Season Predictions! | Time Out EP3 (2026-27)

ladies and gentlemen, happy, volleyball, super league eve. It is Friday, just before Halloween and boy, do we have some tricks and treats coming your way. It is the official time out podcast season prediction episode. My customer is Jess Smith. The episode we probably have the most fun recording, but also the one that we get to clip ourselves and make ourselves look totally genius or totally stupid. Jess, welcome back. Before we talk about preview, obviously super league eve for me, not really for you, because you're on playing duties tomorrow. So you might just about join us tomorrow evening, but what are you looking forward to seeing this weekend the most? I think I'm mostly just looking forward to actually watching some super league volleyball, because it feels like it's been so long. Well, it has been six and a half months. Yes, it's been a particularly long wait. No, it was it was a great summer and it's it's going to be exciting to see all the teams. There's a lot of new faces, a lot of new team makeups. So yeah, I think I'm just excited to see what it looks like the teams are going to shake up at as in this opening weekend. So we're going to completely do this in a different way. We're going to have more predictions than ever in the hopes of at some point being somewhere incorrect. We have to give ourselves a chance after last season. So we're going to start today's episode by just talking about some individual base type predictions. So we're not going to quite go to our champions and things like that yet. We're going to do this in a couple of different ways. Sometimes it's going to be named. Sometimes it might be teams and sometimes we'll play a little bit of a game of over under. So we're going to start with a nice easy one to coax ourselves in. Last year in the Dynamic Men's Super League, the top four kill leaders were all opposites. I'll tell you some of the covenation for the turn Nelson Maranga and Kaniyakana. The kills leader from outside was all the top with 156. So Jess Smith will an opposite lead the dynamic men's super league in kills. And if so, how many in a row are we going to get in kills before we see a different position pop up this year Clummer in April? I think that this season we're going to see an outside top of the table. Have you got a name you don't have to have what? I do not have a name. I can't know. That's no. But what I do think is it is going to be two outsides followed by an opposite? Well, I think it's going to be an outside and I'm cheating. I think I'll tell you sort of coffee is going to go back to back on kills, but I think he's going to play it outside this year. Therefore, it's an outside that is going to top the league. I don't know how it's cheating or not, but I'm going I'll come you sort of got back to back kill leaders for dynamic men's super league. Next up, last year very similar trend. The attack efficiencies were dominated by the middles the top three last year were middles and five of the top six the only one exception to the rule was the super league MVP Chloe Thomas who will definitely be missed by the dome platinum this year. So, Jess, how many middles in a row are we getting at the top of the attack efficiency leader board in the mario women's super league before we find an outside heater or set up or setter. I think it's going to be two. It's going to be two and I actually think that Haley Gilton's going to be back right at the top of that list. And that's why I'm going four middles. Oh, I think one of the new castle middles will match what Renee did last year. I agree with Haley. I think Grace, I'm going to put Grace in there and then I'm giving myself buffer for what? Don't know which what but I'm going with one. Okay. Okay. Your turn. What would you like to put it next, Jess? Well, if it was me and I'm super not biased in any way, I'm going to have to go with do we think that there is a possibility that a player, other than a libero, will top out the digs per set category. No. I thought you might go with pass, pass rating in which case the answer was still no, because obviously I was still in a league. Yes, exactly. I think I think you're wrong. I'm going to have to disagree with you. Have you got a no more you're just going to go with stuff you're going to take the field? I'm going to take the field because this is the season of shaking things up. Players are going to stop hitting towards five. They're going to do it. They're going to hit somewhere else other than five. I think the change to the push carry through a rule I think genuinely will make that different because you're not going to have as many tips into the campfire or the donut whatever you want to call it. So you're not going to have as many I had libero spectacular saves right there. Is there circle of doom? Circle doom. We'll have to say a little broadcast sometime. Oh, don't worry. Don't think I've got my Halloween jokes prepped for Saturday's broadcast. Do not worry. Have you got one more? Yeah, I can come up with one more. Why not? Who do we think team wise is going to top out with the most blogs for the season and let's go with an over under as well, over under 120? Wow, it's interesting because this opens it up to both the men's and the women's, which gives us 16 options last year for reference in my research. The Mallory