Country v B&I Lions

[yourmatesam]

My question would relate to the players from down yourmatesam way. Southern Inland are part of the Brumbies outfit, and I don't think they are eligible for the Cockatoos.

Are all NSW players resident outside the Sydney Metropolian area eligible to be selected, or is it just players from clubs that are affiliated to NSW Country RU and Queensland Country RU?

Southern Inland players are not eligible for this team.

NSW Country will do whatever they can to make players from Sydney and Brisbane "eligible" for this tournament. They've already been doing whatever they can to get fringe players from Sydney and Brisbane registered with a NSW Country club in order for them to be eligible to play.

As an ex-NSW Country Rep, I think this attitude from the organisation stinks and flies in the face of all those players who do live and work outside of the Metropolitan centres. What I believe will happen is that the majority of players from NSW will come from Illawarra, Newcastle and Central West on the NSW side of things with some Sydney and Brisbane grade players thrown in there.

 

[yourmatesam]

9. Sheehan

Is that Brett Sheehan? I thought he grew up at the Newport Arms Hotel?

 

[Bowside]

I've got no problems with super rugby players getting a run as long as they were actually born and raised in the country. Furthermore I suspect over half the team will still be guys actually playing in the country.

 

[Wheatman]

yourmatesam It wouldn't surprise me if this is what happens. It's been bloody annoying up here that Gold and Sunshine Coast Premier Grade (Brisbane Comp) players have been allowed to play in the regional teams (there are still internal comps in these areas) which makes it hard for Downs who have to play them in the Southern Qld comp. No wonder it's not surprising they make up the core of the Qld Country team these days. Disappointing it wasn't a national combined country team, decided after a country championship - however like ARC it seems dead and buried.

qwerty51 There's nothing special about the guys playing, however the game is against a combined Qld & NSW Country team, not a country area of origin. By being picked in these teams you should be better than ok. These rep teams have been around for a long, long time known under these names. It would be quite kick in the guts for those meant to representing us, not playing in our comps. (Although I do have issue as mentioned above with any current Brisbane Premier players being picked, including the coasts as mentioned above).

 

[boyo]

If the CC team is made up of players who play in country areas, that's fine with me.
If it's like of state-of-origin team, that sucks big time.

 

[yourmatesam]

Wheatman What shits me about this process is that the very body that should be growing the game from the grassroots level and providing opportunities for local home-grown talent that is kicking those guys in the guts. What integrity does a NSW Country Championships have if there are ring ins from the city who are playing for Central West, Far North Coast, New England etc etc etc?

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Who is behind the decision to open the teams to players who are not playing in NSW CRU or QLD CRU competitions? The country associations, the ARU, or the B&I Lions management?

Are the Country Unions being bullied into becoming "more competitive" by the ARU?
Is Dingo wanting to see some of his fringe wobs up against the B&I Lions dirt trackers?
Do Gatland and B&I Lions management wanting a more competitive game to prepare for the tests?

Regardless it looks like some genuine grass roots rugby players are going to miss out on bucket list tick offs.

 

[yourmatesam]

Hugh Jarse The NSWCRU do this regularly, not just because there is a Lion's Tour coming to town, although I'm sure that intensifies the drive to do this.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Interesting yourmatesam. I must admit to not following bush footy all that much.

I have been told by some snouts that the Country Juniors are quite strict the other way, to an extent that they seem happy to field teams that do not include players who would usually be sitters for selection just because they didn't make themselves available for the country zone championships.

Unusual they the Juniors are so strict, and the Parent union so liberal.

I guess it is important to recognise the former country players who have "made good" in the city, but this adulation/celebration comes at the cost of a player who slogs his guts out week in week out in the Country Union competition. In allocating spots for ring ins, the locals miss out on important development opportunities and experiences.

 

[Wheatman]

Does anyone know if there will be a curtain raiser, and who it'll be? I hope it's a couple of the local teams, makes for a great story to play before a Lions game.

Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk 2

 

[TSR]

As someone based in regional Qld, and with one of the players I coach trying to get picked for this game, it would be very disappointing if the side was filled with City based players. But I wouldn't mind seeing 1 or 2 invited players who have country origins but are now trying to make a go of it in the Brisbane or Sydney comps. There is also the safety aspect in the scrums to consider - the gap between amateur & pro is getting wider and wider.

To honour the traditions of country rugby I think the Lions should all be made to stay out on the drink until 6 in the morning the night before the game too.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Does anyone know if there will be a curtain raiser, and who it'll be? I hope it's a couple of the local teams, makes for a great story to play before a Lions game.

In the spirit of the main game, I propose that the curtain raiser is between Qld and NSW country schoolboy teams where the boys must have been at city boarding schools since year 7, and not played a Junior Club game in the country later than under 12's.

 

[TSR]

I

Does anyone know if there will be a curtain raiser, and who it'll be? I hope it's a couple of the local teams, makes for a great story to play before a Lions game.

Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk 2

I believe there is a curtain raiser. I'm pretty sure it involves the left over Qld & NSW Country players.

 

[Pfitzy]

Right, so we're just picking any fluffybunny who opened Google maps one day on his 4g phone while waiting in the airport lounge, to look at a map, and accidentally clicked anywhere west of Penrith or Ipswich?

Sorted

 

[RugbyReg]

Correct Nsw cntry v Qld cntry.

 

[Wheatman]

I'm slightly weirded out by this. Heelers v Cockatoos prior to a combined Heelers/Cockatoos team. Since this is the case, obviously the decision to bring in non-country players was made long ago and this is the band-aid to make sure everyone gets a jersey....

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Is this like the shute shield where selected players from the Heelers vs Cockatoos game will become the bench for the main game vs B&I Lions?

 

[TSR]

I'm slightly weirded out by this. Heelers v Cockatoos prior to a combined Heelers/Cockatoos team. Since this is the case, obviously the decision to bring in non-country players was made long ago and this is the band-aid to make sure everyone gets a jersey..

I know the Heelers picked an extended squad for trials - I assumed that was to provide cover for any players picked to play in this game, but maybe not.

 

[TSR]

I just spoke to a friend of mine wit a bit more insight than me.

In his words the Australian Country Heelers is being managed by the ARU High Performance unit and it has always been know that it would be made up up super franchise based academy players with some country players thrown in.

The curtain raiser was included as an olive branch.

 

[Braveheart81]

I think it is reasonable to expect that the ARU are going to ensure a good quality side is put on the park for this match. The ARU wants something at least reasonably competitive that will sell tickets to the game and attract an audience on TV (I'm assuming this will be broadcast on Fox Sports).

In reality, I think the alternative to putting a few pro players in the team will just be to eliminate the fixture altogether.