Hybrid Game - Auggies v Keebra Park

[RedsHappy]

It was streamed on Foxsports. Some footage here:
http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/s...t-brookvale-oval/story-e6frf4pu-1226054238646

This clip sums up the whole thing pretty well, thanks for it! Great to see Hickey and Deans there.

It will no doubt be beyond the ARU's imaginative capability to see the huge income and fan-building potential of this exciting innovation. Say 1 or 2 annual Hybrid Code games either in a mode of Hybrid SOO or Wallabies-Kangaroos or Reds-Broncos etc could be major win-win for League and Rugby and build fans for both, whilst showing off the attractions of both to the AFL and soccer fans perhaps otherwise not interested.

It's almost guaranteed you'd fill a Suncorp and probably ANZ with the right promotion and I suspect they'd be tolerance of marginally higher ticket prices. This would likely be totally incremental $ income to the existing annual programs. Certainly what the ARU needs (or says it does).

 

[Rebel rouser]

I was getting ready to bag this idea out, but to be honest, it was pretty interesting to watch. The league rules in the defensive half basically encourage you to run it out rather than kicking and there's no risk of giving up easy penalties in your own territory. Basically equates to more ball in hand attacking and less penalties.

Clearly the green side (keebra?) were lacking in union skills which played seriously against them. Throughout the game they didn't compete effectively at the breakdown, allowing long attacking raids in their half. Their clean out was also pretty poor, allowing the odd pinch by the yellow side.

As far as the skill level went, I have to admit to being pretty impressed with these schoolkids. Clearly some good talent there. Only thing that was a bit amiss was decision making - a few dodgy hail mary passes in there, but that can be coached out of someones game.

 

[Lee Grant]

Yeah they did pick props, however they seemed more light (schoolboys) and mobile than senior props. It really was a game of ball control against the pressure of the scoring clock. In the end, the closer the ball was turned over to the attacking half the better.

Yeah as I indicated the Augies props and locks were not big boppers - at least by their standards of previous years when they've had big props like Mokofisi and the two Manus. But they were their legit props. As mentioned: Augies are going to have a lightish front row this year.

 

[dudebudstud]

It was streamed on Foxsports. Some footage here:
http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/s...t-brookvale-oval/story-e6frf4pu-1226054238646

I can't view that as I am not in OZ damnit! Anyone care to repost the video somewhere?

 

[Rugby Parent]

Was in Sydney so I stopped in to see the game.

Not sure that the rules are completely neutral (ie in my view slightly favouring union over league) but it was a good spectacle and at the very least would be a framework that would allow the Kangaroos and the Wallabies to be pitted against each other as a spectacle, but not as a way of determining the superior athletes or the more skilled game, or reading too much into the result on the scoreboard.

In respect of the game I saw i.e. a school boy rugby game - really enjoyed the skills on show by both sides. Am an admirer of Keebra Park and see them as having the superior athletes across the whole squads on show, but was impresesed by St Auggies numbers 7, 5, 4 and 11 and enjoyed a cameo from St Auggies number 15 in attack and defence (appeared to only come on in the second half -though I stand to be corrected).

 

[Lee Grant]

...was impressed by St Auggies numbers 7, 5, 4 and 11 and enjoyed a cameo from St Auggies number 15 in attack and defence.

The numbers the players used bore no relation to the union numbers.

7. Fabian Naoli (scrummie in union) - could be NSW Schools rep.
5. Luke Vescio (14) - the other wing, Conor Firth, was good too.
4. JJ Purcell (12) - think Lloyd Walker - NSW Ones 2010.
11. Rhys Dombkins (4) - but look for him as a future 8 - outstanding match. Oz A Schools 2010)
15. Jake Osborne (?)