Galloping Greens

[sidelinesid]

Kelly's Kids

They could become Kelly's Heroes

 

[Jaghond]

If you close your eyes, you can almost imagine Clint Eastwood & Telly Savalas sitting next to Sailor in the stand, as Donald Sutherland, Gavin McLeod & the tank crew blow their opposition up to the sound of the Mike Curb Congregation and the "Burning Bridges are forever more" theme........

 

[Brian Westlake]

Is this the Brave New World Backline?
Cheers to Brogan Roods for his debut? I think?

 

[Pete King]

Yeah will be, did anyone see lower grades vs wests Harbour ? How did brogan go? Had a wretch run of injuries be a great story if he can play well

 

[I like to watch]

Given the speedy elevation to first grade,I'm guessing he went well!

 

[pstoe]

Kelly's Kids

Bravo for Kelly for putting on a GPS schools reunion. He'll be earning lots of brownies in the school halls long after his Randwick coaching days are over.

 

[the coach]

Yeah will be, did anyone see lower grades vs wests Harbour ? How did brogan go? Had a wretch run of injuries be a great story if he can play well

Had a fairly quiet first half and came off at half time with what looked like an injury (can't remember now whether it was leg or upper body). This year he's started maybe 4 or 5 lower grade games but is yet to play a full game. Courageous (as in "Yes, Prime Minister" ) decision to pick him in 1st grade. I hope the fact that neither Koteczky nor Baillie have been named in 2nds means one of them is a fresh reserve for 1sts as it's hard to see how Roods could be match fit to last a full game against (Clint ) Eastwood's rock stars.

 

[Pete King]

Had a fairly quiet first half and came off at half time with what looked like an injury (can't remember now whether it was leg or upper body). This year he's started maybe 4 or 5 lower grade games but is yet to play a full game. Courageous (as in "Yes, Prime Minister" ) decision to pick him in 1st grade. I hope the fact that neither Koteczky nor Baillie have been named in 2nds means one of them is a fresh reserve for 1sts as it's hard to see how Roods could be match fit to last a full game against (Clint ) Eastwood's rock stars.

Koteczky has been poor the last two weeks definately not a chief playmaker. Is Tim Wright injured? I like the look of Will Rees-Hole prior to injury.

 

[Pete King]

Im not to unhappy with that backline, Id omit Harry for eithier nugget or Donlan and Id change Roy for Kellaway and Wright to the outside centre spot.

 

[the coach]

Koteczky has been poor the last two weeks definately not a chief playmaker. Is Tim Wright injured? I like the look of Will Rees-Hole prior to injury.

I think Wright had a recurrence of his hamstring injury against Warringah.

Rees-Hole was named in 1sts last week, but didn't show; named in 2nds this week. I agree he looked good before injury.

I think Koteczky is better at FB or 13 than at 10 or 12.

 

[the coach]

Im not to unhappy with that backline, Id omit Harry for eithier nugget or Donlan and Id change Roy for Kellaway and Wright to the outside centre spot.

Interesting struggle between the half backs. I thought both Harry and Donlan both had close to their best games this year last week and Nugget went well also. Maybe they're pushing each other.

 

[wamberal]

Just watched the SS replay, very impressed with Deegan. I know I have a bit of a fixation about size, but he does look a bit on the small size.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Everyone seems to have a go about Deegan's size.

It was supposed to prevent him making an impact for the AAGPS rep team.
It was supposed to keep him out of the NSW Schools rep teams.
It was supposed to make him a liability against the bigger Academy honed U18 teams on the Northern Tour with the Aust Schoolboys.
It was supposed to stop him from being selected to the State U20 team in his first year out of school.

His success appears to have sparked certain persons into an on-line campaign against him - (allegedly signing with West Tigers, or moving to two wheeled pursuits with AIS Cycling with no apparent basis of fact in either).

At every stage he has prove all the sceptics wrong. Size doesn't matter.

The Wicks have recruited well. He is a very skilled player and has a very bright future in front of him.

