Open Triples Preview
The next part of the Open Gala Week now moves to the Triples discipline. The Men’s Triples will be played at North Launceston and the Women’s Triples will be played at Kings Meadows. My predictions over the last few days sit at 10 right and 9 wrong, so just staying above the 50% record required for a pass. It also gives lots of hope to players that I don’t pick!
Let’s start with the Men. They have 6 sections, which means that two lucky losers will advance as well.
Section 1
A strong section to start with, the four skips being Keghan Booth, Cameron Griffiths, Peter Lockhart & Josh Appleyard. For me the key to this section is not with the skips but with the front ends. The battle for me will be in the first game where Grant Allford & Luke Turner (Booth) will take on Chris Dudman & Scott Summers (Cameron Griffiths) and whoever wins this match will probably win the section. I’m going with Griffiths, mainly due to Duddy leading well all day long!
Section 2
A very open section, Christopher Norris, William Butler, Lucas Howell and Cameron Windrum being the four skips. Norris & Butler should have a great battle in their first game but I think the winner of the section will be Cameron Windrum. Jacob & Julian Brown are both quality players that should give him enough bowls in the head to try and change things when necessary.
Section 3
Some interesting combinations here with the four skips being Greg Douce, Scott Stagg, Adam Gurr & Mark Nitz. Douce’s combination is unknown at this stage, so I’ll have to go with the Nitz trio of Taelyn Male & Robert McMullen. Male & McMullen played in the final of the Mixed Pairs yesterday and will now join forces after both proving to be in great form at this stage.
Section 4
The great unknown with not much else apart from the skips known in this section apart from the Sandy Bay trio Stewart Cashion, Keith Hinkley & Paul McCann. McCann is joined by Michael Taylor, Robert Pyke & Brad Johns. Tough to pick with limited information but I’ll go with Robert Pyke to take the section just over Michael Taylor.
Section 5
Easily the toughest section; Aaron Page, Michael Sims, David Minns & Gene Ayton the four skips to take battle. Any of the four teams could be strong enough to take the section and I think the first match of the day will help decide who wins. I think Sims & Ayton could just get over the line setting up a great second match between each other. I think I’m stalling here, so I’ll take Sims and see how this very good section plays out.
Section 6
The last section sees Shane Boden, Michael Gaffney, Robert Antel & Sam McLean line up against each other. Invermay have been doing very well in Penannt, sitting top, could Boden bring this form into the Championships? My pick is Sam McLean. Always consistent and with Rodney Horton & Eden Moore playing for him, should have the consistency to win all three games.
Women’s Triples
Five sections, giving us the section winners and three lucky losers to advance.
Section 1 – Jean Holland, Alison Venn, Lynette Triffitt & Laura Best
Venn plays with Bronwyn King and Dee Harman and looks to be the strongest on paper. You can never count out Triffitt who advanced to the Semi Final of the Mixed Pairs and Best has Ann Hinkley in the 2 spot, who also had a nice little run in the Mixed. I’ll lock in Venn as my choice.
Section 2 – Sue Ross, Rae Simpson, Bev Huett & Marie Morgan
Simpson is joined by Jean Claridge & Peri Buckley, a combination that has a great chance to not only win the section but could be a dark horse to win it all. Their biggest challenge might be from Bev Huett, but I’m thinking that this should be Simpson’s to lose.
Section 3 – Madge Strochnetter, Cheryl Fielding, Erin Moore & Jorja Maughan
I really like the look of this section and predict that we should see some close battles between the four. As to where I think the winner will come from, I think the winner between Moore & Maughan in round 1 will decide it and I’ll put forward Maughan as the team to do it.
Section 4 – Denise Tanner, Carol Bannister & Mikayla Baker
Just the three teams in this section and I think it might come down to the match between Bannister & Baker. Baker skipped very well in the Mixed Pairs but Bannister is a fierce competitor who never gives the opposition an inch. I’ll go for Baker but only just.
Section 5 – Candice Ayton, Shiron Beavis, Maxine Monson & Bec Van Asch
The obvious thing to say would be that the match between State skips Ayton & Van Asch will decide the section, but don’t write off the other two combinations just yet. It’s not often that I ignore the name Van Asch when I make a section selection, unless she isn’t playing of course! But this time I’m going to with Ayton. Her front end of Jenny Suttie and Kim Saunders have the ability to put too much pressure on the opposing teams.
Good Luck all!
David Genford