Here in preseason, some folks have had more success recruiting than others. With the next batch of new teams out, recruiting just got a lot more difficult.
So, here's my first stab at preseason power rankings based on the current rosters:
THE BIG THREE
1. The Four Horsemen - As one of the few teams in the conference with a defense on par with their offense, the Horsemen are off to a great start with humans at every starter and primary backup position.
2. Melbourne Thorny Devils - Far and away the highest levelled team in the conference, Melbourne could claim the top spot with just a few recruiting wins.
3. Tonga Thunderbirds - With the only knock on one side of the ball being a big fall back from their star receiver to #2, Tonga is a team that should scare everyone. However, their defense isn't quite as dominant as the two teams higher on this list.
LOOKING GOOD
4. Dunedin Wolverines - A solid looking offense pairs potentially the top rushing attack in the conference with an above average passing threat. Add in a quality defense that specializes in run stuffing and you've got yourself a contender. They're held back in the rankings a bit as if they can't finish recruiting soon (6 starter spots still need humans) they'll get passed up.
5. Coney Island Warriors - The offense can hang with anybody, but the defensive front seven is going to have a hard time with any of the top 6 offenses in the conference.
6. El Fuego - Rounding out the top 6, El Fuego boasts a very solid looking offense, but it is vulnerable on the interior OL. The defense is fully populated with humans, and looks stout against the run, but relies on star power and may struggle with man-to-man coverage against the top teams.
THE PACK
7. Sydney Flames - Having the best depth in the conference means these guys will get more and more dangerous as the season progresses. This team has "dark horse" written all over them. A strong interior DL should make it tough on teams that want to run up the middle.
8. Tasmania Sand Gnats - They get the #8 spot largely on the strength of their offensive skill positions. Blocking may be a problem and the CPUs on defense (especially in the secondary) need to go early in the season if they want to fulfill their potential and make a playoff run.
9. Bikini Atoll Mushroom Clouds - With very little star power, the Shrooms are going to rely on fast levelling (and solid pass coverage) to get them to the playoffs. Unless "Maverick" uses the flash-pak, of course.
10. Redscape Diplomats - Similar to the Shrooms, but without all the Wing Commander references, Redscape has a full roster of humans starting at fairly low levels. They are going to need to rely on their strong interior OL to run the ball, as it's going to take many games for their level 1 HB to start making people miss.
STILL RECRUITING
11. Mauna Kea Chenabogs - A few stars surrounded by level 1s could make this a very inconsistent team unless the GM can find some more mid-level guys fast.
12. Uluru Rockies - Obviously still working on their roster, they have a good skeleton, they just have to fill it out.
13. NMI Ramekins - An interesting strategy of filling out offensive skill players could get the Ramekins some early wins against teams that are higher ranked. They have to do something about the 9 CPU starters on defense if they hope to stay competitive as the season progresses, though.
I HOPE YOU ARE HIDING SOME PLAYERS SOMEWHERE
14. Chinese Bandits - With only 4 human players on the roster, they need to rely on the scheduling gods (or a great recruiter) to match 'em up early against teams like Sydney that have a full roster of low-level humans.
15. Cimmerian Barbarians - Like the Chinese Bandits, but two of their 4 human players are the punter and kicker.
16. Port Moresby Crocodiles - Not a single human player on the team ... maybe the owner is on vacation?
So, here's my first stab at preseason power rankings based on the current rosters:
THE BIG THREE
1. The Four Horsemen - As one of the few teams in the conference with a defense on par with their offense, the Horsemen are off to a great start with humans at every starter and primary backup position.
2. Melbourne Thorny Devils - Far and away the highest levelled team in the conference, Melbourne could claim the top spot with just a few recruiting wins.
3. Tonga Thunderbirds - With the only knock on one side of the ball being a big fall back from their star receiver to #2, Tonga is a team that should scare everyone. However, their defense isn't quite as dominant as the two teams higher on this list.
LOOKING GOOD
4. Dunedin Wolverines - A solid looking offense pairs potentially the top rushing attack in the conference with an above average passing threat. Add in a quality defense that specializes in run stuffing and you've got yourself a contender. They're held back in the rankings a bit as if they can't finish recruiting soon (6 starter spots still need humans) they'll get passed up.
5. Coney Island Warriors - The offense can hang with anybody, but the defensive front seven is going to have a hard time with any of the top 6 offenses in the conference.
6. El Fuego - Rounding out the top 6, El Fuego boasts a very solid looking offense, but it is vulnerable on the interior OL. The defense is fully populated with humans, and looks stout against the run, but relies on star power and may struggle with man-to-man coverage against the top teams.
THE PACK
7. Sydney Flames - Having the best depth in the conference means these guys will get more and more dangerous as the season progresses. This team has "dark horse" written all over them. A strong interior DL should make it tough on teams that want to run up the middle.
8. Tasmania Sand Gnats - They get the #8 spot largely on the strength of their offensive skill positions. Blocking may be a problem and the CPUs on defense (especially in the secondary) need to go early in the season if they want to fulfill their potential and make a playoff run.
9. Bikini Atoll Mushroom Clouds - With very little star power, the Shrooms are going to rely on fast levelling (and solid pass coverage) to get them to the playoffs. Unless "Maverick" uses the flash-pak, of course.
10. Redscape Diplomats - Similar to the Shrooms, but without all the Wing Commander references, Redscape has a full roster of humans starting at fairly low levels. They are going to need to rely on their strong interior OL to run the ball, as it's going to take many games for their level 1 HB to start making people miss.
STILL RECRUITING
11. Mauna Kea Chenabogs - A few stars surrounded by level 1s could make this a very inconsistent team unless the GM can find some more mid-level guys fast.
12. Uluru Rockies - Obviously still working on their roster, they have a good skeleton, they just have to fill it out.
13. NMI Ramekins - An interesting strategy of filling out offensive skill players could get the Ramekins some early wins against teams that are higher ranked. They have to do something about the 9 CPU starters on defense if they hope to stay competitive as the season progresses, though.
I HOPE YOU ARE HIDING SOME PLAYERS SOMEWHERE
14. Chinese Bandits - With only 4 human players on the roster, they need to rely on the scheduling gods (or a great recruiter) to match 'em up early against teams like Sydney that have a full roster of low-level humans.
15. Cimmerian Barbarians - Like the Chinese Bandits, but two of their 4 human players are the punter and kicker.
16. Port Moresby Crocodiles - Not a single human player on the team ... maybe the owner is on vacation?
