Australian Rugby / RA

[Quick Hands]

You Sydney Siders really need to work out where the middle of your city is, and what is east of that point

It's actually reasonably simple - the Eastern Suburbs are those east of the Sydney CBD. As Cyclo points out, Anzac Parade is pretty much the dividing line.
Easts and Randwick are the only SS clubs in the Eastern Suburbs.

Sydney Uni is located in the inner west, as is West Harbour.

Southern Districts pretty much covers that part of Sydney.

Northern Beaches - Manly and Warringah

Northern Suburbs - Norths and Gordon

Parramatta and points west - Western Sydney Two Blues

North West Sydney - Eastwood

People can now vent at 7 different parts of Sydney and have an idea who they're criticising.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I appear to have unwittingly sidetracked the debate, my apologies. The point I was trying to make was that there are individuals in the debate, like Papworth, Jones, Poidevin and Dwyer, who I greatly respect as rugby people, but they are and have almost always talked their own book. The purport to have the code's interests nationally at heart but really it appears that are pushing their own barrow, but you've heard that from me before.

 

[cyclopath]

Just use the old junior regional breakup

Northern Zone: Gordon, Norths, Manly, Warringah
Western Zone: West Harbour, Eastwood, Two Blues, Penrith
Southern Zone (including East): Sydney Uni, Easts, Randwick, Southern Districts

Data appreciated but I was kinda taking the piss!

 

[cyclopath]

I appear to have unwittingly sidetracked the debate, my apologies. The point I was trying to make was that there are individuals in the debate, like Papworth, Jones, Poidevin and Dwyer, who I greatly respect as rugby people, but they are and have almost always talked their own book. The purport to have the code's interests nationally at heart but really it appears that are pushing their own barrow, but you've heard that from me before.

You are entirely not wrong!

 

[wamberal]

I appear to have unwittingly sidetracked the debate, my apologies. The point I was trying to make was that there are individuals in the debate, like Papworth, Jones, Poidevin and Dwyer, who I greatly respect as rugby people, but they are and have almost always talked their own book. The purport to have the code's interests nationally at heart but really it appears that are pushing their own barrow, but you've heard that from me before.

Mate, everybody, including you and me, push our own barrows. The thing is, there are lots of different barrows, or rather, lots of different ways of defining just what a barrow is.


To take Papworth as an example. He is somebody who it totally committed to the survival of the Eastwood District Rugby Union Club (sic).

He is a local product, went to Epping Boys High School, a stone's throw from Millner. We all know how good his rugby career was, in the amateur days.


He turned pro. At the end of his pro career he set out to get back into the amateur game, and eventually got back into his beloved Woodies colours.


Since then he has put enormous time and effort into maintaining and growing the club.


Maybe he has got his priorities wrong. But IMHO if the game had another 100 or so Papworths scattered around the country we would probably have a much stronger code at a national level.

Let a thousand flowers bloom.

 

[RebelYell]

A trans-Tasman comp with islands and japan must be our main goal. There are so many obstacles to overcome to get there but it seems like the only logical explanation for our long term survival.

Bigger focus on the NRC, offer spots to quality Mitre10 players, lots of them. Ups the quality of the competition and offers them the chance of a pro contract (more likely than getting one in NZ)

An alternative I have thought of, kind of a half-assed attempt, would be to commit to staying in SANZAAR for Super Rugby if NZ allow us to enter 5 teams in Mitre 10 Cup, without Ranfurly Shield eligibility of course, instead of persevering with the NRC.

5 teams, retaining existing identities.

 

[cyclopath]

An alternative I have thought of, kind of a half-assed attempt, would be to commit to staying in SANZAAR for Super Rugby if NZ allow us to enter 5 teams in Mitre 10 Cup, without Ranfurly Shield eligibility of course, instead of persevering with the NRC.

5 teams, retaining existing identities.

Never gonna happen.

 

[Finsbury Girl]

The thing is you are never going to get 20 blokes unless there is a professional pathway.

It takes a generation or two for it to work out.