Eagles men had the most blogs at 118. Teams side out had the most on the women's side with 116. So super competitive. Yep. I am going to go over and it's going to come by giant by name giant by nature. The London giants are going to be your block leaders. Come April. So giants men or giants women? Okay. Okay. I like that. I like that. I'm going to say, I'm going to agree with you. I think over is correct. I feel like we're going to have a good blocking season. I'm going to say that the Newcastle lights women are going to top out the table. Definitely. Definitely possible. I say, I think 120 is bold when I want to just dig in through in the background while you were talking. Only three teams got into triple digits last year. Those two and the Mallory Eagles women had 102. So 120 is a big number. But definitely doable. Last little one, aces. The Libero's nightmare. Last year on the men's side. In fact, combined through 14 game season, only four people had 20 or more aces. There were autonomy sort of 38. Nathan Fullerton at 20, Hajar Elewani at 27, and Kersorah at 22. All four are returning. So the question is, do we get more than five in the 20 plus ace column for the season? No. No. Definitely not. I think we're actually have fewer than the four that we've got. Are you going to stick on it or just go on the phone? Just take it easy. I'm going to say, I'm going to say three. I know it's only a reduction of one, but there looks to be a fair few Liberos out there in the field. Some of which will have played as defensive specialists over in the U.S. So I think we'll have more of a sure enough of that passing unit across most of the teams. I'm going to take the over just to be different. to you. I don't have a good feel about it. It's bad at all for a back. Kind of suggests as a chance for my and then all you need is one or two big serves. I know again thinking back to John's Trevor Lauer's got a big serve. Obviously a couple struggled with injuries last year and there's going to be someone new that's not on our radar that is going to come out and be a big serving weapon for someone. I just don't know who. So I'm going to go loser. Okay, that's fair. I'm different to you. So one of us is going to be right. Yeah. If you have given this whole spiel about wanting to be right because you're different from me and then you are actually right, I will be very annoyed just to be clear. Right. There's a few fun season predictions. Feel free to drop in the comments. Any bold season predictions you have on your of your own and let us know your thoughts and feelings. We'll definitely be reflecting on a couple of those after the weekend's action. Next up though, the difficult part of our job, yes, season predictions for the Maori women's super league and dynamic men's super league. We're going to start with the Maori women's super league. So who is your surprise team of the season, Jess Smith, for the Maori women's super league? So my sort of dark horse team this season is going to be the London Giants Women because while they haven't made a boatload of signings from outside the team, other than one notable one that we talked about, they are a team that, sorry, they're part of a club that has a rich history of development and I think we'll see them step up quite quickly to the challenge of being in the super league. I am going to go with a lion half of the nail. Yes, I'm not going to, it's probably going to tip my hand where I'm going to go in a minute for another prediction. But I think the stability and the defensive nature of this team is going to just take kind of a notch forward. I've kind of said that in both episodes we've done in this year. I think that made some really smart additions. I think Chelsea Simmons is going to be an unsung hero again in second position. They've got the experience of mashering Julia to find some pills. There is some questions but I just think back to the lion half's team of two years ago. In very mind, this was a team that very, very easily could be playing Division 1 volleyball right now. They were very close to going down in that relegation playoffs in a arguably one of the best games of the season last year against star star Darbshire. Yes. And I just look back at that roster and I compare it to this year's. I see a lot of similar tendencies. But if potentially even a slightly increased bump in talent, that therefore will set them up for where we're going next. Okay. Okay. I think that's fair. So next up, our final focus does not have to be in any order. But when we get to April in a venue that full responsibility, even me and Jess don't yet know, we don't know if there's been one agreed, but we know it's definitely not still palace. Because that's going to be a building site. Which four teams are we seeing that final four for tomorrow? Super league. This is tough. Okay. So I see where you're going now. And I'm not going there also. I think we're going to have we're going to kind of. It's a little bit of a shake up still from what you would call the classic final four, right? So in no particular order, I've got team side out, make it back after a slightly disappointing season from their perspective. Essex Rebels, Newcastle Knights returning to the final fours, and the Malar Eagles somehow squeaking their way and despite the questions that we had earlier. So I'm very similar. Newcastle