AIC Rugby 2019
- Thread starter RugbyReg
- Start date
D'Lite Full
Bill Watson (15)
Thanks a lot Reg. For what it's worth here is some unbiased initial analysis of next year's competition.
In 2018, the top 3 teams in each grade (where the vast majority of 2019 First XVs will be selected from) were respectively:
First XV - MCA, SPC and Iona (three way equal premiers)
Seconds - MCA, Villa and Iona/Padua equal third
Thirds - MCA, Iona and SPC
10A - MCA, SLC and Iona
So all expectations that Marist and Iona to be fighting it out again. Pressure on both.
But Lauries have always been strong in this age group and Villa in the age group below.
Word on the street is that Pats have lost a key backline player from 2018 to a league school and Padua has gained some new talent.
Who knows what Peters and Eddies will present after inconsistent and disappointing years in 2018.
Therefore, with more than 4 months of pre-season training and trials before round 1, current assessing is:
Marist will have a mobile pack and solid backline again. They have 3 or 4 returning. Always strong in this group. Depth good.
Iona will have a number of players back including fullback, and QLD u16 lock. They will play Ashgrove away, so could be a winner take all game. Good depth too.
Pats have their clever halfback and #8 returning and if the rumours are true, their rugby program has gone up another gear. Have been getting better first XV outcomes each year, so this may be their year?
Lauries were decimated by injuries before the comp started last year so will welcome back some talent and have good players coming through the younger age groups. Their 10As only lost one game. Not sure on coaching program - seemed to be under pressure? Will have size and speed ane if they can combine with skill, will be a major threat.
Villa might be a young team to be reckoned with depending on selections. Their year 11 rugby group is strong and dynamic. Other than the disappointment of how they finished in 2018, their Andrew Slack and Ben Mowen squad approach seems to be producing a good style of rugby. Had injuries last year so could be a major smoky.
Padua will have their usual majority of league players and might present with the biggest pack in the competition if their S&C is good. A few back and they will be more than competitive. They play MCA at home where recently they have excelled. Another smoky if they can get consistency and breakdown penalties out of their system.
Peters will be struggling for depth after losing one outstanding speedy back before last season and any injuries will make them long shots but they are always unpredictable about which games they choose to be "on" for. No clue on their side.
Eddies have always struggled in this age group and unfortunately might be embarrassed most weeks again. Poor cousin to IGS.
With league being played in term 3, it will be interesting to see where schools place their focus and emphasis. The other interesting decision will be if AIC schools participate in the new QLD schools selection format, which at this stage, is on track to clash with round 1 of the competition.
Let's hope it's a competitive and exciting season and the best of each school is available each week.
In 2018, the top 3 teams in each grade (where the vast majority of 2019 First XVs will be selected from) were respectively:
First XV - MCA, SPC and Iona (three way equal premiers)
Seconds - MCA, Villa and Iona/Padua equal third
Thirds - MCA, Iona and SPC
10A - MCA, SLC and Iona
So all expectations that Marist and Iona to be fighting it out again. Pressure on both.
But Lauries have always been strong in this age group and Villa in the age group below.
Word on the street is that Pats have lost a key backline player from 2018 to a league school and Padua has gained some new talent.
Who knows what Peters and Eddies will present after inconsistent and disappointing years in 2018.
Therefore, with more than 4 months of pre-season training and trials before round 1, current assessing is:
Marist will have a mobile pack and solid backline again. They have 3 or 4 returning. Always strong in this group. Depth good.
Iona will have a number of players back including fullback, and QLD u16 lock. They will play Ashgrove away, so could be a winner take all game. Good depth too.
Pats have their clever halfback and #8 returning and if the rumours are true, their rugby program has gone up another gear. Have been getting better first XV outcomes each year, so this may be their year?
Lauries were decimated by injuries before the comp started last year so will welcome back some talent and have good players coming through the younger age groups. Their 10As only lost one game. Not sure on coaching program - seemed to be under pressure? Will have size and speed ane if they can combine with skill, will be a major threat.