Like with what was happening with the Force, the Rebels squad is slowly becoming more and more home based each season.
This year there was 7 players that were genuine Victorian products in the squad (Faulkner, Uelese, Fa’amasuili, Hosea, Leota, Tuipulotu, Sa’aga), that’s looking like growing at a minimum of another number with young u20s wing Sione Tui been part of the squad. The Force had similar numbers in their last year. There is also a few good players running around that you might of heard of like Pete Samu, Rob Valetini, CLL and Benny Taps.

Rugby is supposed to be a game for everyone, not just QLD and NSW.

I hope you aren’t someone that bemoans the damage that’s happening to the community game, yet are prepared to destroy one community for another, that would be hypocritical if so.

On a pure ROI the expansion has been an abject failure. Simple as that. Resources are better off elsewhere & professional rugby is not sustainable outside the heartland.

Talk of destroying community is rubbish, Vic and WA have amateur club rugby comps that were around long before professionalism, getting rid of the Rebels will not change that.

 

[Finsbury Girl]

What difference at pro level does where you came from make? These aren't rep teams.

Find the best talent you can from whereever you get it

Qld is still a rep team.

 

[RebelYell]

Never gonna happen.

As a take it or leave it offer, as opposed to leaving Super Rugby? Remember, Tew is gone at the end of this year, we'll be negotiating with somebody new.

Mitre 10 Cup is not booming financially - may be just the change it needs.

 

[cyclopath]

As a take it or leave it offer, as opposed to leaving Super Rugby? Remember, Tew is gone at the end of this year, we'll be negotiating with somebody new.

Mitre 10 Cup is not booming financially - may be just the change it needs.

Can't see the Kiwis tinkering with a comp with the heritage of Mitre 10 Cup.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Qld is still a rep team.

No it's not. And hasn't been for a while.

 

[formerflanker]

Qld is still a rep team.

Yet commentators, coaches and players are more frequently using the term "club" when referring to Australian franchises.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

As a take it or leave it offer, as opposed to leaving Super Rugby? Remember, Tew is gone at the end of this year, we'll be negotiating with somebody new.

Mitre 10 Cup is not booming financially - may be just the change it needs.

Personally, I think it would be great combining the teams from the ITM Premier Div with our 5 plus Fiji but it would need investment and funding. With Super Rugby only running 16-17 weeks there could be opportunity to sell them the idea of an expanded TT competition at that level. Access to bigger markets over here and the like. Unfortunately, however, as cyclopath suggests it requires the NZRU to be willing to play ball which history suggests they aren't.

 

[Finsbury Girl]

Yes indeed it is.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Yes indeed it is.

They may srill draw primarily from the Brisbane comp but the days of them being a true rep team have long since past. Rep teams don't contract players over multiple years. Or contract players at all. They like the Tahs have evolved into professional clubs\franchises.

 

[Rebels3]

QLD is far from a rep team

 

[kiap]

The M10 TV deal expires this year. The comp is evolving, albeit in a downward direction. As RebelYell says, NZ could look at changes. Doubt that would include us, though. That would add costs and the pressure is already on cost.

To be frank, Australia shouldn't be looking for a bandaid fix like that anyway. Sort your own mess, FFS.

Wishin' and hopin' and thinkin' and prayin' …

Yes, rugby here is bereft of clues, riddled with nepotism and on the edge of being broke. But getting NZRU to take over the running - as attractive as it may seem - is effectively bankruptcy.

The place is overdue for a clean out.

 

[Pfitzy]

Even after the move to somewhere in NW Sydney, Eastwood will *never* be West

 

[Dan54]

Well that’s not true

Games in SA are usually after midnight on the east coast of Aus

Even if we play a game in Perth it’ll start earlier in NZ than regular SA games do in Aus

And without SA we can put midday and arvo games on Saturday and Sunday regularly just as the NRL and AFL do

Mate the fact is, that games kick off here at 7.45, which is 9.45 in NZ, and might as well be midnight as far as most are concerned, yet some games from SA are on at 5.30 am in NZ, I was over theer a couple of weeks back and watched NZ games and SA game at 5.30, and talking to a lot of rugby people, hardly any watch Aus games as time no good. Bugger me mate I never watched night games from Perth when Force played, after 9pm kick off for most people is too late.