Essex. I've already tipped my hand, Lion Hearts back to final four. And then I'm going to go with Malarie. This, honestly, I think in my head and we'll get onto it, I think there's a clear top two. After that, generally I'm clutching at straws of where to go. The reason I've gone Lion Hearts, I've kind of alluded to. I'm going to back Malarie's experience with the core to find a way to get it done in fresh moments and in big moments in matches, whether that's winning a four set just to edge it pretty well. I don't think they're going to be consistent enough to win three o consistently, but also when they get to the fifth set, they've got that core group that might just sneak the extra point to get over the edge. Yeah. Don't feel great about it, but that's my fault. Yeah, no one think that's fair. Fair. I will go next just so you don't always go first. And this is a double part of relegation team or relegation teams. In other words, if I was to not listen to last episode, eight plays automatically relegated. Seventh will play the loser of the two division one champions. Obviously the winner of that game goes automatically the second, the loser of the winners, the championship game in division one will get a second chance against seventh in the Super League. So you might predict only one team goes down. You might predict two. I am going to go and again, I've said how tight I think it is. I'm going to predict that the University of Nottingham go down. And reasonably, I just think this is maybe a bit of a rebuild year for Nottingham. And we talk about that cycle of university experience. And I feel like there are more in a rebuild slash solid year than a push year. And I think the year you get into the Super League needs to be a push year, making the step up. And I think they will be super competitive. I think they're going to win a couple of games, but I think it's going to take them a while to get a win on the board. And that chasing mentality will just leave them a little short. And they will be in eighth and relegated. Interesting. Interesting. What says you? I have a similar thought path, but a different team in mind. I think that it's going to be Durham to get relegated this year. Wow, from champions to eight. Yeah, it's same sort of same sort of idea here. It feels like it's really a rebuild year for this team. And that coupled with the fact that they were champions last year. And we will be talking about it, especially at opening weekend as that extra layer of pressure on top to a team that's, you know, not nearly as deep as they were last season. I mean, last season, they could have fielded to completely different squads if we had opening weekend in this way. They could have had one squad on the Saturday and one on the Sunday, completely different players, super fresh. So I think from my perspective, it's going to be that huge mountain to climb. There's massive she used to fill. And just the fact that, you know, from the way that the recruitment has turned out, that they just don't have the same, you know, depth and level of squad that they had last season. So if someone goes down, someone needs to come up. Who is getting promoted? And yes, I know this is a little more difficult because you're playing in the vision will not again this season. Yep. I actually have a very clear answer from the women's perspective. I think it'll be Cambridge this year. Yeah, so I know that Levy has done a lot of recruitment, obviously from a book's perspective. Cambridge ARU is going to be quite strong this year. But he's been doing a lot to shore up the team and trying to push for promotion in the season. So yeah, I think we'll see them play really well and make it all the way. I have exactly the same team in mind. I have Cambridge ARU as well. I have to start the season with two convincing wins both in straight sets. They drop 96 points across those six sets. I'm actually super excited because I get to see them tomorrow in person because they are coming to my new place of work at the University of Birmingham before a national trophy box game. That's the second tier of volleyball in the cup in the UK. So I get to see them in person. I don't know how much of a game I'll get to see because it's not a fact you get to sit in physically. watch a lot on the Wednesday, part of my parts of the job. But I definitely want to just see how this team's ticking. And I think, ultimately, again, if I look back at the depth of London, teams are going to be battling for players. And I think that means when we get to the version 1 playoff, that that north team is going to be in a bit of a stronger position there at all. We'll be the ones that win that game. And I don't necessarily think. And again, a little bit biased, a little bit of handicap that we've already seen a few results in Division 1 north and south. I'm immediately off the opening bat. No one looks clear, cut favourites in the south. Team South Wales, obviously, the only team that are undefeated that are played, drop just one set in their opening two games. Essex Trinity yet to play, so we have got caveat, but there's just no one that jumps out as able to potentially be a seventh place Super League team right now. So that's again, why have any gone one up? Yeah, yeah, I agree. I feel like and again, so not biased here. I feel like the Division 1 north women's side is a little