 

[pstoe]

Im not to unhappy with that backline, Id omit Harry for eithier nugget or Donlan and Id change Roy for Kellaway and Wright to the outside Centre
Eastwood have been weakened in the centre's most of the year due to injury but they are strong everywhere else. Ayoub is playing very well and will get plenty of ball to use his very fast outside channels. Donlan and nugget play a more disruptive game than boileau (IMHO is just a passer and creates very little uncertainty). What worries me and was alluded to by Hoiles last week, is that everyone knows the randwick patterns (count the cut 2 balls from 10 whether on or not !) And pod system. It has been predicted and stopped by the majority and i think will be by eastwood. With so many changes in the backline again, its almost certain we will play these patterns. Roods at jnside will be interesting as he is an outside and kellaway has been best on the wing.

What worked well against west's was evaluation and adaptation at half time and bringing players back on angles to prevent lateral running which are the trademark of our backline play. Let's see what the return of the superstars brings!

 

[wamberal]

Everyone seems to have a go about Deegan's size.

I was not "having a go" Hugh, I was just asking a question. It seems pretty obvious that a player's physique matters more as he steps up the ladder.

I like the look of Deegan. I hope he makes the grade.


Thinking about your post, I have to say that weight, size, and strength do matter more in Australian rugby than it seems to amongst, for example, our cousins over the dtch. Probably because they learn to play the game earlier, harder, and tougher than us, and any kid who survives to adulthood and still looks good is big enough.

Cruden, for example, might not be much bigger than Deegan. But Cruden has been moulded in a very tough crucible.


It is clearly relatively easier to stand out amongst SS players than it will be amongst full time professionals, if Deegan ends up at that level.


Actually, as I type this I am reminded of Russell Fairfax's debut in first grade for the Wicks, when he was 17 years old and still in high school. I went to watch him play against the Woodies at Millner, and was stunned at how weedy he looked. He kept out of trouble, as I thought he would have to, for quite a while, but then, from broken play, he made a jigging, dancing run through a few bemused defenders, not noticing Ken Taylor looming up on his blind side. Taylor (the youngest of the three Taylor brothers) was big and tough, and he absolutely creamed the kid. The kid jumped up, shook his head, and kept playing, better than ever.

Than again, that was then, and this is now. I will wait to see how Deegan progresses, hoping that he is tough enough, even if he is not quite big enough.

 

[I like to watch]

Everyone seems to have a go about Deegan's size.

It was supposed to prevent him making an impact for the AAGPS rep team.
It was supposed to keep him out of the NSW Schools rep teams.
It was supposed to make him a liability against the bigger Academy honed U18 teams on the Northern Tour with the Aust Schoolboys.
It was supposed to stop him from being selected to the State U20 team in his first year out of school.

His success appears to have sparked certain persons into an on-line campaign against him - (allegedly signing with West Tigers, or moving to two wheeled pursuits with AIS Cycling with no apparent basis of fact in either).

At every stage he has prove all the sceptics wrong. Size doesn't matter.

The Wicks have recruited well. He is a very skilled player and has a very bright future in front of him.

Most posts mentioning his size,commented that he punched well above his weight,rather than suggest he was not big enough to compete.
The posts about Mungoe and cycling were complimentary to him about him being multi talented.
But back to the Wicks,it's interesting that they have played him almost exclusively at 15.
With him at 10,Horwitz 12,Roods 13,Kellaway 15.
You have many more players in their preferred position.

 

[Pete King]

Let's see what the return of the superstars brings! More of the case without superstars Carraro and Hoiles and see what the up and comers can do. Ill actually back them to go alright, The biggest challenge Eastwood presents is the tight 5 battle. Would have like to have seen Harris in for Pinomi

 

[Pete King]

Pretty handy backrow too actually but Connor and Munro are two of our better players and Figg was better then he has been last week.

 

[the coach]

Pretty handy backrow too actually but Connor and Munro are two of our better players and Figg was better then he has been last week.

I agree about Figg, giving up the captaincy may have paid dividends. I thought Pinomi went well against his old club last week and I think Harris is probably better suited to 6 or 8.

 

[MACCA]

Pretty handy backrow too actually but Connor and Munro are two of our better players and Figg was better then he has been last week.

I reckon Connor has been our best this year. Week in week out he just keeps putting in. There may be better 7s out there but he'll do me.