Brighton Bears are a better team without captain and all-star point guard Randy Duck, according to the man plotting their downfall in Sunday's cup final.

Robbie Peers coached Chester Jets to a cleansweep of four titles last season and is keen to prove his current line-up is even stronger.That means shooting down the Bears on Sunday and Peers has claimed his side would have a better chance if Duck was fit to play.

He said: "Brighton are better without Randy Duck. He dominates the ball too much for them and the other players spectate. With him out their other qualities get a chance to shine through."

Peers insists his theory is backed up by Bears' win at Towers last week though it could also be a shrewd move to ease expectation on his own Chester team.

He insisted: "We're not favourites. It's 50-50. They have beaten us once this season and we have beaten them once. They have got a coach who knows how to win and an awful lot of experience.

"Whoever performs on the day will win.

"I don't know if we are better than last year. Talk is cheap. We are doing okay. We have improved since the start of this season but we had to."