National Rugby Championship 2014

[TOCC]

You only need to listen/read some of the interviews with some of the younger players coming through, they are relishing the opportunity to learn the requirements of professional rugby off players like Quade Cooper, Lachlan Turner and A. Fainga'a. This competition isn't just about keeping Super Rugby players up to standard and continuing their development(which is a critical component), its about accelerating the developing of younger players outside the Super Rugby starting XV as well...
Have a read of some of the interviews in here:
http://bit.ly/1AZeFgy

 

[Jagman]

My concern with using the comp as development, to the extent that the NRC so obviously has done so far, is that it might turn off broadcaster interest. If this proves to be true it would be yet another example of the sections of Australian rugby looking after their own interests at the expense of the greater product.

 

[TOCC]

Jagman i actually agree on that as well, Perth Spirit are a key point on this one and whilst i respect that some of their players have had a lot of travel to do this year, it doesn't help the competition if they are resting their 'key' or 'marquee' players overtime they have to play on the East Coast.

 

[Quick Hands]

Because rugby in Australia operates in a different environment than in does in NZ and SA, our competition is a little different. The NRC has to fulfil a development role, a expansion role and an entertainment/genuine 3T role. I think it's doing pretty well at all 3 at the moment. That's not to say it's perfect, but it's probably going as well as could be reasonably expected given the money available, media interest and the player pool available.

 

[Jagman]

Aren't there new development comps for school and U20 age grades? Lee Grant wrote an article on them earlier in the year. There is also that competition where the Super Rugby teams' B squads play against touring pacific teams which I'd expect to be vamped up with higher quality players in a RWC year.

 

[Lee Grant]

Aren't there new development comps for school and U20 age grades? Lee Grant wrote an article on them earlier in the year. There is also that competition where the Super Rugby teams' B squads play against touring pacific teams which I'd expect to be vamped up with higher quality players in a RWC year.

Details of the Under 20s games are sprinkled in this blog you referred to:

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/new-aussie-competitions-part-ii-under-20s/

The main segment of games were in the National Under 20s Competition last March.

But the NSW training for them started in October 2013, with a few players being added and weeded out as the weeks went by to the the end of 2013.

In NSW the surviving players in the new year played a series of trial games including against the senior Argentine Pampas XV (some of whom are playing in the test match in Mendoza on the weekend). They also played against a Oz Baas senior team.

After all that the NSW squad for the Under 20s nationals was chosen.

Qld would have done something similar, but the process for the Combined States team was different. They actually had a tournament to select their team.


Ideally we should be running an Under19 competition now in tandem with the NRC as they have done in the RSA for years and the Kiwis have started up this year (no doubt shaken by their poor results - for them - in the IRB Under 20s).

If the ARC had prevailed since 2007 we could well be at the point where we could start some similar but we have to get to a more mature stage and bed the seniors down first. Some of our NRC players are struggling as we thought they would.

In the meantime we have to grow the numbers of players who are Under 19 qualified in every year otherwise we could set up an Under 19 competition but not have enough players.

This comes back to having enough Under 19's playing in Colts in the first half of the season when club rugby is on—and around in circles we go.
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[Pass it to Dunning!]

I'm wondering if the Sydney Stars will be around in their current form next season. They haven't won a single game. At the game today there were more Country fans in the stands and it seems no-one has any real affection for the Stars. Thinking it needs a total rebrand and the involvement of another Shute Shield team. Also thinking it might need to shift further east. There isn't really a rugby fan base in the inner-west.

 

[Pfitzy]

Yep good point. While it was suggested that Balmain were part of the JV, it was lip service at best. And by "lip service", I mean "bags of cash".

Looking into my cracked crystal ball, I see a future like this:

Uni (with or without the Muzzled Wolves) align themselves with Easts and Randwick in their triumvirate of evil, while Country NSW actually becomes Country NSW with a few of the boys from any club who were raised in the sticks.

Its kind of what should have happened in the first place.

Shame Country and Southern Districts didn't align sooner, really.

 

[RugbyFuture]

wicks won't pair up with uni. Probs won't stick with country. Unis options are to go at it losing for a while before they get better or try and lure west harbour from the rams.