bit more competitive, a little stronger than the Division 1 South this season. Well, we've predicted the final four. Yes, we've got one more prediction to do. Come April. And this is not regular season. This is the gold medal game. Who is going to be lifting the championship trophy in April? Okay, I wrote this down earlier and I'm just going to stick with it because I don't know, I have a feeling. For me, somehow, and I don't know how right the second, but it's going to be Maori. Okay. And maybe this this heart's back to, you know, you've you've mentioned the experience and the core of that team and they really do have like that so strong, solid group right at the middle of them. I think they can do it. I don't know, I still don't know who all their players are from roster perspective, but I just I have a feeling, okay, it's going to happen. Okay, as I said, I for me, I've got a feeling there might be a separation of the top two. So I think the final is going to be Newcastle S6 and I think that's going to be a box final as well. And I'm going to give the total to the S6 levels. And the thing that for me separates them right now is big game experience. They've now been to a couple of finals. They will have gone to a couple of finals building into that into that final four. And you look up, if you're relying on someone in a big game, they've got a couple of players that we know. As long as they're fit, I'm going to be able to make a massive impact in the final. And having that core group through the middle, having the lights of Haley Guildfiller and Sydney Morland, who I think is going to be a really good addition. I think that gives them the small list edge over Newcastle. I don't feel great about it. I would not be surprised if it's a five set final. But I'm going to go with Alex Chinnery and the S6 levels. Nice. Should we move on to the men's? Yes. We'll run it back in exactly the same order. So who is going to be the surprise of the dynamic men's super league season? Yes. So for me, I think just with the signings that they've got and really trying to pull in some super league experience, it's going to have to be SX Blaze. Anything to anything apart from good signings with super league experience? Or you're just giving a short sweep. Look, I'll add one more thing just to bring a rid of levity to this. They've cracked Oregon points. That's all I need. Yeah, I don't disagree. I think this is an SX Blaze team that has a chance to make final fall. I will reveal shortly if I've got them in. I'm not going to be as prescriptive. There's just something for me that they've got that super league experience. That is going to set them on the right for early in the year. I think the key, as we've found last year, is that strong start. We look at a couple of teams like notting about setting quite a quite upsetting London Janssen opening day. Things like that on that early pre-point, especially this year with six points available in opening weekend, paying a mind, you can only score 52 in the season. No, 42 in the season. Clives. 14 times 3, 42. If you can suddenly get four points for opening weekend, like suddenly potentially the number to stay up is 10 to 12. Like you're thirded away there already. Yeah, and I think I might be a struggle, but I like the match up on Sunday and I think, yeah, I think that's where I will go. Final four. I will bat off first this time. Okay. And I think it's going to be very similar to last season. I think you're going to see the London Janssen. You are going to see the University of Newcastle nights. I think you're going to see the Mallory Eagles. And I think my fourth team is a return to the final four for the SXB Rebels. Kind of one of those, I need to see one of those top three struggle before I take them out of the final four, very well, and they've made it the last two years. And I think the experience, the SX have added, and again, notting them, they're being in a potential slight rebuild yet. I still think notting them, I've got a lot of talent, but I think SX is going to be able to at least challenge the side of a couple of years ago. Over to you. Well, three of my four are the same as yours. So that's a good start, I think. So I've also got Giants, Newcastle, and Mallory. I think you're right about the three of them. It's unlikely to see them struggle along and not quite make it. However, I've gone with the other SX team as our fourth, because in my mind, I could see fourth and fifth place between the two SX squads, just being like neck and neck. So it's kind of a toss up, but I've put blaze in mind. So I'm going to go with it. We'll see how we get on. More than fair. Next up, which team or teams will unfortunately lose their status as a dynamic men's super league side for 27, 28? By the way, that's and I'm so scared to say. I know. That's for you. Okay, I feel so old now. Thank you. I have two actually. So you think there's going to be two teams coming up? Is this what you're predicting? Yeah. Love it. I think that Newcastle staffs will struggle the season and they're likely to get relegated. It's not ideal for a team that just come up, but we do. It happens in pretty much every sport you get promoted and you get immediately relegated. It's really common. I've watched a little bit of them last season, and I think if they play the same style of volleyball that they did the