John I Dent Cup and ACT competition - 2012

[FTS]

Tuggeranong defeated Sunnybank 47-32 to win the Australian Club challenge. Will be hard to see them not go back to back in this years John I Dent.

 

[Empire]

I agree with your prediction, but like anyone from outside of Tuggeranong, I'll back anyone else to win it over them!

They have certainly padded out their 1st and 2nd's - this depth will most likely see them through.

I'm interested to see how the Owls will go - they have lost a few top players Vikings and Wests respectively - it's a pity to see guys changing clubs locally.

 

[FTS]

Yeah Vikings will have really good depth as they usually do. I think Queanbeyan may shape up to go back to back in Colts though with quite a few players returning and some good players coming into the program.

And it is disappointing about players moving clubs, I wonder what the motivates them to do that, especially if you have a cemented first grade spot at your club. I can only guess money / better quality team / personal falling out?

 

[Grant Jones]

Adam Fahey comes to Queanbeyan as assistant to Southwell, not the other way around. Leon Power will be playing his club rugby at Queanbeyan this year! Queanbeyan get lucky to have an extra player as one of our own in Hegarty got a promotion!

 

[Slim 293]

So Royals get one less Brumby than everyone else?

Ha!

 

[Empire]

Easts welcomed Ben Hand and Jerry Y tonight - great to see the boys getting involved with the locals.

Big Pauli Bithell has returned to Easts from Royals, a big gain. His huge runs were crucial to Easts success in 2008.

Wests this weekend, glad to be back in it!

 

[Bullrush]

Trials Saturday!! Can't wait.......enough flipping tyres and shit - let's play RUGBY!! Cheeee-hooooo!!

 

[humanbeast]

I hear Vikings 1st grade beat Sydney uni 21-0 and Vikings 2nd grade also had a victory

 

[FTS]

I hear Vikings 1st grade beat Sydney uni 21-0 and Vikings 2nd grade also had a victory

Correct Vikings won in Bowral yesterday in a physical and at times violent game. Second grade won 19-12, and colts went down 30-0 I think. Also heard Gunghalin defeated Royals in their trial can anyone confirm?

 

[strapping]

Any standouts in either Gunghalin or Vikings games? So now Vikings have defeated Sunnybank and Syd uni.. good start to a season.

 

[Empire]

Easts had a loss to Wests, 3 tries to 5 (I think) - that said Wests went uncontested for the second half after our scrum became well and truly dominant. I would have predicted an Easts win should the scrums had continued.

Actually, without knowing the answer (and not being adverse to safety first), is not having a 'trained second rower' a reason to go uncontested? That was the excuse from Wests, and frankly it had us confused. Won them the trial however.

In colts, we had a second rower yellowed, and yet the referee didn't care about not having 'trained second rowers"...

 

[Bullrush]

Correct Vikings won in Bowral yesterday in a physical and at times violent game. Second grade won 19-12, and colts went down 30-0 I think. Also heard Gunghalin defeated Royals in their trial can anyone confirm?

I think our (Gungahlin's) 2nd's lost but our 1st's won.

I was too busy trying to find my lungs I left somewhere around the field

 

[Slim 293]

So Vikings have beaten Sunnybank, and now Sydney Uni...

I wonder what David Begg thinks about that?

 

[Bullrush]

Correct Vikings won in Bowral yesterday in a physical and at times violent game. Second grade won 19-12, and colts went down 30-0 I think. Also heard Gunghalin defeated Royals in their trial can anyone confirm?

Had dinner last night with a good mate who played in the Vikings game. He said there were too many fights to just about count!! Apparently Uni couldn't believe they lost - I love those kind of wins

 

[FTS]

Had dinner last night with a good mate who played in the Vikings game. He said there were too many fights to just about count!! Apparently Uni couldn't believe they lost - I love those kind of wins

Yeah from all reports Bullrush there was numerous fights in colts, then even more in first grade. Maybe being a trial and there being no fear of suspension etc was the reason more players were reluctant to throw a few. Hopefully this vikings victory makes some people realise there is rugby outside of sydney and their competition is definitely not the be all and end all of club rugby.

