MONARO COMPETITION

[berrablue]

Sorry, BB but have to disagree on this one. If there is nothing for a player of genuine talent to aim for then why play. All you get is the old guys running around for the fun of it. But with no young guys coming through, there's no more old guys in a few years time. Then there's no game.

There are a large number of Wallabies, and state players over the last 100 years that didn't start in the Shute Shield or Premier Rugby. Take away this and what are the scouts you're suggesting going to look at. Country League players that might make the transistion?

I agree that there were players scouted from grass roots in the last 100 years. Can you name me a couple of grass roots guys that have made it in the last ten or fifteen years?
In the last four years Daley, Palmer, Hobbs, Doughty all former NSW Waratahs academy players. Binks and Munro first grade Sydney Uni colts. Roache, Delaney, Barrat and Mar NSW Country. All these guys moved to Wagga in their mid twenties for work or uni and not one was picked up from SIRU by Canberra to go further. These are the Wagga Waratahs examples alone. Most of these guys sore the rep stuff for what it is, a one off nothing game against a police or half strength army side, and didnt go back again.
We need either genuine pathways or to save the dollars and to put it back into our clubs/competitions.
I say this not to be a smart arse but to show that there is genuine talent not being recognised. Most of these blokes should of been in their prime for further development.

 

[Almost 2 old]

I will agree with you that there is genuine talent within the zones scattered throughout the scrub , but, unless players are absolutely committed to training 2/3 times per week starting in December and trial games starting February they will find it extremely difficult to have the fitness level that is required for next level rugby. I know all those players that you have mentioned and I have seen plenty of others over many years but the gap has become so wide between metro level and scrub level that fitness and strength preparation are prerequisites almost before your ability to actually play the game.

At the Provincial vs Combined Services game there was club representatives from Qbian Royals Owls Wests and also Laurie Fisher.There may have been others that I didn't notice but these players are being noted. It is up to the player to place themselves into a physical condition and geographical position to be noticed. This is not a new "professional" thing in Rugby as positioning existed for one reason or another well before 1995.

 

[Rugby Central]

I agree that there were players scouted from grass roots in the last 100 years. Can you name me a couple of grass roots guys that have made it in the last ten or fifteen years?
In the last four years Daley, Palmer, Hobbs, Doughty all former NSW Waratahs academy players. Binks and Munro first grade Sydney Uni colts. Roache, Delaney, Barrat and Mar NSW Country. All these guys moved to Wagga in their mid twenties for work or uni and not one was picked up from SIRU by Canberra to go further. These are the Wagga Waratahs examples alone. Most of these guys sore the rep stuff for what it is, a one off nothing game against a police or half strength army side, and didnt go back again.
We need either genuine pathways or to save the dollars and to put it back into our clubs/competitions.
I say this not to be a smart arse but to show that there is genuine talent not being recognised. Most of these blokes should of been in their prime for further development.

Hardly being a smartarse to point out that the administration is F@#$ed. Not part of the structures so I can't speculate as to why these players weren't picked.

But without the provinvcial system every decent player west of the Blue Mountains will have to go to Sydney to be noticed. They will have to uproot from family, friends, jobs.....their whole life just to find out if they're good enough. Not everyone has that luxury. At least the current system provides some identification so there's some basis behind taking such a gamble.

Lets not forget the moment every semi-taleted kid leaves the regional competitions who's going to support country rugby? While I love the big hearts of country rugby sponsors, there's usually a commercial imperative behind the support.

The pathway might be broken but it's worth fixing, not throwing away.

 

[yourmatesam]

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I started responding to this and got sidetracked, but defintely agree with the points that @Almost 2 old makes. There is plenty of talent in the bush that has the ability to compete at a higher level, however I'm not convinced that players are able to commit the time and effort required to be able to compete at a higher level consistently.

All handy players in this area have full time jobs, families etc located within or around the regional centres - travel is a killer as are the above mentioned commitments. From what I have seen of the handier players in this area, they are peaking around that June Long Weekend period because they have had a good 12 weeks of match fitness under their belts by then. When the provinces are looking for talent though, it is generally December/January and these players aren't at the same fitness levels as the professional or semi-professional players are and they get smoked at that time of year.

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I wonder if the guys you mentioned would relocat to Canberra/Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane if given the opportunity to have a crack at those places. There's nothing stopping players fronting up to Easts/Uni-Norths in Canberra or Penrith in Sydney and having a crack - if they're good enough, they'll get noticed.

Recent players who have played First Grade in SIRU and for SIRU Rep Team who have played at a higher level:
Dan Selmes - Tuggies (now back at Waratahs), Jake Eaglesham - Uni-Norths (now back at Waratahs), Ben Leaper - Uni-Norths/QBN??, Eddie Lagaali - Royals (played in SIRU 7's), James Olds and Scott Meakins - Uni-Norths. From memory Dave Armstrong and Ben Leaper also had the chance to play against Brumbies Academy players last year or two years ago. Add SIRU Juniors - Robbie and AJ Abel @ Royals also

The reality is that if a player from the country wants to play at a higher level, they have to move. Angus Scott, Nic Henderson are cases in point.

 

[Almost 2 old]

I think we have gone off the Monaro thread too far...

 

[yourmatesam]

I think we have gone off the Monaro thread too far.

But onto a good topic, no?

