Talk about a crazy week! Everything happened! We had
postponements, conference champions crowned (Ed: technically not crowned...), people sipping on haterade,
numerous teams on last week’s poll losing quite convincingly, two of the oddest
postponements that I’ve ever heard of, basically, everything happened! The best
part of all of this is that we’ve still got a couple of weeks left in the
regular season! I don’t think I can take this much excitement...I’m going for a
nap while you enjoy (or loath) the list.
1. Birmingham Lions
(7-0)
The Lions remain at the top spot by the tightest of margins
despite not playing a game last weekend. Birmingham will return to action this
weekend when they take on the Loughborough this weekend. Not only will
their number one spot in this poll be on the line, but the victor of this game
will also take home the MAC title and will most likely earn a bye week in the
post season. Big game indeed!
Next game – @
Loughborough – 17th February
2. Hertfordshire
Hurricanes (7-0)
It say’s the Hurricanes are number two, but if I’m honest, I
could’ve easily put them at the number one spot after their 38-0 victory over
the Pirates last weekend to lock up a playoff spot (Ed: or from day one). Maybe it’s because I’m so
used to the ‘Canes posting a 50 burger that I was actually shocked when they
didn’t reach the half century last weekend. With Kent next up on the board, and
the SEC title on the line, I won’t be surprised if Herts have an extra
incentive to post more than 50 this weekend.
Next game – vs. Kent
Falcons – 17th February
3. Loughborough (7-0)
Loughborough remain in the number three spot following their
24-7 victory over the NTU Renegades. Still undefeated, the Aces now play host
to the Birmingham Lions in their biggest game of the regular season. Not only
is a playoff bye and the MAC title on the line, but momentum for the post
season and the possibility of avoiding a long trip up to Scotland are also at
stake in this huge game.
Next game – vs.
Birmingham Lions – 17th February
4. Derby Braves (7-0)
Life must be good for the Braves. The number four seed in
the writers’ poll, the number four seed in this poll, and a conference title to
go in the trophy cabinet. Not bad, not bad at all. Things can get even better
this weekend should they overcome the UCLan Rams and finish with their first
unbeaten record in team history!
Next game – vs. UCLan
Rams – 17th February
5. Hull Sharks (6-0)
Talking about conference champions...Ladies and gentlemen,
your new NEC champions are now the number five team on the RP Poll for a number
of reasons, mainly the fact that Sheffield lost and Stirling haven’t been in
action for quite some time. With a place in the post season locked up, and the
conference title in the bag, the new aim for the Sharks is to end the regular
season undefeated!
Next game – vs.
Sunderland Spartans – 17th February
6. Stirling Clansmen
(4-0)
I’m starting to feel sorry for the Clansmen now. After
playing four games in the first five weeks of the season, the Clansmen have
been well and truly mugged off by the weather as all of their games since week
four have ended up being postponed. With the season supposedly ending in 10
days (24th Feb), Stirling may find that a number of their fixtures
end up being awarded as a tie which isn’t a good thing when the playoff seedings
are being finalised.
Next game – vs. UWS
Pyros – 17th February
7. Bath Killer Bees
(5-0)
Another team to fall victim to the weather was the Killer Bees
who had to postpone their game against the Cardiff Cobras. With ten days until
the end of the season and three games to play, it’s looking like the Killer
Bees may face a tough battle to win their first SWAC title in team history.
Should the team manage to end the season undefeated, they’ll be safe in the
knowledge that they’ll earn a first round bye in the southern half of the post
season due to all of the TVC teams having at least one loss to their name.
Next game – @ Bristol
Barracuda – 17th February
8. Southampton Stags
(6-1)
Southampton move back to the top spot in the TVC following
their victory over local rivals Solent and Brighton’s defeat against BNU. With
four teams in the TVC currently sitting with one loss to their record, the
Stags will be hoping they can overcome the Destroyers this weekend before the
Tsunami defeat Kingston next weekend to give the Stags their second consecutive
TVC title.
Next game – vs.
