Lee,
I am sure it has been discussed before, but can someone explain to me how NSW beat QLD in the 16's last year. but yet this year in the opens QLD have available to them the 16's crop from last year only. Whilst NSW has last years 16's pluslast years 17's to pick from and we get dusted by QLD in the 1's & 2's?
This is a recurring theme, how can this be?
Dare I say it, but selection! My involvement with NSW teams has extended over six years and there has always been debate over the teams selected. It is worth noting that from the 2008 under 16 NSW Schools team Roach, Apo and Goodman have made Aus or Aus A this year. The Sydney U16 team that year selected from the club under 16 state c'ships contained Miller, Gillespie, Reid,Luani,Donlan, Killingworth and Whyllie all selected in Aus or A's last week. Also in that Sydney team were Sutton,Larkin,Satiu - Eastwood, Askew - Warringah and Carmichael -Gordon all of whom are now playing 1sts Colts for their clubs as under 18's. These boys were "young"(under 17) HSCers last year and therefore not part of the school system this year with their peer group. It came as no surprise that the Sydney team beat the NSW schools team quite comfortably at the under 16 championships. Did I see a parallel with this years NSW 1 and 2, I think so, and the Combined States team brought this even more sharply into focus. Maybe I should go and look at my 2008 program to see where the Queensland boys have progressed to.
After all these years my observation is that school boy rugby is just that. I will be looking closely at the weekly program next year to see where these boys are playing I suspect it will be Colts (if at all)!