Villa might be a young team to be reckoned with depending on selections. Their year 11 rugby group is strong and dynamic. Other than the disappointment of how they finished in 2018, their Andrew Slack and Ben Mowen squad approach seems to be producing a good style of rugby. Had injuries last year so could be a major smoky.
Padua will have their usual majority of league players and might present with the biggest pack in the competition if their S&C is good. A few back and they will be more than competitive. They play MCA at home where recently they have excelled. Another smoky if they can get consistency and breakdown penalties out of their system.
Peters will be struggling for depth after losing one outstanding speedy back before last season and any injuries will make them long shots but they are always unpredictable about which games they choose to be "on" for. No clue on their side.
Eddies have always struggled in this age group and unfortunately might be embarrassed most weeks again. Poor cousin to IGS.
With league being played in term 3, it will be interesting to see where schools place their focus and emphasis. The other interesting decision will be if AIC schools participate in the new QLD schools selection format, which at this stage, is on track to clash with round 1 of the competition.
Let's hope it's a competitive and exciting season and the best of each school is available each week.
Confucius Say
Colin Windon (37)
It should be a magnifique competition if your summaries is correct. Is Villa or Iona or Padua playing Ballymore Cup in April? I would expect Villa have the oversea tour?
Lucifer
Frank Row (1)
Went to the MCA open day and had a good chat with the powers that be about Rugby at the school. Was impressed, and I'm a Lauries old boy!
Galloper
Darby Loudon (17)
Yep, it’s handy for both the Second XV and Year 10A’s to be run by guys who have coached First XV premierships, and all are current staff members.
Warrenball
Bob McCowan (2)
The cricket dad mafia whispers from around the grounds include...sceptical on at least 3 of these points, but none the less they are out there in the universe between overs.
- Change of coach at St Pat's and Padua
- Brad Thorn's son moving from Ash to BBC
- 5 boys from SLC moving to BSHS, 2 to IGS, 1 to Padua
- Ash bolstering coaching ranks with Matheson (GPS Premiership coach) and Casey (Padua Premiership coach)
- SPLC with 2 new boys from IGS
New rep pathway will be interesting with academy model and national carnival apparently falling over. Hopefully rugby league doesn't become the sole focus for some schools, worried about the future of AIC rugby, hopefully this coming year is a very competitive season. Ash and SLC have been dominant in this grade 12 age group previously, not sure if that will be the case in '19.
- Change of coach at St Pat's and Padua
- Brad Thorn's son moving from Ash to BBC
- 5 boys from SLC moving to BSHS, 2 to IGS, 1 to Padua
- Ash bolstering coaching ranks with Matheson (GPS Premiership coach) and Casey (Padua Premiership coach)
- SPLC with 2 new boys from IGS
New rep pathway will be interesting with academy model and national carnival apparently falling over. Hopefully rugby league doesn't become the sole focus for some schools, worried about the future of AIC rugby, hopefully this coming year is a very competitive season. Ash and SLC have been dominant in this grade 12 age group previously, not sure if that will be the case in '19.
D'Lite Full
Bill Watson (15)
Mathison has now been confirmed as a coach at Marist three times so I'd say it's a definite. As for Pats and Padua coaches, they coached the AIC rep team together last year so no doubt have used that stepping stone as an opportunity to another coaching gig.
As for kids moving from AIC to GPS, good luck! Don't know one standout rugby example where this has really paid off in the last 10 years for the boy or the school?
As for kids moving from AIC to GPS, good luck! Don't know one standout rugby example where this has really paid off in the last 10 years for the boy or the school?
The Nomad
Bob Davidson (42)
Cayle Manu went from SPC to start at Nudgee in 2017, played in two GPS premiership winning teams at NC as well as playing Qld and Aust Schoolboys in 2018.
Jangela Bennett went from SPLC to NC at the same time with the same result , except played Baa-baas .