last year, they're going to struggle against some of the quicker offenses in the super league. So I think that's going to be the thing that have to figure out how to get around. The other team that I have, and maybe they don't get relegated, maybe they make it through on that playoff match, but it's going to be tight. I think I sort of agree with you about unique notes. I think it's revealed here that they're going to struggle. They might pull it to them. Okay. I agree. I think the playoff game on the men's side is going to be fascinating. I'm going to go with only one relegation. Okay. I'm going to say it's going to be richment. Again, I don't feel good about it, but they've nearly got relegated the last two seasons. And at least again, I might change this after opening weekend, but I just don't know where to kills and consistent attack efficiencies coming from. I just think they've lost a lot of weapons on the outside over the last year. Yes, their middles are strong but we've never seen middles dominate in the men's side. They've had effects on games with championships, big games have never been won by men's middles. Maybe that changes this year but I just don't know if they get consistent enough kills across the course of the season to pick up points. Like I can see staffs notting them blaze the non-four. Getting to fifth sets being scrappy picking up points. I can see Richmond winning sets. I don't know often they win two sets or three sets to win to get that tie break and sometimes those extra points or two points when you pick up a win or two along the way is what separates it and I just don't know if they've got that inconsistent enough spells and therefore unfortunately will not be in the super league next year. Interesting, very interesting. And as we said four teams two go down. We need teams to come up. So Jess Smith, you have two champions to make a division one north and a division one south. Who are your two champions and I will not make you say who won in the playoffs because they're both going up anyway. Okay, I'm going to say Dura Merger to come straight back up. I think it's unlikely that they'll stay in division one and they've had a good start to the season already. Three wins from three no sets lost. They've conceded 161 points across three matches which is pretty good going. So yeah, from a point to quotient perspective they're miles ahead of second place Sheffield on 1.4 versus 1.15. So if they carry on the way that they've started the season they'll be fine and they'll be straight back up next year. I think they lost in box. I don't know if you can't that but they did lose to notting on three one 10 days ago. Well two weeks ago it's time if we're calling. Just going to throw that out there. Not saying you're wrong but I mean fine. I don't I still don't think I'm worried about them from a division one perspective. It'll be fine. On the D1 south side this is tough because it's very competitive um divided in one south we saw it last season where I think it came down to like the last you know handful of matches in the season before we knew who was actually going to get promoted. And I think it's going to be competitive again this season. London Nases has started off really well but there's only two teams that have played three matches and most everybody else has only played one so I'm going to say just for fun I'm going to go with Cambridge again just to throw that out there double promotion season. Okay so I do agree I think Durham or Wendy one north. I don't know enough about Sheffield to make a confident prediction. The other team I was considering word leads to course. The other team that came down last year they retained a lot of them. We've retained some some really solid pieces. Michael Lee, Josh Cosgrove, Emmanuel Auretoia, Zach Gasson Hudson, Ollie Quick is obviously the standout signing but I kind of again in those big moments at that Durham game especially who's going to win you the game. And if Nelson was in that squad I would probably edge with leads but I'm going to go with that kind of experience the extra games that Durham will get in but when those Durham Sheffield games are Durham leads games are signing up let me know I'm tempted to go and watch yeah division one South I'm going to say it I'm I'm going to embrace the fun London Aces I'm going to watch division one South and I know this is going to get clipped I know this is going to get commented on their wonderful Instagram post and it may even get mentioned in commentary and we're probably going to be told I'm absolutely insane by them but why not and wouldn't maybe fun to have in the super league I'm just going to point out I mean yes that previews their commentary stuff um yeah very fun however they're not going to win the super league because they're going to lose Durham in the playoff final and Durham are going to jump back into the super league yeah I think that's fair but um I think if we maybe that's something that you and I need to do this season anyway as we do the the timeout podcast is you know pay more attention to what's happening at the top of the you know division one leagues because you're right if we could get more social media managers doing what London Aces are doing I think the whole of the league would be a lot more fun and last but very not least we've picked the winner for the mario women's