Howrah and Bay launch season

THE Bowls Tasmania South season starts today with Thursday Women’s Pennant and Saturday Pennant begins on Friday night with Howrah playing Sandy Bay under lights at the Howrah Indoor Centre.

Howrah and Sandy Bay have lost players from last season. John McKibben, Tony Bennett, Dale Maundrill, Grant McCormack and Wayne Pidgeon have all transferred from Howrah to Rosny Park and Michael Seymour has moved to Scamander.

Shane Peck has moved to Brighton, Brad and Josh Mabb are having a season off and Bob Bye is looking after Division 3. But Sandy Bay has secured Darren Beattie and junior Lucas Howell from Buckingham.

Playing on the indoor surface under lights, Howrah may have enough home knowledge to narrowly defeat Sandy Bay.

Brighton is hosting Dover RSL. Brighton has recruited strongly with Mark Gale from Ballina, NSW, Josh Tyrrell from Beltana, Craig Triffitt from New Norfolk, Shane Peck from Sandy Bay and Amity Booth from Buckingham all moving to Brighton.

Dover has recruited Robert Drake from Geeveston and Nadine Seabourne from Sandy Bay but has lost Rodney Kennedy to Franklin and Anthony Rowe to Kingborough. Brighton is expected to win.

Reigning Premier Division premier Kingborough will play Buckingham. Kingborough has been strengthened with the addition of Taelyn Male who is back from Essendon in Victoria, Dave McLean from New Norfolk and Jack Butler from Glenorchy Rodman.

Buckingham has recruited Craig Coad from North Hobart but has lost Amity Booth to Brighton and Beattie and Howell to Sandy Bay. It is difficult to see Buckingham troubling Kingborough, which will be at home on its indoor centre.

New Norfolk is at home to Rosny Park. New Norfolk has lost McLean and Jason Williams to Kingborough, Triffitt to Brighton, Wayne Clark who has retired and will also be without Lyn Triffitt and Barry Bone for its first game. Rosny Park will be strengthened with the return of McKibben and McCormack from Howrah, the recruitment of Dale Maundrill from Howrah, Chris Elwell from Beltana and Michael Rankin from North Hobart and should start the season on a high with a good away win over New Norfolk.

Beltana hosts Glenorchy Rodman. Beltana has lost Tyrell to Brighton, Elwell to Rosny Park, Paul Williamson to Leopold, Victoria, Ross Wakefield to Sorell and Scott Summers to Trevallyn.

Rodman has lost Butler to Kingborough and Winter to New Norfolk, but it should be too strong for Beltana.