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And so he should be picked. If the selectors judge him to be likely to be able to play before the first Oz Schools test match they should pick him if he has time to train with the squad first; he is that good.
If they do he will end up being an Oz Schools legend playing 3 years for them and in more "tests" than any other schools player.
Browning is in the same category, though as a 2nd rower he served for Oz A in his first year. Even in 2009 I thought he was a smokey to make the Oz Schools Ones as a utility player. He was obviously then a natural 8, and maybe 6, but was required to play lock because of the lack of tall timber in Qld Schools that year.
I will make no great claims for these lads after they leave school because it wouldn't be appropriate, but I recommend that the Reds keep a couple of spots open in their Academy next year as they will get over the top offers from elsewhere.
As for NSW: their two teams have just been selected. It's difficult to say who will make the Oz Schools team for 2011 without seeing them in the Oz Schools Championship first. No doubt the lads who played for one of the Oz Schools teams last year have the stuff that selectors like.
8. Wells was in good form in the trials. He is a skills 8, hard enough but not the big bopper type. He is the most likely to get back into the Oz Schools team. [I haven't been paying much attention to the Qld posts except for transgressions of forum policy but 8. Timu took my eye in the U/16 championships last year, How is he going?]
9. Wessells - he is in the NSW Is but I have a blind spot about him as I didn't think a lot of him last year. I thought the IIs scrummie, Merriman, was better in the recent NSW trials but I obviously don't have a selectors eye. I had my doubts about his making the NSW Is and therefore must have doubts about him for higher honours also.
4/5/6. Dombkins had a subdued trials series, not helped by his school having a competition game the day before one trial. He is no certainty either.
As for others who have not played for Oz Schools before:
11. Tanginoa - was a standout in the Oz U/16s Champs last year and in the 2011 NSW trials. If there are two better wingers elsewhere in the country they will be very, very good.
15. Gutherson - was good in the 2010 U/16 Oz Champs too and was one of the best backs in the NSW Opens tournament just finished. Sometimes he looked like a schools Christian Cullen, and has a big boot on him. The IIs fullback Le Lievre was the early favourite to take the spot. He wavered a bit in the trials but still showed he was a big match player. If he comes good in the Oz tournament he could get the nod, but Gutherson would be the front runner.
1. Lawley would be my smokey. NSW have some good props this year and their scrummaging prowess will be tested in the Oz Nationals to see who is really good in that department, or not, but Lawley would be my sneaky pick to do well. He wasn't a heralded player outside of his CAS group but he looks like he has what it takes in both the scrum, the lifting, around and in the rucks, and even on cover defence.
I am aware that we shouldn't be talking so much about an Oz team at this stage and that we know very little about players outside of our own state but a least it keeps us off the streets.