super league now it's time carbs on the table who is lifting the trophy in April would you like to meet to go first yes or would you like to go first I'm going to let you go first this time what's here new castle nights that's what I was going to say and I think they're going to win it pre-zero oh that is bold I just this reminds me of the Durham women's team from last year talent experience depth and I think there's some really strong competitors out there but I just I just think it's all going to click if I need to go to a plan B all minutes at some point every team is going to suffer an injury hopefully nothing serious but the likely it is someone's going to miss a final four and I think if a team is new castle's depth this year the roster Sam's got the ability to change things is going to be enough and game planning wise good enough to win a final four so completely agree that it's likely going to be new castle to win that's who I've got on my list as well um agree I think they look really strong I'm going to disagree about the three oh because I think it's going to be tight mostly because I'm still not entirely convinced defensively how they're going to look I know that they've got decent liberals but we talked about it earlier on in the last episode yesterday um you know with angry leaving it's just those are really big shoes to fill so what happens there that's the real question there is our season previews for the marri women's super league and the dynamic men's super league but yes and if we're not done it's opening weekend we're excited to be back um we had some fun last year with opening weekend so we are going to have two more segments first up we're going to have some opening weekend fun predictions we're going to start with something we alluded to in the last episode a special award special award I don't know if we've got a proper name for it um but it is the opening weekend is so much fun the game is so competitive the game is going long I need to leave the game to get home or go on holiday or go to work tomorrow again award the absolute question is will someone have to leave a fixture opening weekend to start their travel to a different destination that is not off-wrap university I'm going to have to say yes with so many teams based in london or far away from lafra you're going to have at least one player that's going to have to leave early I love it we saw it last season it's going to happen again right and it wasn't the last game of the season either last game of the weekend either last it was not was very good excuse could be anyone leaving early but no it's not going to happen just sorry no fun no fun get up like so we're going to be in a fifth set it's going to be eight eight o'clock on the Sunday night we're all ready to go home and we're commentating a ridiculously good fifth set and no one's worried about leaving because it's a point that may make a break someone season and everyone is professional enough that they want to still be there Okay. Okay. I'd like to leave early to get a train bag of mines. If we're still going eight o'clock on Sunday nights. I mean, yes. You don't have as far to travel as I do, though, do you? Yeah, just take a bit longer on the train. Okay, fair. Next up, what have you got? I know you wanted to throw a few more fun ones in. Right. I've got over under on digs for opening weekend. Now, you alluded to this in the last episode as well. Just a reminder that in one of the matches last season, maybe we should go with over under on digs in one match rather than the whole opening weekend. You have to do the whole opening weekend, because I think. Okay. Okay. So bearing in mind, we had what 216 digs in one match last season. There's now. Yeah, something like that. So, yeah, there's there's a lot of matches going on. 16 matches. I might need a calculator. Don't ask me why. Okay. So you're going to say 1,177. Which stats we're going to have to use huddle stats for this, right? So yes. Okay. As soon as the stats are available to us and we have a timeout podcast, we will talk about it. I'm going to go. Let me get my calculator out because I can't do maths. And yes, I'm an accountant, but don't tell anybody that. I'm going to go with 2100. There's 16 matches. Yeah, I will allow you to revise your estimate if you would like to make. Yeah, maybe I'm going to change one digit. Okay. 1,777. Okay. I like that. I like that. 20-year game average. And we're in the ballpark slightly under. No, it needs to be like 105 average. Maybe gone low again. Who knows? Soaping weekend. It could be anything. Maybe every kill will just straight onto the floor. Then I win. So yes, please. Every attack is perfect. Okay. I'm going to really hold on. How many sets do we have at Open Weekend? Oh. So obviously the 16 games, the minimum we could see is 48 sets, the maximum we could see 80. So it's quite a big range. I'm going to go with 61. I'm going to go with 70. Maybe that's ambitious. That feels really ambitious. 