Heelers vs NSW Cockies - any news?

[saulih]

Anyone have any news of the two games played between NSW Cockatoos Vs NT Mozzies and particularly NSW Cockatoos vs QLD Heelers?

Have been searching around for news on the results but nothing has been posted.

 

[Brumby Jack]

The NSW Country Cockatoos have started their double header clash on the Gold Coast with a resounding win against the Darwin 'Mosquitoes'. The Cockies downed the Northern Territory representative team 43-20 at Palm Beach Currumbin Rugby Club, Currumbin Waters crossing the line for 6 tries, 6 conversions and 1 penalty goal.
The Cockatoos piled on 31 points in the first half with little resistance from their northern opposition to go into the break with a 31-3 time scoreline in their favour. Illawarra Colts & Country Championship winning Captain Jake Walker was called up to the senior Country Representative team for the Gold Coast clash after strong performances this season for Country Colts. The young No8 made a successful debut to the big time by being voted Man of the Match by his peers.

http://www.nswcountryrugby.com.au/news/news-archive/young-cocky-squashes-mozzies-in-debut

The NSW Country Cockatoos have retained their recent ascendancy over Queensland Country Heelers, scoring a 19-17 victory in the final game of the 2010 interstate challenge on the Gold Coast on Saturday night.

The Heelers had every chance to win the game, dominating possession and territory in the final 30 minutes, but missed a penalty kick in front of the posts and were unable to break down the Cockatoos’ resistance.

The Cockatoos finished the 2010 challenge unbeaten after beating the Northern Territory Mosquitoes 43-20 on Friday night.

NSW Country Cockatoos 19 d Queensland Country Heelers 17
http://www.qru.com.au/library/news/2010/100529_cockatoos_v_heelers,71977.html/section/62402

 

[saulih]

ahhh shite

thanks

 

[saulih]

oh, and very nice that you got the cockies logo up on the thread... huh, were the hell is the Heelers!? huh!

I guess that's what you get when you lose.

 

[en_force_er]

The NSW Country Cockatoos have started their double header clash on the Gold Coast with a resounding win against the Darwin 'Mosquitoes'. The Cockies downed the Northern Territory representative team 43-20 at Palm Beach Currumbin Rugby Club, Currumbin Waters crossing the line for 6 tries, 6 conversions and 1 penalty goal.

I thought NT rugby was a joke. They must of pushed hard to squeeze a team that can compete with NSW country out of their competition. Good on them.

 

[Ruggo]

Rugby in the NT is a joke at the administration level. Talant wise there are some good players getting around. A few things have caused grief in NT Rugby. Some years back NT rugby converted to a dry season sport (winter down south) and this put us in direct competition with League. This was done on the base that it would bring the season into line with the Australian Rugby Shield. The ARS is long gone and we are still competing with League. When we were a wet season sport, we had huge amounts players that played both Union and League and we could field an A,B and C grade competitivly amongst all clubs. We used to entice players from down south clubs to come up and play in their off season and clubs used to arrainge employment and accomodation. The current Mozzie players are from all over the Territory. Darwin, Alice Springs, Gove and Katherine. That is a huge logistical problem geographically. There are some bloody good players in the Territory and some are young with huge potentual. Don't bother looking to schools to identify them. Look at the clubs. Many young players are early school leavers that have entered the trades for a career. The talent is also spread across the remote areas geographically. Will Chambers is from Gove which is remote. In Waikato there is a young scrum half by the name of Nerada Kerr-Barlow. He is a product of Darwing and is from the same club as me. (Palmerston Crocs)

Given our issues the Mozzies do NT Rugby proud and take them lightly at your own risk.

 

[en_force_er]

Thanks for the insight Ruggo. What's the comp like nowadays?