 

[barbarian]

I don't think the Stars are that far away, with one or two gun signings they could be mid-table with ease.

And as long as Warren Livingstone is willing to pony up the big dollars then they will have a place at the table, and rightfully so. We are in no place to be turning away people like him.
.

 

[Ash]

The worst thing that could happen is that another Sydney team is added (say, Randwick), potentially making three teams easy beats - Stars, the new team, maybe NSW Country.

Randwick and Easts need to fit into the existing set of Sydney teams somehow, and it that is a re-distribution of the Stars, then tough.

 

[Tomikin]

The worst thing that could happen is that another Sydney team is added (say, Randwick), potentially making three teams easy beats - Stars, the new team, maybe NSW Country.

Randwick and Easts need to fit into the existing set of Sydney teams somehow, and it that is a re-distribution of the Stars, then tough.

Although potentially the stars could become the best team. clear direct path to the NRC less competition from multiple clubs into one NRC Team, and let's not forget they have money.

Why would the Star want to add other clubs. They don't need too. They will get better..

 

[Highlander35]

Long term the cap on Super players may be lifted, and the team they've played with historically, that's put work into their development may be favoured.

With pretty much a full team worth of ex Sydney Uni boys running around Super Rugby, links to more players, and the fact that it seems to be an eternal talent factory, they're perhaps not too far away from being capable.

In the long term, an ITM Cup like set up (2 divisions of 6, play everybody in your own division plus 3 in the other) would allow weaker teams, like the stars, a Randwick consortium, a Radelaide side, and a QLD Country split into Gold Coast & Toowoomba/Townsville, to remain competitive,

 

[Braveheart81]

Surely the best case scenario is if the Stars want to take part in the competition next year on the same basis as this year.

If the least successful team in the comp is keen to stump up the money to play again then all the best to them.

It's not like the Stars have been wildly uncompetitive.

The NSW Country Eagles team has been great I think and has had a reasonable involvement from Easts and Randwick played games in a several country locations and has been a success on the field. I don't think there should be any rush to try and change that. Being based in Sydney seems to be a necessity for a team like this at this stage.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

I was at the game...stars were certainly competitive so don't think can write them off for future seasons...they only just lost game against country with chance to beat them and last home game drew 37 all with Vikings so certainly competitive against top teams.

Inner west right place to attract some rugby fans over time...but yes agree with comment seem to be more country fans than stars fans at game yesterday....will take time but they have money and I think great opportunity to sell this concept to inner west.

I don't think they need another club as partner as lets face it Sydney Uni a very strong rugby club and then got Balmain dollars....but unless Balmain step up in shute shield (don't know if even possible in next few years) always going to be seeing a stars team full of uni players..

For me hope stars stay as in my local area which key attraction

Been to every home game so far and will go to last one on Thursday 16

 

[Pfitzy]

Woah there units! I wasn't talking about next year - I was talking about a few seasons from now.

And if it really gets legs, we'll be looking at shortening the club rugby seasons anyway.

 

[Tomikin]

Woah there units! I wasn't talking about next year - I was talking about a few seasons from now.

And if it really gets legs, we'll be looking at shortening the club rugby seasons anyway.

I'm not saying your wrong but what do the stars get from adding Randwick and Easts.. they don't need the money?

 

[Pass it to Dunning!]

I'm not saying your wrong but what do the stars get from adding Randwick and Easts.. they don't need the money?

They need the players and they need the support base. There is no NRC team for the eastern suburbs and Randwick and Easts supporters will need to be prompted to cheer on the Stars. I'm sure if the Stars had the involvement of just one more Shute Shield team their close losses would have been wins.

 

[Braveheart81]

I don't get why Randwick and Easts would be keen to move away from the NSW Country Eagles next year. The team has been a success on the field and should hopefully get a home semi final.

They have hosted one game at Coogee and played away games at Brookvale and Leichhardt.

It's not like Easts and Randwick fans have had no team to support. I think it would alienate more fans by joining the Stars than keeping the status quo which is going nicely.

 

[Pfitzy]

Well, for starters, Coogee is a shit ground. Sure the weather wasn't great, but it is hardly packing awesome facilities - Easts would be better if they'd paint their fucking change rooms.