Neptune, the Budweiser Superleague champions, will not begin the defence of their title until the second programme of matches tomorrow week. The IBA agreed to defer their fixture with Tralee because of the Kerry club's late decision to remain in the National League after an earlier decision to withdraw from the campaign.
Thinking that their opening fixture had been cancelled, Neptune allowed their home venue to be booked for another activity tomorrow night so they could not be deemed to be at fault for the unavailability of the venue. The match has been rescheduled for January 9th, 1998.
Two of the teams favoured to prosper in Neptune's absence this weekend are Star of the Sea and Delta Notre Dame who have difficult opening away fixtures tomorrow evening.
League runners-up Star, winners of the post-season Top Four last March, are away to Ballina. Tha Mayo club spent last season in the lower division and will have a point to prove on their home court in Killala. Ballina look like being without Deora Marsh (back injury) and may have to call on Liam McHale just a week after his All-Ireland football final disappointment with Mayo.
Ballina have signed two Americans, Chris Doyal and Jason Bloome, and Italian Igor Bongeovanne, who is 6ft 8ins. Star have their fine acquisition from last season, John Leahy, back from the USA, while they also have a new American, Chuck Guitar. However, Karl Donnelly has returned to Dublin where he will link up with his old club St Vincent's.
The cup holders, Delta, have player coach Anthony Jenkins back again along with naturalised Irishman, Lennie McMillan, and new American signing, Paul Hodges from South Carolina. In addition, they have signed former Irish international Damien Sealy, who played with Killester in recent seasons, and Spaniard Enrique Anare, who is a student at DCU. Delta make the journey south to last season's cup semi-finalists, St Paul's, Killarney, who have brought in two rookie Americans, Derek Thomkins, a 6ft 2in guard/ forward from Virginia, and 6ft 8ins forward/centre, Steve Polonski from Michigan.
Killester, who host the Dublin derby with UCD-Marian tomorrow in Clontarf, have two new signings in the well-travelled Mike Trimmer and Canadian Andy Wilmot. Trimmer, who stands at 6ft 8ins, has played in Switzerland, Sweden and Portugal, while Wilmot arrives after a spell in South Africa.
Marian will be considerably bolstered by the acquisition of Irish squad member Neville Charles and they have retained their reliable American, Kevin Ellery. They have also signed 6ft 11in American, Mike Amos, who played in Australia last year and they have a new American coach in Matt Boyle from California.
St Vincent's open their campaign on Sunday at home to newly promoted Dungannon. The Dublin club have signed one Category. Two foreign player as yet, Lamont Duckett, from Alabama A and M University. Duckett played in Switzerland last season, while Irish passport holder, Dave Conlon, a 6ft 6ins forward, arrives from New York.
Dungannon, who have strengthened their Irish bench with the signing of Gary Connolly from Star of the Sea and Paul Rigby from Annadale, have two new foreign signings, Alcinder Baller and Todd McNeil.
In the new ESB-sponsored women's Superleague, the three-in-a-row champions, Wildcats, begin their defence at home to recently promoted Killester in Waterford on Sunday, while Meteors are at home to Limerick.
Tolka Rovers, who open their season with an away match in Castleisland, have lost Rachel Kelly, who was their best player last season Kelly has gone to England while another of their players, Sharon Kelly, will miss the first half of the season.