 

[Done that]

Yeah from all reports Bullrush there was numerous fights in colts, then even more in first grade. Maybe being a trial and there being no fear of suspension etc was the reason more players were reluctant to throw a few. Hopefully this vikings victory makes some people realise there is rugby outside of sydney and their competition is definitely not the be all and end all of club rugby.

Only a minor skirmish or two in colts, nothing to speak of.

 

[Brumby Jack]

Bit of a dig at Manly in this article...

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/rug...dog-after-vikings-rampage-20120321-1vilg.html

 

[Slim 293]

I think the Canberra Times should sent some copies to the Manly RFU...

ACT top dog after Vikings rampage

Chris Wilson

March 21, 2012


Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/act-top-dog-after-vikings-rampage-20120321-1vilg.html#ixzz1phRR0Lp1​

The Sydney rugby boss who labelled the ACT's John I Dent Cup a "Mickey Mouse competition" is starting to look a little goofy.

The Tuggeranong Vikings have again called for an annual fixture between the ACT, NSW and Queensland to decide the best club rugby team in Australia, having knocked off premier sides from Brisbane and Sydney in the past fortnight.

The Vikings were unofficially crowned national club champions two weeks ago after defeating 2011 Brisbane premier Sunnybank 47-32 at its home ground. Sydney premier Eastwood declined to play.

Tuggeranong then backed that victory up at Bowral on Saturday with a 21-0 whitewash of Sydney University, runner-up in last year's NSW Shute Shield competition and winner of six consecutive premierships prior to that.

Sydney rugby clubs, including Uni, have been critical of the decision by ACT Brumbies coach Jake White to force his contracted players to break links with Sydney clubs and commit to Canberra's John I Dent competition when they are not playing Super Rugby.

Manly's rugby president David Begg has publicly stated that he would challenge the decision via the Australian Rugby Union, claiming it was a "joke" and that Canberra was a "Mickey Mouse competition".

Tuggeranong coach Dan McKellar spent most of his career coaching and playing in Brisbane, while he also respected the Sydney rugby competition.

But the Vikings answered any criticism of Canberra's competition in the best possible way – on the scoreboard.

"Maybe he [Begg] could come down and watch a couple of games in the John I Dent Cup because we don't see ourselves as a Mickey Mouse club, that's for sure," McKellar said. "We run what we think is a pretty professional program here.

"We like to put in a pathway for our players that aspire to play the game at a high level.

"We think we're heading in the right direction and results from the last couple of weeks show that we're doing something right."

Begg said White's decision would be detrimental to Sydney rugby, robbing his club and others of top-class players.

But two of the former Manly players referred to by Begg – Brumbies Robbie Coleman and Anthony Hegarty – are Queanbeyan juniors.

"I don't know the history of Queanbeyan but I know enough to realise those boys are born and bred Queanbeyan players and they're playing Super Rugby now because of what Queanbeyan rugby club did for them, not for what Manly did for them," McKellar said.

White has been assertive about his decision to make players commit to the Canberra Competition. It enables the Brumbies to directly control the development of players, to engage with the community and to develop depth among local juniors.

"People have been saying a lot of things about club rugby in Canberra and what's nice is this is a great boost for us," White said of Tuggeranong's recent results.

"As the coach of this franchise it's great for the players to see that the level of Canberra first grade isn't poor because we can beat those top sides in Sydney and Brisbane."

The Tuggeranong Vikings have unsuccessfully tried in the past to engage with top Sydney and Brisbane clubs to form a club challenge among the three premiers from each competition, even offering to fund it at one stage.​

 

[Paradox]

Love it.

 

[Tahboy]

Does this mean English rugby league is stronger than Aust rugby league as the English club team generally beats the Aust club team in the club championship