Club Players with potential

[wamberal]

And a couple of smokies: I really like the look of Nick Phipps and Bernard(?) Foley who were 9 and 10 in Uni colts last year and are in the Aus 7s team. Phipps, in particular looks very promising.

I wonder whether Nick is related to Jim and Peter Phipps, two great Gordon Wallabies?

Wamberal,


Nick went to Kings. His father is the sportsmaster at Kings. Jim or Peter Phipps(not sure which one) being from Barker sent their son(s) to Barker who in turn this decade have sent Saxon(Gordon 1st Colts hooker last season), Sam(Played for Barker Old Boys) & Jordy(Might be playing for Gordon not to sure, 4th grade colts or something) I know Peter(Nick's Dad & sportsmaster at Kings) is there uncle so I assume yes they are related.

Thanks for that, the Phipps brothers were childhood heroes of mine.

 

[Lee Grant]

Australian rugby has never really focussed on wearing opponents down by physical imposition. It's all very well to talk about running big forwards off their feet but wearing them down physically takes a greater toll.

Well said that man. It would have taken me 5 paragraphs to write the sense of that.

One of the things I feared about the crackdown on the laws is that it would marginalise vigorous forward play (why bother with so much clean ball gifted by the ref?) but the likes of the Stormers, and the Highlanders in Invercargill, put that worry to bed.

For me the lack of ability to wear opponents down up front is the primary reason why Oz teams have not done so well in Super rugby, nor in 3N. The worst thing is when they do show up to play physically now and then you can see they are capable of it. But by and large they are not - not for game after game, year after year, and certainly not when weather and ground condiditions are poor.

It was always so as our game evolved on harder sandy soil which favoured running, and props could get away with weaker scrummaging because their studs did not swim around on loose surfaces so much. Backs didn't kick that much tactically because the ball travelled too far over after the bounce. Everybody ran if they could and they passed on that ethic when they coached their sons and nephews in the Under 10s

Many Australian players had to learn the other kind of rugby in an academy and some on the job in Super rugby.

A bit over the top but you get the vibe. Bruce has hit a nerve here. We are too fond of the tight five forward who can run 40 metres in 5.5 secs and who can use the ball like a back or, gasp, chip kick the ball to effect.

Give me a physical forward who does his technical work for his position well enough, with a high work rate over a long period in a game, every single time and twice on Sunday and you'll get the odd one who can do a bit in the loose anyway. I am not particular concerned about what his name might be or what school he went to.

 

[HG]

Pat Richie (Easts) out injured at the moment but a great tight head very technical. Has already been flown down to the Brumbies but went overseas instead with his mates.

 

[naza]

Nobody comes to mind.

There is barely any fringe talent. Maybe winger/fullback John Grant at Eastwood. Its probably too late for Easts centre Anton Lavin who could never stay fit for more than a month. West Harbour's James King has been leapfrogged by Dylan Sigg.

If anything, the opposite happens. ie: throw enough shit at a wall and see what sticks. David Tautaiolefue was an ex-Aus schoolboy who got signed up by the Tahs after 3 first grade games, was a complete waste of space and is now back in rugby league.

 

[tranquility]

very interesting that you mentioned Anton La Vin. He went to Churchie via TSS and was the starting outside centre of the Australian schoolboys in 2003. He was one of the dominant players in the side, running incredible lines, incredibly hard.

The reds offered him a Professional Academy contract which he turned down to take up an offer from the Roosters. He had never played league before and he got lost in the wilderness. Unlucky champ.

 

[Eyes and Ears]

Anton Lavin is currently playing 2nd Grade at Easts.

For mine, the best unsigned Club players in Sydney are:

Pat Dellit (Easts Fullback)
Marlon Solofuti (Manly No 8 )
Steve Mafi (Wests Lock)
David McDuling (Uni Lock)
Ed Gower (Gordon Flanker)
Ben Roberts (Uni Hooker)
Will Brame (Manly Flanker)
Steve Evans (Norths Halfback)

Others who regularly excel and are already in programs but have not yet played S14 are Adam D'Arcy (Manly), Nemani Nadolo - aka Ratu (Manly), Tim Bennetts (Eastwood) and Maile Latekefu (Parra No 8 ).

 

[naza]

Pretty sure Ed Gower is in the Brumbies' program.

Solofuti is what, 28 or so ?

Manly hookeer Elvis Taione could be something if he improves his lineout throwing.

 

[eddo]

No Specialist 12's mentioned at all ?

I feel this is a big weakness across the s14 squads..
we have a bunch of wannabee 10's or 13's rolling around out there with the exception being Fainga'a up at the Reds.

Anyone going to step up and bring us back to the glorious Tim Horan or Nathan Grey days anytime soon ?

 

[#1 Tah]

Brendan McKibben and Ed Brenac (Easts) are tearing it up. Adam D'Arcy was hailed at a Tahs hero before Barnes and Mitchell showed up.

No Specialist 12's mentioned at all ?

I feel this is a big weakness across the s14 squads..
we have a bunch of wannabee 10's or 13's rolling around out there with the exception being Fainga'a up at the Reds.