 

[No.8]

Lets not forgot Andrew Fifita who played for the Southern Inland team - just signed a 3.4 million dollar deal with the Bulldogs - I am not saying that this sort of talent is everything throughout the Monaro/South Coast/Southern Inland but it is there - and alot will go to league due to the better pathways....The pathways are ok with Union but could def be better....

There is not enough rep footy played at this level/with enough scouts watching....The Brumbies Provincial side should at least be selected and then go on tour for a week - not just a one off game...

 

[yourmatesam]

Lets not forgot Andrew Fifita who played for the Southern Inland team .

You would have to say that he is the exception to the rule.

Didn't he grow up in western Sydney?

I'd be interested to know what value you see in sending the team on tour for a week?

 

[No.8]

You would have to say that he is the exception to the rule.

Didn't he grow up in western Sydney?

I'd be interested to know what value you see in sending the team on tour for a week?

Oh course mate - and thats what I said above - not going to have players like this running around all over the place - but I guess these are the sorts of players that COULD be there and COULD be missed.

I think the Provincial side should be selected more on development/players that could develop into something more, based on skill, size, strength etc - I know there prob isnt the money to throw around with this - but even if they stayed in Canberra and played acouple of the 1st/2nd grade sides here maybe 2-3 games over a week - spent time at places like the Vikings etc - more like a training camp than a tour I guess and more a time to give scouts a better look at players that could make the move.

I think there were some players that were selected for "doing a good job" "good reward" etc which is great and all players should be rewarded but maybe they should make it more into a development tool - ay if 1 player a yr can make the move to Sydney or Canberra and go onto play 1st grade etc then isnt it worth it?

Its totally just an idea - do I think it would ever happen? No. Do I think they should do more with the Provincial Side....yes....

 

[Almost 2 old]

Oh course mate - and thats what I said above - not going to have players like this running around all over the place - but I guess these are the sorts of players that COULD be there and COULD be missed.

I think the Provincial side should be selected more on development/players that could develop into something more, based on skill, size, strength etc - I know there prob isnt the money to throw around with this - but even if they stayed in Canberra and played acouple of the 1st/2nd grade sides here maybe 2-3 games over a week - spent time at places like the Vikings etc - more like a training camp than a tour I guess and more a time to give scouts a better look at players that could make the move.

I think there were some players that were selected for "doing a good job" "good reward" etc which is great and all players should be rewarded but maybe they should make it more into a development tool - ay if 1 player a yr can make the move to Sydney or Canberra and go onto play 1st grade etc then isnt it worth it?

Its totally just an idea - do I think it would ever happen? No. Do I think they should do more with the Provincial Side..yes..

As much as I said that this was the wrong thread..... A number of seasons ago (approx. 7) SIRU was given an opportunity to play in a 5 weeks preseason comp of the John I Dent competition. They played 1's and colts. This comp started about 3 weeks before SIRU's and finished after 3 weeks into the local comp. In the games the first half was reasonably well contested with the second half often blowing out. From memory they did win one game which I think was against Gungahlin. Coincidentally the colts team won a most of their games.

So in the end there was probably players who were not the best players sticking their hands up to play because they were reliable and would commit. It was possibly the best development tool that we could wish for & was the best platform that our emerging and established players could possibly hope for as it was right at our door, but, for one reason or another players would not commit. It was only offered to us once.

 

[yourmatesam]

This is the listed team that played Pampas XV in a friendly this arvo..Apologies for the Spanish.

ACT Brumbies: 1- Les Makin, 2- Josh Mann-Rea, 3- Allan Ala'alatoa; 4- Dave McKern; 5- Michael Stolberg; 6- Tim Cree, 7- Mesu Dolokoto, 8- Ben McGee; 9- Michael Dowsett, 10- Lionel Cronje; 11- Jerome Niumata, 23- Rodney Iona, 13- Haru Tatekawa, 14- Stephan Van der Walt; 15- Ben Johnston.
Suplentes: 16- Carl Elliot, 17- Andy Goslett, 18- Joe Shirley, 19- Jonno Nauopo, 20- Ben Leaper, 21- Pedro Rolando, 22- HP Momsen, 23- Jack Pinchin, 24- Ben Coutts, 25- Xavier Duffy, 26- Toby Wilson, 27- Drew Southwell y 28- Edan Campbell-O’Brien.

Also posted this in the SIRU thread as that is where Ben Leaper was playing for the past 3 years but thought that there might be some interest over here in the Monaro thread given the recent chat about pathways for SIRU players.

Goes to show that if you've got the biscuits you can make it to a represetative level from regional areas. Ben was spotted playing rugby in Wagga by a Canberra based club scout who contacted Ben and he chose to make the move to the ACT to play over there and his hard work has earned him a place in this team.

Good on him, I hope he takes this as far as he is able to.

 

[yourmatesam]

Brumbies Provincial team to play curtain raiser at Brumbies v Force, not a bad carrot for those guys who are keen to play rep football!

http://southerninland.rugbynet.com.au/default.asp?id=205895

 

[yourmatesam]

Mick McTaggart has put together a quick write up for the Brumbies Provincial Match tomorrow night at Canberra Stadium. Should be a tight encounter, the Provincial Team have got the wood over the Police, but they matches have all been very tight.

From what I have seen of the Police outfit, the starting XV are all very handy, but chinks appear in their armour later in the game when it comes time to sub on some reserves. This should be a cracker of a game if you're heading over to watch the Brumbies get up over the Force tomorrow night!

http://southerninland.rugbynet.com.au/default.asp?id=206851

 

[yourmatesam]

47-22 Brumbies over Police<br/>