64. So you'd have six more five setters and three sets. It's not impossible, especially some of the matchups we've got. Yeah. Yeah. That's true. Right. I'm sticking with it. It is what it is. All right. How about how many, now you can tell me do we want to just do yellows or do we want to do cards in general? Oh, if we're doing this is cards. All right. So how many cards do we think will be given out during Open Weekend? Brewery. Sullied. Referees are going to be on lenient behaviour. I think there's going to be a little bit of patience and understanding from the majority of neural interpretations. But I think we will end up with three yellow cards for arguing push, Kaby for her. Yeah. Yeah. And I think that's fair. I think that's fair. I'm actually going to say now there's 16 games. I'm going to say four. Because you took my guess. Because I was originally going to say three as well. But I can't, I can't now. Why? Why can't we both be on the same page for once? I mean, to say, I could lie about Saturdays, but you're not going to be there. I'm sure that if I ask Richard, he'll tell me. I mean, we can be on the same page. Should we do what we want to go with three? You said four now. I hope it's four now, just because I have to get you back at some point, right? So I do. I do. I'm very vindictive. Right. Let's talk arguing. You got any more force? Yes, I do actually. How many balls are going to be served in such a way that they make it up to the gantry where we're doing our commentary? Yeah. No one is going to serve it that we need to pass the ball this weekend. Now, we might have. Now, if you asked me how many are going to hit the back wall on the flush without a bounce, I would go over zero. Someone is going to do a Nathan Fullerton or James Ledwy, but getting on the ball is impressive. I'm going to go with there being one making its way high enough to make it to the gantry. And I think on the back wall, you're correct. It would have to be. There's got to be at least one. There's going to be at least one this weekend. Before you do your last couple, the game of the weekend. Oh, that's very tough. Like, when we review this weekend, what's the one game that's going to be that number one talking point top of the agenda? Now, that could be a big upset in our minds. That could be, but what is that game of the weekend going to be? Interesting. You know what? I think Saturday's men's last match of the day is going to be the one that's going to be the most interesting, because we have the newcomers SX Blaze against who we've both predicted as the final four champions in the Newcastle minds. I'm just going to say it. I think Newcastle giants, prime time, Sunday, middle slot. I think that could well be the two teams in the final. I think that's just going to be an excellent game of volleyball. And I think that could go to distance. I think Mark will go to distance, but I think that's the one when we look back on that we will talk about, and we will be reflecting upon who's got an early edge for title contention. Yeah. Yeah. Then that's a very good one. Have you got one or two more? Or are we running out of paper in the notebook? I think we're running out of paper. Mostly I'm running out of ideas. There's only so many things I can come up with. Right. Let's do one more to finish then. Okay. Okay. And for opening weekend, the question Jess Smith is, who is going to be the person most upset with interpretations of push carry flow? AKA which captain is going to spend the most time at the referee's stand? Oh. Because we talk carbs, but we know it's a difficult interpretation for referees. It's going to take time for the players to get adjusted to. Refereeing level is going to be higher than box standard, for example. It's going to be seen differently for the Americans as well, because even though adjusting to it. So which person is going to be spending that time at the stand saying didn't throw that one, that was a flow? Based on the style of the play from the last season. I'm going to say it's going to be giants for the men's side. I think, I think he's going to be Chloe Allen. Oh, that's a good one. Yeah. I think it's just the respect Chloe's got. She's never going to do it in a forceful manner, but she uses a lot of those tips herself. And I think she's going to probably get called for one or two that are borderline and immediately go up and go for that clarification. I think she's going to do it in a very Chloe manner. Yeah. I'm going to Chloe of the Mallory Eagles. Also, it's someone I definitely going to be captain. So that's true. See, you're out in advantage there. I will add as well some additional clarification went out to referees this week around the interpretation of this rule, as well as the interpretation of the blocking rule and what's considered a block versus a push from a block. And I think for me, it's that that really solidifies giants in that space in my mind. The last but very not means least its predictions. We have to do it, yes. But even the dynamic men super league or the Mallory women super league to end on mammoth prediction. So the mean you said we'd be done in half an hour before we were started this recording. Here we are. I'll have to watch it later. Exactly. What is your one bold prediction for the season? Oh. I know. Yeah. You've already we've already talked about if you so if you wanted to go with blaze for final four, that is more than allowable. I think that was bold. I mean, yes, definitely was bold. I don't know if I would say that that's my super bold prediction for the season. I'm going to say my bold prediction is that London giants are going to struggle in opening weekend against Richmond. So giants men. Yes. I must say that would be bold. But