Poll
Question:
Who will be the 2015 Asian Premiers?
Option 1: Beijing Thunder
votes: 4
Option 2: New Delhi Tigers
votes: 3
Option 3: Seoul Magpies
votes: 2
Option 4: Tokyo Samurai
votes: 2
The Contenders
Beijing Thunder
Finished: 2nd, 4th, 2nd
Record: 4-5
Comment: Apart from an attrocious 2013 (0-3, 85%), the Thunder have been very competitive in this Cup, Runners-Up twice on percentage, but never tasting glory. Can they win it this year? With an improving list, they are in the mix.
New Delhi Tigers
Finished: 1st, 1st, 4th
Record: 6-3
Comment: Managed to win the comp in 2012 despite scoring the least points of all, and managed to go back-to-back despite scoring the 2nd least the following year! But luck ran out and finished dead last. Have clearly scored the least points over the 3 year history, but are the most successful team! Think will struggle a bit this year, but this competition is very close, so I'm not ruling out.
Seoul Magpies
Finished: 4th, 2nd, 3rd
Record: 4-5
Comment: The Magpies are the opposite of the New Delhi - scored the most points in 2012, finished last. Most points again the following year, and runners-up, while where middle of the range last year. Feel Boom or Bust for Seoul, and a lot relies on its midfield to get them through games.
Tokyo Samurai
Finished: 3rd, 3rd, 1st
Record: 4-5
Comment: Samurai deserving winners last year, having scored the most points. Will be right in the mix again, and the defending champions won't want to get let this go.
Fixture
R Team 1 W v Team 2 L Ground
13 Beijing Thunder 2 v Seoul Magpies 1 Beijing Olympic Park
14 Beijing Thunder 1 v Tokyo Samurai 2 Beijing Olympic Park
14 Seoul Magpies 0 v New Delhi Tigers 3 Seoul World Cup Stadium
15 Tokyo Samurai 0 v Seoul Magpies 3 Tokyo Olympic Stadium
16 Tokyo Samurai 2 v New Delhi Tigers 1 Neutral, TIO Stadium
17 New Delhi Tigers 2 v Beijing Thunder 1 Tata Stadium
All 4 teams are in the same grouping, meaning the Cup will be played out across the last 5 rounds of the year!
Prediction
This is a particulary hard one to choose. Feel any team can beat any other on its day.
1st - Beijing, An upset, to taste glory for the first time
2nd - Seoul, More heartbreak
3rd - Tokyo, a slip or 2
4th - New Delhi, Tigers used all luck
History
2012
Position Name Score Scored Against Wins Loses Percentage
1 New Delhi Tigers 385 374 2 1 102.94
2 Beijing Bears 414 427 2 1 96.96
3 Tokyo Samurai 421 413 1 2 101.94
4 Seoul Magpies 423 429 1 2 98.60
A bizarre ladder, with the lowest scoring team at top, and the highest scoring team at the bottom! The New Delhi Tigers take out the Premiership, with the Seoul Magpies not being able to win a trick. Beijing also miss out despite being the only team to make the finals.
2013
Position Name Score Scored Against Wins Loses Percentage
1 New Delhi Tigers 372 363 3 0 102.48
2 Seoul Magpies 410 356 2 1 115.17
3 Tokyo Samurai 378 389 1 2 97.17
4 Beijing Thunder 312 364 0 3 85.71
And New Delhi win back-to-back Asian premierships, again with Seoul the unlucky high scoring team. No team from Asia made the finals this year.
2014
Asia Name Score Scored Against Wins Losses Percentage
1 Tokyo Samurai 407 348 2 1 116.95
2 Beijing Thunder 369 376 2 1 98.14
3 Seoul Magpies 388 386 1 2 100.52
4 New Delhi Tigers 334 388 1 2 86.08
New Delhi era of Asian dominance over! Slipping to last, with Tokyo clearly the strongest team for the year.
NDT! :o
Quite a close group this one! Think the cup could be anyones, would be good to get some silverware in Beijing at last though ;)
Quote from: Toga on December 19, 2014, 02:17:25 PM
Quite a close group this one! Think the cup could be anyones, would be good to get some silverware in Beijing at last though ;)
Beijing are the only Asian team to have ever made the finals, not silverware, but bragging rights at least.
I think Beijing might get up.
Seoul is cursed :o
Quote from: kilbluff1985 on December 19, 2014, 02:32:25 PM
Seoul is cursed :o
Yep. When I was coach of them, we were playing New Delhi... cruising to victory, and then 3 Brisbane Lions players scored over 500 points between them - they all happened to be on New Delhi - including a flowering 170 from Daniel flowering Merrett. I mean what the hell!
Quote from: ossie85 on December 19, 2014, 03:03:34 PM
Quote from: kilbluff1985 on December 19, 2014, 02:32:25 PM
Seoul is cursed :o
Yep. When I was coach of them, we were playing New Delhi... cruising to victory, and then 3 Brisbane Lions players scored over 500 points between them - they all happened to be on New Delhi - including a flowering 170 from Daniel flowering Merrett. I mean what the hell!
Lions like devouring magpies ;)