Clubs step up the search for foreign players

It has been a week of endless phone calls and inquiries for the officials of three Superleague clubs who are all involved in the frantic search for replacement foreign players.

And for all their efforts, second-placed Notre Dame, third-placed Dungannon and 1996 champions, Tralee, have had limited success in their various searches. Notre Dame's need is greatest of all because another defeat in the campaign could bring an end to their once buoyant title challenge. Their inquiries this week stretched as far as Toronto, where they located a player but then decided against flying him in for tomorrow's away game against Marian.

Instead, the club have contacted one of their former players, Irish American Patrick Lynch, who has been charged with the task of interviewing suitable players in the United States and deciding which one is most suitable for Notre Dame's needs following the recent loss of player-coach, Anthony Jenkins, with a ruptured achilles tendon.

Tralee's inquiries for a replacement for the injured Reshawn Sumler are likely to bear fruit as well as they will be bringing in former Castleisland American, Benji Tate, although the club is not optimistic that he will be in the country in time for tonight's back league match away to Neptune, who have problems of their own at the moment.

Not only is the Cork side still rooted to the bottom of the table but they have injuries to four key players - Ger Heaphy, Tom O'Sullivan, Ger Galgey and Cuban Augusto Duquesne. All bar Heaphy, who has a sprained ankle, should be able to play some part in tonight's match.

Neptune also play on Sunday at home to Ballina in a repeat of their recent cup quarter-final which they won convincingly before Christmas. Like Neptune, Tralee also have another game on Sunday away to St Vincent's, although it's not clear if Tate will be in the country in time for that game as well.

Dungannon, who visit Killester tomorrow, have so far drawn a blank in their efforts to sign a replacement for Todd McNeill, who was released by the club a week ago only to be immediately snapped up by Division One club, Tridents.

Star of the Sea, who are now the outright league leaders, have managed to escape the rash of recent injuries that have beset other teams and they make the long journey south to tomorrow to play Killarney, whose recent form suggests a tough game ahead for the Belfast side.

Early in the season, Star beat the Kerry club 96-50, but since then Killarney have improved as they demonstrated in their 85-83 win over Notre Dame in the league before Christmas.

In the women's Superleague, Naomh Mhuire learned this week that their highly influential Irish international, June Blount, will miss the rest of the season with a long-term ankle injury.

The league leaders, Wildcats, beat Mhuire 67-56 last Sunday and will be virtually certain of winning a fourth league title in a row if they can beat Meteors tomorrow. A further victory in a week's time against Tolka Rovers would put the title out of their pursuers' reach bar an improbable set of results in the weeks ahead.

Tolka are, however, shaping up into an interesting outside bet for the cup following the recent return to training of Sharon Kelly.

Should she be fit enough to play in the Sprite Cup play-offs at the end of the month, she along with Suzanne Maguire, Rachel Kelly and Karen Hannigan, will form the nucleus of an impressive looking squad that could well win the club their first major national trophy.