that's an opening weekend prediction. Yeah. I'm going to go over the season prediction because I'm fun. And let's be honest, my season prediction last year was tanked on opening weekend. As for those of you that may not know, my prediction last year was we'd only have one or less Mallory women super league games have reverse sweeps. And we had two on opening weekend. Yeah. So, oh, I think we ended with four for the season. I think it was four in the end. Was it four or five? Play this way. It wasn't like two or three right at the end of the season. Yeah, we might have snuck up to it. It wasn't many. Yeah. Now, I'm tempted to go bold and go, we're going to have back to back MVP's that are going to be Libero's because I'll see Ari Sierra was super league MVP last season player of the season Chloe Thomas slight difference in awards. But I can do better than that. Yes. Newcastle nights men. I said they're going to win Fuyo. They're going to be undefeated this season. Oh, bold indeed. I love it. There we go. All right. Now, I feel like I have to give one that's actually for the season instead of just for opening weekend. Oh, go man. Two for the price of one. Oh, you don't keep. So, I'm actually going to circle back to something similar to your prediction last year. I'm going to say that across both of the leagues, we will have more four set matches than three set matches. The majority of them will be four sets. I respect it. That is definitely something we can good luck starting out the end of season. You're going to have to do that work. I'm not going to be that one for you. I'm sure I'm sure we can figure it out. It'll be fine. Indeed. So, that is the end of the always popular, always controversial, that we will never get any stick, any hate whatsoever for because it's all a little bit of fun. And we definitely don't know everything. In other words, ladies and gentlemen, please go easy on us. We don't love making these predictions, but we're asked to for your content and everyone else's home content. There's disclaimer, Jasmine. Before we wrap up, obviously a look ahead to tomorrow, opening weekend will be live. I believe at 10.40am for a bit of a preview ahead of the opening set of games, the focus on Saturday will be on the Māori court for the Māori women's super league, where we will start with London Giants and University of Nottingham squaring off. Then Mallory Eagles, Newcastle Knights, then the defending champions, rematch of the gold middle game, Doran Palatinas, Essex Rebels at 3pm, and then to round it off after the thriller of last year, we saw it and we had to run it back. Lion hearts of an area side out Pallonia in a London derby to close Saturday off. And then on Sunday, same plan for the dynamic men's courts, live about 9.40 the game starting one hour earlier on Sunday, because obviously everyone's already in and around Lapras, a while away in bed, said we can have a quick breakfast and head over to the Sud David Wallace Portal. Sunday's action on the men's side will begin with a highly anticipated game, rematch of the bronze middle game from last year. University of Nottingham, Mallory Eagles, they always seem to play each other tight. Then the Newcastle Staffs will take on the Essex Rebels at 2 o'clock, the anticipated game, London Giants, Newcastle Knights, that championship gold middle rematch, and then we'll close it off with Essex Blaze against Richmond Docklands at 4pm. We'll be live a lot on YouTube. Please put some comments in, let us know your thoughts, react to this episode as well. And then Jess Smith, should we break some news to end this 58-minute amount of episode? But might as well, we've gone this long. The plan is you will get a reaction podcast on Monday, because time prevailing, we are going to record the super league timeout episode recap. In person on Sunday at Sud David Wallace Portal, straight after the conclusion of the match. So we don't have time to stew, we don't have time to look at stats, we will just give you the raw unfiltered-ish opinions from opening weekend, and then obviously look ahead to week two of the season. That may be live, we don't quite know yet, we're trying to work out those logistics. We may try and do that live if it's technology allowed, but we are definitely looking to make some of the timeout episodes alive this year when we record the podcast, so we can get a bit more interaction. I think that rounds up Jess, that's a good old hour close enough. Yeah, I will see you Saturday nights. Hopefully, maybe I should put that into our predictions, does Jess make it in time for a comment? I just don't know if it will be at the court or at the hotel. Yeah, true, true. But we appreciate everyone listening, we know it's been a bit of a mammoth two episodes back to back. Please let us know your thoughts and comments. Stick any bold predictions in at Volleyball England, and I should know the Super League account by now. Is it the super league? It is, yes, the super league. Let them know your bold predictions thoughts. What have we got right? What have we got wrong? The answer is a lot of both, and we look forward to having you in the live chat with us this weekend. Super league is back, and we are excited as ever. So from Jess Smith and myself, my customers, thank you very much. This has been the timeout preview episode. Oh, but I didn't want to do that.