2009 Sydney Club Competition

[Lee Grant]

Thought I'd start another thread for next year's club comp rather that let the other one drag on. Don't know if it's a good idea, or not.

The Rats have signed up promising young twins John and Maurice Kennedy for next year. The boys went to Balgowlah High School and John made the Oz A Schools side 2 years ago.

Then the boys went with rugby league and both were playing in the Toyota Cup this year for the Dragons.

But this post is not just because LG is crowing about getting some good young players for the Rats for a change - as important as that is for all posters on this forum. It's about their being 20 and thus too old for the Toyota Cup in 2009 and the Dragons not having any room for them in their other teams.

We are going to get more and more lads back from rugby league for this reason and many of them will be more suited to union that league; so we won't just be getting duds.

Flyhalf John Kennedy is a case in point. He would have made the Oz Schools Ones in 2006 but for two fellows called Kurtley Beale and Quade Cooper. He had a real rugby union type game and I was appalled when he went to league because I knew his skills matched our sport better.

John is expected to go straight into the Rats 1st Grade team, but Maurice, who looks like an identical twin, has had a harder road. He broke his neck when he hyper-extended it playing touch when he was 16 and didn't make it back onto the park until this year.

Welcome to Rat Park lads - thank God you decided not to go with the blue filth at Manly Oval.

 

[Lee Grant]

Karma - serves me right.

No sooner had I crowed about the Rats getting local juniors, the Kennedys, stitched up ahead of the other mob, Manly, when I heard that the blue filth had signed up Dee Why lad Salesi Manu.

Salesi was the LHP for Oz Schools this year and with Oz Schools captain, Cameron Mitchell, and Tim Bennetts, was one of the 3 players in the 2008 Junior Waratahs (NSW Academy) who were still at school.

He is one schoolboy who we don't have to worry about being big enough to be a tight five forward when he is older. The 18 y.o. is 185cms and 123kgs. I saw him once in the Dee Why Woollies and backed up against the shelves to let him by, so I didn't get squashed.

As big as he is, he can be quick around the park showing the bloodlines of dad, Finau Manu, who used to be a Manly winger. He's a good ball player too, but his future will be defined by how well he scrummages at the senior level.

Salesi starts pre-season training for Manly on Monday and is expected to replace retiring captain Reuben Bjil in 1st Grade sooner rather than later.

I don't know what his status is at the Waratahs, but his ambition for 2009 would be to jump ahead of the 2008 Academy props and get into the professional group of 10 or so. Then he would be full-time and training with the Super14 squad.

With 3 Wallabies - Dunning, Kepu and Benn Robinson - able to play LHP for the Tahs it may not seem to be a good idea for Salesi to hang around Sydney too long, but prop watchers will know that Kepu re-signed, but for only one year - and that there are rumours that Dunning is eyeing Europe.

The Rats will be miffed about being trumped by the filth for the signature of a local lad, but they will still be hopeful of getting Manu's St. Augustine's schoolmate, Kotoni Ale, who I mentioned a few days ago.

 

[naza]

Geez, another loosehead, just what we need...anyway, at 18 he's going to need some time. Stuff the academy, he needs game time. Manly desperately need some dynamic athletes in their team. Though its your Rats who could do with a loosehead - the captain, Dan Raymond, is pants.

As for the Rats, I take it you don't rate Brock McGarity ?

 

[Lee Grant]

I do rate him actually. McGarrity did OK in the couple of games I have seen him play at 10 but he played a lot at 12 when Eadie was out, which was often.

I see young Kennedy playing 10 after he finds his feet and McGarrity 12. IIRR Eadie is going offshore, but if I am wrong I'd have to look at young Kennedy to reassess.

 

[Lee Grant]

Following on from the above, it is confirmed that Clint Eadie is leaving Oz and is going to play for US Bressane in the French 2nd tier competition for the rest of the Euro season.

He tried to get a S14 gig but wasn't successful despite being one of the most influential 12s in Sydney club rugby in the last 2-3 years. The Rats wouldn't swap him for any other Sydney club mid-fielder, but Eadie is probably a good example of a player whose level is just below the S14 level - or at most a 2nd stringer pro.

The reason for that is not his attacking skill or defence, goal kicking, nor certainly his ability to put players through gaps - but his lack of pace. His old man "Wombat" Eadie wasn't that fast either.

Eadie, who doesn't understand a word of French, will be back for the Rats in July and he hopes that his good play in France and helping to get his club into the Top 14 will get him a gig for the 2010 S14. I doubt this because it will be hard to get info about his performances in the French 2nd division.

One of his rivals, Rory Sidey, who has also been in the NSW Academy without being picked to step up, has started in some games for the Dragons this season including the Heineken Cup and is highly regarded by his coach. He would be ahead of Eadie in the pecking order should he come home.

But the argument prevails: would these two players and other club players who have never played S14 rugby, such as Lachlan Mitchell, gone offshore had there been a 5th Oz Super team?

 

[hi-jinks]

Nothing new about this point Lee.
Blokes were heading offshore 15 yrs ago because there was only 3 teams. I believe we do not have the talent pool to sustain aonther team. Our players are not up to it because of sheer lack of numbers. Another pro team will only highlight the fact we rely too heavily on private schools to produce talent.
You of all should know this Lee, you are cutting edge on who is up and coming, we have been facing what League has gone through this year with SBW, since 1996. By 1998 we have over 20 players from Australia with S12 experience head OS.
When we lose lots of rep players we are forcing kids to step up who are a long way off the pace.

On Clint Eadie, I'm not breaking out the violin, he was OK, if you are comparing Rats no.12's, he was no Mick Gee. Eadie was like Sam Harris, only not as good and that ain't glowing.

 

[RugbyReg]

hey lads, any news from down south on the implications of the player points cap system? Has it lead to any significant player movements? Has Sydney Uni been impacted?

 

[Lee Grant]

I've got nothing Nod, and mainly because the final details of the points system haven't been released.

 

[domestica]

Welcome to Rat Park lads - thank God you decided not to go with the blue filth at Manly Oval.

They played all their junior rugby with Manly. Traitors

 

[Lee Grant]

One should never criticise youngsters for trying to improve themselves.

 

[Lee Grant]

Apparently the Force are relaxing their stance and releasing players to play for the Oz club of their choice after they have finished their Super14 obligations, and meet certain conditions that are not yet known to the general public.

John McKee, the Rats coach, is counting his chickens and reckons all of the Rats players - Props AJ Whalley and PK Cowan, midfielder (not wing) Haig Sare and hooker Luke Holmes - will return to Sydney to play for the Rats.

They aren't the best Super14 players ever but they were bloody good players for us at the club level before they went west and would be better still 3 years later after inputs of professional physicality and other rugby content.

With the retirement of Rats captain and LHP Dan Raymond, the props will be particularly welcome.

 

[TOCC]

are there any plans on expanding the Sydney Club Competition?

just curious since the QRU is planning on including a Townsville and Darling Downs(Toowoomba) side in the QLD Premier Grade

 

[Aussie D]

are there any plans on expanding the Sydney Club Competition?

just curious since the QRU is planning on including a Townsville and Darling Downs(Toowoomba) side in the QLD Premier Grade

If the rumours are to be believed there is a strong push to reduce the number of clubs br kicking out Penrith and Southern Districts.