Think you would call that reasonably successful for both parties ?
Jangela Bennett went from SPLC to NC at the same time with the same result , except played Baa-baas .
Think you would call that reasonably successful for both parties ?
The Whisperer
Alfred Walker (16)
Luke Oxford (St Pats 1st XV coach last few years) has moved on to Head Coach of Norths Premier Grade side for 2019. Big step up for him, but wish him all the best
D'Lite Full
Bill Watson (15)
Whisperer, two good examples thank you although I wasn't aware of either of their background.
Bennett has signed an NRL contract with the Sharks but has been a standout for Nudgee for 2 seasons.
Is Manu staying in rugby? I don't recall him being on the schoolboys tour?
Bennett has signed an NRL contract with the Sharks but has been a standout for Nudgee for 2 seasons.
Is Manu staying in rugby? I don't recall him being on the schoolboys tour?
Dean Moriarty
Billy Sheehan (19)
Harley Fox. St Edmunds to Churchie. Nothing much since leaving School but he had a pretty decent Schoolboy career that saw him Captaining the Churchie 2014 Premiership Team and Australian Schoolboys.
The Nomad
Bob Davidson (42)
Spot on with Jangela , his manager shopped him round to get a contract of some sort, think it may have been the same with how he found his way to NC after leaving SPLC. Some form of rugby was always going to be his career path , can’t blame him for signing with a NRL club if there wasn’t much else on the table. Guess that’s the issue in the professional era, limited number of spots ( and money) available in rugby makes it hard to compete with RL.
Cayle didn’t make the squad of 27 that toured the UK , don’t know what his plans are for 2019.
Not an uncommon story with schoolboy highlight reels being stepping stones to the next chapter in their footy journey .
Cayle didn’t make the squad of 27 that toured the UK , don’t know what his plans are for 2019.
Not an uncommon story with schoolboy highlight reels being stepping stones to the next chapter in their footy journey .
Galloper
Darby Loudon (17)
Izaia Perese moved from Eddies to Churchie with Fox, Churchie got a good return from that investment.
Tristan Stanghon from Iona to Churchie a couple of years later, Australian Schools rep, so another good AIC recruit there.
Having said that, I think it's pretty clear that if a boy is going to move from an AIC school to a GPS school it's far more likely to happen by Year 9, and it's much harder to track moves made that far in advance of First XV selection.
The Nomad
Bob Davidson (42)
Agree with both above posts .
MCA have a great coaching group heading up their program .
GPS schools have the requirement in place that boys have to be at the school no later than the first day of year 11 to play First XV , with the start of year 10 being the preference for most, even repeating year 10 for some. It does get a lot harder to track where they have come from .
MCA have a great coaching group heading up their program .
GPS schools have the requirement in place that boys have to be at the school no later than the first day of year 11 to play First XV , with the start of year 10 being the preference for most, even repeating year 10 for some. It does get a lot harder to track where they have come from .
D'Lite Full
Bill Watson (15)
Thanks for the responses posters. I read that Harley Fox went to Ireland and got a spot in the Connacht Academy. So he is going ok by the sound of that?
Perese has gone (back?) to rugby league. He looked like a very good outside back and a couple of injuries and off nights with the Reds shot his confidence. Eddies seems like it is a strong production line for GPS which is a real shame as they have struggled the last couple of years in the AIC.
Perese has gone (back?) to rugby league. He looked like a very good outside back and a couple of injuries and off nights with the Reds shot his confidence. Eddies seems like it is a strong production line for GPS which is a real shame as they have struggled the last couple of years in the AIC.
Torpedo Punt
Herbert Moran (7)
The QLD school intake shifted from 1 Jan to 1 July when prep was introduced. Playing in Year levels means you know the other guys in the team. GPS playing by age means half the kids in your team are from another year. Playing by year level is still by age when you think about it for 99% of the kids. Its simpler and hopefully more meaningful the way AIC do it.