If the Police were a house in one of Bermuda's exquisite parishes, the realtor long ago would have slapped this sign on the front lawn.

Alan Oliver, Colin Lunn, Gary Osborne and John (Bomber) Harris -- they are all elsewhere now due to contract terminations on the force, so first-year captain Sean Field is left with an imitation of what used to be. The team has lost more than 20 players in two years.

But the truth is there is some talent here, no matter how thin they are at several positions, and they should be able to craft something out of it.

Winners of the Amstel League only two years ago, they are a doughnut of a team, talented in some areas but chock full of holes down the middle.

Field has to find some help -- any help at all -- because the first team squad has less than ten regulars. So he will have to carry the load, along with Danny Cozens and Gareth Davies, at least initially.

Davies, 1992 Amstel Player of the Year, is arguably the best player in the country while Cozens, with his hard-hitting, body-checking irreverance, provides the team with size and skill they will sorely need.

"Gareth is a fierce competitor and always a threat to score,'' said Field.

While the engine is being overhauled there are still dependable players around in Alan Gorbutt, Russell Matthews and Dick Klesnic.

Fortunately, flanker Adrian Smith will be making a surprise comeback to the team, a one-time Police standout who is returning to the island.

The team's main strength lies among their forwards and Field said he will be relying on Grant Tompkins and Dave Bird to "rise to the occasion''. Field believes they both have national team potential.

Then there is hooker Mike Deevy, filling Bomber Harris's rather intimidating shoes along with a clutch of promising faces on the horizon -- Tim Fox, taking over at fullback, and prop Martin Howe who was a major tour de force during last weekend's Sandys Boat Club tournament when the team tied Teachers (10-10) and lost to Mariners (14-5) and Renegades (6-0).

Assistant captain Mark Adams will share the kicking duties along with Dave Bird, replacing Oliver and Lunn from a year ago.

Their goal will be to spread the ball wide to speedsters Troy Glasgow and Shane DeMille, a pair of promising Bermudians.

"This year we'll have a lot more non-Police members on the squad,'' said Field, and their club, which once featured more expatriates than a Saturday morning soccer telecast at the Robin Hood pub, now have an unwritten policy of trying to recruit more Bermudians.

Although it will be a rebuilding year, Cozens has issued a warning to the other teams in the league: "We won't be the pushovers everyone thinks.'' Even Mariners captain Dave Conway said: "They'll be a lot better than most people are saying.'' Added Cozens: "It'll be a challenging season with lots of work required.

We'll introduce as many people as possible.'' And that is good news, since rugby fans will not be able to identify these players without a program.