Anyone going to step up and bring us back to the glorious Tim Horan or Nathan Grey days anytime soon ?

Tom Carter

 

[tranquility]

Ben Tapuai will be the best 12 in Australia.

 

[spectator]

very interesting that you mentioned Anton La Vin. He went to Churchie via TSS and was the starting outside centre of the Australian schoolboys in 2003. He was one of the dominant players in the side, running incredible lines, incredibly hard.

The reds offered him a Professional Academy contract which he turned down to take up an offer from the Roosters. He had never played league before and he got lost in the wilderness. Unlucky champ.

One of the best schools footy players I have seen. A brilliant outside centre for Churchie. Blows me away that he didn't go on with it.

 

[Eyes and Ears]

Gower was cut by Brumbies

Pretty sure Ed Gower is in the Brumbies' program.

Solofuti is what, 28 or so ?

Manly hookeer Elvis Taione could be something if he improves his lineout throwing.

 

[Eyes and Ears]

No Specialist 12's mentioned at all ?

I feel this is a big weakness across the s14 squads..
we have a bunch of wannabee 10's or 13's rolling around out there with the exception being Fainga'a up at the Reds.

Anyone going to step up and bring us back to the glorious Tim Horan or Nathan Grey days anytime soon ?

Easts in Sydney apparently have a pretty good new No 12 - his name is Matt Giteau and there are rumours that he may play this weekend.

 

[Cutter]

Gower was cut by Brumbies

Pretty sure Ed Gower is in the Brumbies' program.

Solofuti is what, 28 or so ?

Manly hookeer Elvis Taione could be something if he improves his lineout throwing.

I'm pretty sure Solofuti has played for Samoa or Tonga.

 

[Moses]

Josh Holmes had a pretty good run at 12 last year, worth persisting with?

 

[MrTimms]

Josh Holmes had a pretty good run at 12 last year, worth persisting with?

I would be interested in that. He doesn't seem to be the half we all thought he would be.

 

[gone]

Gower was cut by Brumbies

Yep, unfortunately Horse was cut by the Brumbies. He is a bit of bad luck story - picked in the Waratahs academy at 19 after being in the Aus Under 19s, the Tahs tried to turn him into a prop and during one of his first live scrummaging sessions he picked a fracture in his back. This led to almost 12 months on the sideline and being cut from the academy.

After a few years of good club form he was picked up by the Brumbies for 2009. During preseason he strained a ligament in his knee and the physio told him to ride a bike to get his strength back up. Whilst riding his bike he fell off and broke his arm... hence ruling out any chance of getting on the field for the Brumbies.

Unfortunately for Horse, a think its a bit late now and his chance has passed. The one bloke I think capable of stepping up at Gordon at the moment is prop Travis Church, former NZ under 19 player who spent a few years in the force academy. Has a chequered past in terms of discipline but is a hell of a scrumager and good around the park, has put some big hits on. Has spent enough time in Aus to be elligible for the Wallabies so that shouldn't be an issue.

 

[spectator]

By the sounds of it Nicky Price is making more than a fair fist of playing in the top Sydney grade, so I guess he is one to watch. Good to see he seems to have found form. He was very ordinary in the few games I saw him play in Brisbane when he returned from AFL.

Be keen to see how Steve Mafi does this year as well.

 

[Albert]

I can really only comment on guys in my club - Randwick. We've got three blokes in the Shute Shield squad, and another three in the 1st Grade Colts, who I reckon are worth keeping an eye on.

In the top squad, Tony Luxford, Danny Kroll and Toby Browne are still only young fellas. Luxford is a tough, hard-working 9, who's probably been our most consistent player through the grades for a few years. Krolly can cover 9, 10 and 15, very sharp, good hands, great feet. Toby is a big unit, solid goalkicker, handy cover for 10, 12 and 15. Good quality Sydney club players, would do great in a fully-professional environment.

In the Colts, Bryce Speechley is the skipper. A big, tall 8 or 6, mobile, tough, good in the air, gets across the gain line, very impressive workrate. Jock seems to rate him highly. Kid called Liam Walker, from Joeys, is another. Played mostly 10 at school and in rep stuff, but Boydy gave him a brief crack at 9 back in 2008 and he killed it - made GPS 1s and NSW shadow after only a handful of games at scrummie. After he finished at Joeys in 2009, Knoxy somehow got him to come to Randwick rather than take up an option with the Knights Toyota Cup rugby league squad. He's been playing 9 again the last few weeks, going awesome.

Dom Bower is the other one. This kid is a gun. I saw him play for CHS against GPS a few years ago and he was smoked by Greg Jeloudev (Kings, GPS, Syd Uni, Aus 20s). However, right now I reckon he's the most exciting player in our club. Only small, but lighting fast, great footwork, tough as nails, and great defence. I'll be amazed if he doesn't play 7s for Mr O'Connor in the next season or two. Probable won't get any taller, but could forge a great career in club footy, 7s and eventually OS.

 

[AussieDominance]

Randwick did come up with a fairly significant offer for Walker including unit(free of charge), car, match payment and job.

I was under the impression he wasn't doing that well? I thought he had played a bit of 2nds colts?