Things can happen, key point-scoring players can lose form or get injured and managers can't transfer them out but 112 points is a lot to blow.
Aaren of course will be looking to win the Div 2 title as will Jason Syrett and Ben Guarino who between them have shared the top spot for all of the 20 N&R FL weeks except one, and that was the first when Henry Williams topped it.
Paul Hodges is having a fine first season and has been in the top 6 since October. Neil Addington has been top 6 since November and Richard 'Razor' Nathan since October. Luke Sloan has impressed also and with Sweaty having a good season, the Team Challenge title is a real possibilty for Miles Smith. Sweats will of course be hoping for a shot at the top division next season as well.
Mitesh is another newbie and he has featured in the top 12 since week 1, only one of 3 managers to do so. With a record like that, he will be disappointed not to feature in the season's promotion race.
Nobby has surprised himself with a run of points into the top 12. He slipped to 9th in week 20, so watch him come down with the Christmas lights. Kennett's N&R season normally melts like the snowman so we'll wait for that. Andi Turner had a very good December which propelled him into the promotion places. Andi is a bit of a fantasy football aficionado and we are sure he will be planning to pitch himself amongst the best next season.
Likewise Mark Simmons who has dumped his preference for an all Man U XI, which would explain his far better points total at this stage. Danny and Rutts have tinkered with this system in the past with no luck. Danny hit 4th in week 3 and has scootered around the top 12 ever since. Rutts meanwhile had one week in the top 12 but has settled into his much more comfortable surroundings near the bottom!
John Hardiman was another to put together a good pre-Christmas run and with more time on his hands we would think that promotion has to be his #1 priority.
Huw Thomas and Neil Wallis both began the season on fire, but have struggled for consistency since. Maybe a transfer or two would help their cause. Talking of transfers, Muddy never made one in about 10 seasons of N&R Fantasy League but this season has made 4 already!! A couple more and he may well influence the promotion race this season.
James Stiff has gradually been improving and is one to watch, Oakers was another who started so well, but no one is surprised to see him slip down the table, not least Al himself! Chillers, week 20's MoW has been a real disappointment to us this season but a Christmas makeover saw her hit the best score the N&R has seen this season and a promotion run must now be her target.
Dan Dubuox needs another dip into the transfer kitty if he is going to make a play for the top 12, he is currently 84 points away from 12th.
The lovely Sarah Sheron has also been a bit of a flop if we're honest. Come on Sarah, you can do better. Nev relegated from Div 1 last season has found it hard to stop the rot, this despite 10 transfers. Henry as we have already mentioned topped the table at week 1 and was in 11th at week 6. Henry also succumbed to relegation last season and has toiled through the Autumn and Winter or Spring and Summer in Australia, this despite some forays into the transfer market.
Tony Murray shocked us all when he appeared with no announcement in 9th in week 10, that lasted a fortnight and thankfully the world is more stable again now our resident New Yorker is back in 25th! Likewise Wenners, who was 12th in week 2 but re-found his level nearer the bottom of the table.
James Down has picked up in these last couple of weeks and things are looking up but 124 points differential is a big ask, but James has some previous N&R pedigree so he may be worth a wager.
Paul Keaveney's pedigree is unknown and his bark has been more of a yap in his N&R career so far. The same applies to Chris Minchell who has been floating around the bottom quartile for the whole of the 20 weeks. Our Preston pie eater Martin Singleton spends most of his time on projects in Scotland. What he ever did in a past life to deserve that we will never know. Though Martin like myself and Ready are not overly shocked to see him lie in 31st at the halfway stage of the campaign.
In the bottom 5 there really aren't any surprises. Alex Boswell, Rutts, Mark Sterry and Doyley are all perennial bottom feeders, particularly Rutts of course.
The Ginger Rabbit holds everyone up, and some transfers may well see him get off the bottom of the table. The main aim of these managers now is to try to win the Penultimate Prize - the 2nd worse score overall - which is actually not easy, but for some perverted reason Nobby & Ready pay out a cash prize.
Good luck to all of the Div 2 managers in the 2nd half of the season.
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