Portsmouth Destroyers – 17th February
9. UWE Bullets (5-1)
A 26-6 Varsity victory over Bristol Barracuda means the
Bullets remain hot on the heels of the Killer Bees in the race for the SWAC
title. Unfortunately for the Bullets, with minimal games remaining on both teams’
schedules, the odds of the team retaining the SWAC title for another season are
starting to look slim. All the Bullets can do now is win their remaining games
and hope that one of their conference rivals can do them a huge favour by
handing Bath a couple of losses.
Next game –@ Plymouth
Blitz – 17th February
10. Sheffield Sabres
(6-1)
A one score loss to Derby in the BNWC title game sees the
Sabres drop down to the number ten spot this week. Whilst their title hopes may
be over, all isn’t lost for the Sabres as they can still finish the season 7-1
which would most likely see the team competing in the championship playoffs.
All they need to do is beat the Fury this weekend and then hope other results
go their way!
Next game – @ LJM Fury
– 17th February
11. Kent Falcons
(4-0)
Another team who are yet to play a game in 2013, but still
remain in our top 15 is the Kent Falcons. Hopefully, that stat will change this
weekend when the team are scheduled to take on the formidable force that is the
Hertfordshire Hurricanes in what is basically the conference championship game.
This time last year, the Falcons forfeited on the ‘Canes, let’s hope they don’t
do it again.
Next game – @ Kent
Falcons – 17th February
12. Kingston Cougars
(5-1)
I decided to look over the Cougars schedule and to my amazement the combined record for all the teams on the Cougars schedule
is currently 20-24 (45.45 win percentage). For now, I’m going to go with my
original opinion that the Cougars are indeed a good team with plenty of
potential for the future, but I will be watching their next two games over
tougher opposition to see if they’re as good as their record suggests. I
believe they are.
Next game – @ OBU
Panthers – 17th February
13. Glasgow Tigers
(5-1)
Are the Tigers really the number 13 team in the country? In
my opinion...no. However, while the team have risen due to teams above and
around them losing last weekend, the Tigers also see themselves rising up the
poll after their 39-7 victory over Edinburgh extended their win streak to five
games and guaranteed the number two spot in the Saltire Conference this season
(Glasgow have the head to head over the Predators and Pyros).
Next game – vs. Napier
Knights – 17th February
14. Warwick Wolves
(4-1)
Like it was mentioned on the Powerless Rankings, the whole
referee/pitch fiasco between Warwick and Wolverhampton won’t be discussed as there
are two different sides to the story. We’ll all just have to wait and see what
the league say. Personally, I’d go with an 11 vs. 11 rock, paper, scissors
battle or a delightful game of murderball.
Next game – @
Nottingham Outlaws – 17th February
15. Portsmouth
Destroyers (3-1)
I think it’s safe to say that it’s unlikely that the
Destroyers will complete all of their remaining fixtures before the 24th
of February. If that is the case, the Destroyers may end up missing out on
playoff football after numerous trips to the post season in the past few years.
Next game – @
Southampton Stags – 17th February
16. UEA Pirates (4-1)
The unbeaten run is finally over for the Pirates as they
fell to conference rivals Hertfordshire. Despite this loss, the season isn’t
over for the Pirates who still have Cambridge and Kent left on their schedule.
Victories over these two teams and a victory in their re-arranged game against
Essex would give the Pirates a 7-1 record and most likely a spot in the
championship playoffs.
Next game – vs.
Cambridge Pythons – 17th February
17. Manchester Tyrants
(5-2)
‘Just keep winning, just keep winning.’ That must be the
motto for the Tyrants as they continue their onward march towards post season
football. This weekend, the Tyrants will travel to Bangor to take on the
MudDogs in their final game of the regular season. I doubt many involved in
last year’s 2-6 team thought they’d be in this position when the season began.
Next game – @ Bangor
MudDogs – 17th February
18. Cambridge Pythons
(4-1)
#TeamPHD continued their surprising march to the playoffs
with an 18-7 victory over the Canterbury Chargers over the weekend. While this
run is somewhat surprising and provides a nice change from the usual teams
making the post season year in and year out, it may also be coming to an end
this weekend when #TeamPHD travel to take on the UEA Pirates.