 

[Ruggo]

The comp is really struggling these days. 5 teams in A grade and 7 in B grade. One of the B grade teams is club who's seniors faded away some years ago through lack of numbers. It has always been a strong junior club and now some of the boys are at the age to enter senior rugby but A grade is a step too far. The ARU volunteer of the year award went to a bloke from this club last year or the year before. (Humpty Doo Swampdogs) This is a huge credit to their volunteers and a true indication that it is the volunteers that keep the code going up here. The other B grade team is form Jabiru, a mining town in the middle of Kakadu. Shift work prevents them from being competitive in A grade. We have alot of AJ's play up here and when they are away on an exercise, the comp loses huge amounts of players. We constantly lose loyal volunteers through exhaustion (I am one of them) as they get sick of recieving no cooperation from administration. Quallity wise, we have alway had some really good games though over the years and the clubs compete well.

Administration is an old boys club but I think rugby in Australia is the same everywhere.

 

[topo]

One of those big NT locks must have been watching old vids of Matfield v Byron Kelleher from a few years ago. Came through a lineout and hit the NSW Country halfback high, breaking his jaw. Poor kid's first run on for Country as well!

 

[en_force_er]

One of those big NT locks must have been watching old vids of Matfield v Byron Kelleher from a few years ago. Came through a lineout and hit the NSW Country halfback high, breaking his jaw. Poor kid's first run on for Country as well!

It is awfully hard for a big lock to get low enough to tackle a small halfback. Particularly if he is trying to get low.

Still, jaw is pretty high.

 

[Ruggo]

It is a shame to hear that. Hope the young fella recovers well.

 

[Albert]

Young fella is Tommy Hollis, from the mighty Albies club in Armidale. Still only 20 or 21... would benefit from a kind, caring Sydney club teeing him up a job in the big smoke. Can play, due to finish uni this year (I think). Will hopefully be back in time for the New England final series.

I'm not sure how much attention Shute Shield clubs pay to the Cockies, but there are some great footy players who've worn that NSW Country jumper. I know the Tahs invite a few to pre-season camps each Nov / Dec, not sure how many filter into Sydney grade ranks. In recent times, Ross Duncan was a great no 7 who played a bit, James McCormack propped (or hooked?) for the Brumbies for a short stint, Scotty Fava was a Cock(ie)...

Many people forget, Brumby flyer Frankie Fanifo got his break through the Cockies. Leading tryscorer back in 04 or 05, offered a gig in the Runners program, worked his way through the grades, and became a genuine starting player at Randwick and South Randwick (The Brumbies...)

 

[saulih]

A note on NT view on the selection of QLD country side (from http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/06/03/152811_ntsport.html )

Qld outfit pulls the rug over Mozzies
PETER TIFFEN

June 3rd, 2010


TERRITORY rugby coach Andrew Jackson said the Queensland Country side that beat the Mozzies last week was not a true country team.

"Twelve of their run-on side last Wednesday play in the Brisbane premier division," Jackson said.

The Heelers beat the Territory 55-12 in Brisbane.

The win avenged last year's 24-12 loss to the NT.

But NT officials said if the game had been part of the Australian Rugby Shield program Brisbane premier grade players would have been excluded.

Queensland Country coach Glenn Panoho defended the side, the bulk of which which was made up of players from the Sunshine Coast Stingrays side he coached to the Queensland Country Championship title and the Gold Coast Breakers, who also play in the Brisbane Premier division.

"They may play in the premier grade but they are all from country areas and to me are country players," Panoho said. "They are the best players that played in the country championships."

But Jackson said the Bananabenders' selection policy did not wash.

"They only had three country players," he said.

"As far as I'm concerned Queensland Country is teams that play outside the premier grade of rugby in Brisbane. They are country players in the fact that they don't live in the city - that would be the only way they could justify that.

"Basically if they are from the country then fair enough, but they play in the Brisbane premier grade which according to the ARU is the level below Super 14."

Palmerston captain Lee Verrall suffered concussion in the match against the Heelers and was taken to hospital.

He was released after several hours of observation but did not play in last Friday's 43-20 loss to NSW Country on the Gold Coast.

Second-rower Verrall's place in the NT side that played the Cockatoos was taken by Alice Springs' Josh Hes.

University Pirates' Matt Grooby and Palmerston's Sean Kiliner were elected to the board of the NTRU at its annual general meeting last Friday.

So should QLD country competition exclude the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast now they are in the premier competition? Seems a little whiney from the losing crowd... I think the NT discounts their ability to put up a decent fight.