tadley

Dominican Republic played well in their opener, pushing Turkey to a final set. However, Brazil are a tad stronger than Turkey, and although it may not be straightforward, they should do enough.

Canada were strong favourites against Germany but went down 3-1. They now meet a stronger side in the USA. USA are ranked 6 in the world and brushed aside Ukraine with ease. I don't see them slipping up.

Poland gives us a clue to how this may turn out, as both sides have played them. Belgium were involved in a ding-dong match, losing a close final set. Whereas Czech Republic lost 3-0.

Seven of the last eight meetings between the pair have gone over 53.5. You have to go back to 2015 to find the last time it went under when the Hurricanes were at home. The Hurricanes were easily the highest-scoring side during the regular season, so this line looks achievable.

Storm have been a difficult team to trust this season, but they have been better of late, winning 3 of their last 4. They were particularly impressive last week in defence, allowing the Roosters just 4 points. Knights are doing a lot better than expected and come into this having won their last 4. However, the last three wins were over the bottom three, and Storm look a step up on that.

I see this being a close scrap with tries at a minimum. Raiders put in arguably their strongest performance of the season last time when beating the Cowboys. They frequently shut down the Cowboys and restricted them to just 12 points. I can see them doing the same to Roosters, who managed just 4 points last week and looked rather toothless.

Serbia had a solid 3-0 win over Thailand in their one game, but that's what you would have expected. Poland have won both games and look a pretty solid side. I'd give them the edge.

8.00 looks too big to ignore. The pair met at the World Championship last December, with Clayton winning 4-2. That doesn't tell the whole story, though. Clayton won just one more leg than Harrysson, and his average was just 1.3 points better. This tournament is hardly a priority for Clayton, whilst Harrysson would love a good run at the Nordic Masters.

Bears have lost all four games. They were bowled out for just 74 in their opener but have steadily gotten better and posted 208 last time, though they failed to defend it. I'm convinced the North group is the weakest group, so this is a step down in class for the Bears. Notts' bowling has looked iffy, so I can see the Bears teeing off and getting a very sizeable total.

There's a pattern beginning to develop when North Group sides play sides outside their group. There have been three such matches, with the North side losing all three. Most worrying is that the leaders of the North group, Yorkshire, were battered at home by Gloucester. Admittedly it's a small sample size so far, but it does appear that the North group is significantly weaker. Sussex have lost 3 of their 4 games, but they look a good batting side. If, as I suspect, this is a step down in class, they should win.

With unforgiving rough and wind forecast, being able to drive accurately will be essential this weekend. Gouveia has been striking the ball well, ranking 18th for driving accuracy. He comes into this with a fine second in Austria last time, and if he carries that form forward he should figure this weekend.

Adam Scott has 15 PGA Tour wins to his name, and although the last was in 2020, it's not that his form has been poor lately. He has a couple of top-4 finishes. His approach play is one of the best, being second on tour in strokes gained: approach and top for approaches from over 100 yds. I think he figures this weekend.

Chris Gotterup hasn't played since the PGA Championship, so should be nicely rested for this. He was a solid 10th there, but his chances were ruined with a poor opening round of 72. He is certainly capable of winning, as he already has the Phoenix and Sony Open titles in the bag this year. At 50-1, he looks an interesting bet.

England clearly have the best players, with the two Lukes occupying the top two places in the rankings. It didn't do them any good last year when they were dumped out by Germany 9-4. Netherlands have the world number three and four in the form of Van Veen and Van Gerwen. They make a formidable team and look far better value at 8.00

Clare won in 2024, but last year it didn't go well. Severe injury problems probably took their toll. They look in better shape this time and can certainly mix it with the best.

Lancashire underperformed, finishing 5th despite having a strong squad. They've really impressed with signings over the winter, enrolling quality players at this level, so I see them doing a lot better than 5th.

Warwickshire finished down in 5th last season but were hampered by drawing nine games, the most in the league. They've strengthened their squad and look capable of a better performance this season.

Verstappen kept himself in the title race last season despite clearly not having the best car. That speaks volumes about his skill, which should see him once again go well this season. Despite him slamming the new regulation, it should be to his benefit as he has the skills to master the new designs. The Red Bull has looked very promising in practice, so I rate him as the most likely winner.