously enjoys depends on the game strategies coaches, Renagi Dringo and Ati Rawali employ on the day.

This is going to be another big game so all I can say is book yourselves a good spot courtside on Saturday, this will be a real slammer be ready for some real firey exchanges.  It's going to be another interesting one.  As for us, we're just wondering what the new Works uniform will look like?

The only way you'll know for sure is by being there this weekend, we can only bring you some of the details, only you can make up your mind who will win.

See you at Bisini. We'll be the ones near the hoop.