Neptune are strongly hopeful that their fifth American import of the season, Chris Harper, will slot into the squad successfully and help to bring an end to the club's worst start to a league campaign.
Neptune have had little luck with the three foreign players they have tried out so far as a partner for Harold Joiner; they have suffered five consecutive defeats, leaving them bottom of the table.
Last week, they lost narrowly to Dungannon, having travelled north without American Tye Field, who had to return home last Friday due to personal difficulties. "We've been promised the sun, moon and stars by player agents, but we've really got the runaround from some of them," said Neptune coach Mark Scannell.
Their latest recruit, Harper, a 6 ft 8 in former Swedish league player, came to Cork on Wednesday last after a tip-off from Neptune coach, Billy Mimms, now in charge of the successful British super league team, London Leopards.
"For the price of a plane journey from London to Cork, we've got a promising looking player. Even though we had been tracking someone else, if Harper works out well this weekend, he could be our man for the season," Scannell added.
Neptune's losing streak must end soon, as a team of their strength in depth is respected, if not feared, by every team in the league. Probably the best chance they have of ending their dismal sequence comes tomorrow in Kerry against another struggling team, St Paul's Killarney. To a large extent, Neptune's problems stem from a loyalty to their Irish players and also that run of bad luck with Americans. "We made a decision in the preseason not to look for a Bosman player because it would mean less playing time for our own guys. We also felt that other teams needed Bosmans to catch up with us," Scannell pointed out.
The problem now is that the sequence of poor form has already ruled the reigning league champions out of the current title race. "But we're really gearing now towards the cup and making the Top Six championship at the end of the season," Scannell concluded. Neptune's opposition in the cup quarter-final in three weeks will be Ballina, who have their own player problems following a bad ankle injury to their star American, Joseph McLean. He damaged his foot in the defeat by Killester last Saturday night and looks certain to be out for several weeks. He may struggle to be fit for the cup tie next month.
As a consequence, the Mayo men are likely to be under-strength for their home game with UCD Marian tomorrow.
League leaders, Notre Dame, will be expected to extend their winning run to seven matches when they host the 1996 champions, Tralee, in Tallaght tomorrow night, but second placed Star of the Sea may have a difficulty away to third placed Dungannon.
"It's like a local derby for us up here and it's vital for us to get back with a win after the defeat by Notre Dame last week," said Star's coach, Danny Fulton.
Dungannon have three players who left Star in the close season, and the Tyrone side has benifitted greatly from the acquisition of Trevor Smullen, Paul Rigby and Gary Connolly, who will all have point to prove to their old club. The other super league game over the weekend is the Dublin derby in Clontarf, where Killester will host north side rivals St Vincent's tomorrow.
There is also a big Dublin derby in the women's super league, as two of the sides in joint second place, Tolka and Meteors, meet in Griffith Avenue on Sunday.
Naomh Mhuire should consolidate their position just off the pace with a win over Killester in Clontarf tomorrow, while the leaders, Wildcats, should extend their 100 per cent record with a victory away to Blarney on Sunday.