Next game – @ UEA Pirates – 17th February
19. BNU Buccaneers
(4-2)
It’s a climb of six places for the Bucs following their two
point victory over the previously undefeated Brighton Tsunami. It was another close
one for the "kings of the wing" and for the second time this season, it was the D who saved
the day when they prevented the opposition converting a last minute two point attempt after their punter went all shanksville from their own red zone.
With seven teams still in the playoff race in the TVC, this weekend’s game
versus Solent is a must win game for BNU. It’s not like they have an added
incentive after the whole playbook scandal from last season.
Next game – vs. Solent
Redhawks – 17th February
20. NTU Renegades
(4-2)
You know what must suck? Possibly going 6-2 losing to only
Birmingham and Loughborough, finishing with the number four seed in your
conference and then not making the post season while a .500 or less team from
the Saltire Conference get to partake in the post season activities. Well,
unfortunately for NTU that may become a reality following their 24-7 loss
against Lugbug last weekend. I wonder if they’ll be hoping that the Outlaws beat
Warwick?
Next game – @
Northampton Nemesis – 17th February
21. Brighton Tsunami
(5-1)
It was a tough decision on where to place Brighton this week
following their two point loss to BNU. On one hand, they did lose by a matter
of inches, but on the other hand, after all the boasting on Twitter, Facebook,
etc, they went on to lose to a team that played the Double Wing...Ultimately, I
dropped them twelve places to the number 21 spot. Now, with two games remaining
before a possible trip to the post season, Brighton will need to stop relying
on their D to win the games for them. In the past two games vs. Southampton and
BNU, the O has managed 53 and 99 total yards respectively. Considering they’re
on course for the playoffs, that’s not the type of stats we’re expecting to see
from a 5-1 team.
Next game – @ Reading
Knights – 17th February
22. UCLan Rams (4-2)
Had it not been for the Fury – Hallam game getting
postponed, the Rams may not have made this week’s poll following their mid-week
loss to the Warriors (Hallam that is, not South Wales, Woodham or London).
Fortunately for the Rams, the game was postponed meaning that the Rams 28-14
victory over Huddersfield just snuck them into this week’s rankings. Their time
on the rankings may be short lived though as UCLan travel to take on the newly
crowned conference champions (Derby) this weekend.
Next game – @ Derby
Braves – 17th February
23. Swansea Titans
(3-3)
When discussing the ranking of Swansea with a fellow DC
member, they said that the 50 burgers over Worcester and Bath Spa shouldn’t be
considered, but the one over Plymouth is impressive. I find it funny that if a
power house team posts a 50 burger, they’re a team who are on fire this season.
However, when a not so power house team posts a 50 burger, it’s because they’re
playing weak opponents...I think that’s nonsense and Swansea have entered this
week’s poll due to their impressive run of form of late! It’ll be interesting
to see how they do against the Exeter Demons this weekend though...
Next game – vs. Exeter
Demons – 17th February
24. Aberystwyth Tarannau
(3-1)
This time last year, everyone was moaning that Northampton
may make the post season due to their ridiculously easy schedule. Well, this
season, Aber have beaten Worcester, Bath Spa and Cardiff (combined 1-14 record)
and have an outside shot of making the post season, yet, I don’t hear/see
anyone moaning about their schedule. Maybe it’s because they still have to
play Gloucester, UWE, Bristol and Swansea who have a combined schedule of 15-6.
Next game vs.
Gloucester Gladiators – 17th February
25. Plymouth Blitz
(4-2)
You know it’s a bad week of results for the teams who were
on last week’s poll when a team who lost by four scores can survive the cut for
another week! Following their 28 point loss to the Swansea Titans, the Blitz
now face the UWE Bullets in a must win game this weekend. Should the Blitz end
up losing, their playoff dreams are done and dusted until the 2013/14 season.
Next game – vs. UWE
Bullets – 17th February
Oh, I've just realised it's Valentines Day! Here's a picture you lovable rogues.
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