NSW AAGPS 2024

[sundayeightpm]

Exactly - but I actually believe this is 'by design'. The ASRU Schools Championships is a tired concept that RA and the State Unions do not fully support. Ultimately, they want the academies (Waratahs, Brumbies, Reds) etc to be the premium product. The very fact that we have an Aus Barbarians team that goes some place on tour, and an U18 and Aus Schoolboys side that Tours or Plays NZ says that these 2 pathways are not aligned. To make a point, using the data available...if I look at the team lists from ASRU Champs played in 2022 (https://schoolsrugby.com.au/boys-team-lists/) and see how many are in the current Aus U20 team who played Georgia last night I get...0.

 

[Billy McGee]

I think the question is - why?
I don’t see the upside in declaring PONI.
If they’re good enough, they will play well enough to make it through.
If it’s to quarantine from league, that’s not working.
Consolidate pathways rather than running them parallel and the cream should still rise to the top

 

[sundayeightpm]

Here's an idea - based on a theory I have that RA and the State Unions make $0 from Schools Rugby on a day by day, year to year basis (in the long run they profit from the players produced), and hence they have little interest or involvement. If for example the private schools charged the Rugby League who have signed players in the Schools Rugby Program (think - Walsh at St Augs, Woods - St Pats) and RA had a funding arrangement in place (supported by corporates), whereby they match a subsidy that the private schools received from the NRL club...would RA take Schools Rugby more seriously?

 

[Billy McGee]

All comes back to $$ in the bank.
Jersey Flegg and Harold Mats programs can’t currently be matched with the RA close to insolvent.
The idea has merit but funding - eveb with dwindling corporate support - is the elephant in the room

 

[sundayeightpm]

All comes back to $$ in the bank.
Jersey Flegg and Harold Mats programs can’t currently be matched with the RA close to insolvent.
The idea has merit but funding - eveb with dwindling corporate support - is the elephant in the room

Agree - focus on the key competitive advantage we have as a game... a connection to work post-footy. Looking cloer at Rugby League (credit to this post from Daneel in 2010 - https://www.1eyedeel.com/forum/topics/the-average-career-of-a-first):

*36 per cent of players have played fewer than 10first-grade games.

*56.8 per cent played less than 30 top-grade games.

*A staggering 82.2 per cent played less than 100.

*The average career spans only 49 first-grade games and 4.2 years.

Out of every single player who has spent most of their youth pursuing a dream, those that actually go on to making a proper living out of the game is minimal.

Please also consider these stats :-

* Players out of the game after a year (depending on injuries, suspensions etc): 65 per cent.

* Out of the game after two years: 75 per cent.

* Out of the game after five years: 88 per cent.

Remind talented player X's Mum of these numbers and see if a different decision gets made re: playing career?

 

[jack andrews]

From a bit of research I've done I want to clear up some stuff.
There are 7 players selected in the PONI squad from GPS this year:
Angus Grover (I)
Toby Brial (S)
Luca Cleverley (N)
Issac Fonua (K)
Tom Hartman (I)
Marshall Le Maitre (E)
Jay Mckenzie (S)

This was selected from the 2 Academy games v Queensland at the beginning of they year. These players above were not selected in the NSW schools side as they will have their own training camps with the rest of the NSW PONI players while the schools side are playing in Queensland.
For the likes of Makasini, Rodwell, Bassingswaite. Because of their tight affiliation with league clubs, they will particiapate in no further REP rugby.

A lot of the comments on this forum are based on the 'form' players not getting picked and the PONI players not 'progressing' as much throughout the year, since they already nationally recognised.

My rebuttal to this, is that there are 2 further announcements for the 'form' players to join the PONI squad. Right now the squad is at 25, and the 2 further announcements will make it 40. From this, the 40 best U18 players in the country will go to camp in canberra. On september 25 or 26th they play an internal trial against each other called 'Green vs Gold'. After this trial, the coaches select 25 boys to fly to NZ and send 15 boys home.

So for those PONI players not 'improving' in their game, the 'form' players will have an opportunity against them if they make the PONI squad, so they make the Aus u18s team.

I tried to make this as clear as possible but feel free to reply with any questions you may have.

 

[runningrugbyrules]

And the game before. ISA beat Pres B 36-7. The main final is Pres A v ISA. Should be a cracker.

Agree ISA I v GPS I 16A will be a cracker at 1430

ISA have 4/5 backs all Oakhill who were in the NSW U15 last year (and one forward), 8 9 10 13 15

They all played very well v GPS II running the ball at every opportunity scoring 3/4 long range tries, will make Oakhill a handful the next 2 years

Will be interesting if any of them switch schools next year

Bloomfield 13# is the cousin of the Kings prop

Spooner 10# is son of a Barker boy

 

[Maul of Duty]

GPS Pres A too strong today. Forwards dominated pushing ISA scrum back every time. A couple of the ISA backs played well but the GPS backs had an answer for everything thrown at them.
I would have thought the ISA backs would have had a bigger impact given they had that many in the u15 NSW side. It definitely was not noticed this afternoon and I thought the GPS backs in general showed better decision making and also defence as well

 

[runningrugbyrules]

GPS win, great game

GPS tight 5 dominated ISA all day in her real play, scrums and line outs

ISA kept pushing the ball wide in the wet too early and dropping too much ball

Henry Troy (J) set up and scored tries for my best player

Breakaways Hicks (J) and Dempsey (View) very strong and GPS Centres Keone (N) & Large (S) tackled everything in sight

Half Ryan (J) very smooth all day

ISA 10# Spooner a class act and ISA‘s 3 NRL players Polly 8#, Bloomfield 13# and Feltham 15# have big futures

ISA needed a dry track to make this game closer

Judging from all the 16s tournament, Joeys will be dominant next year with scary depth

 

[FastNFurious]

From a bit of research I've done I want to clear up some stuff.
There are 7 players selected in the PONI squad from GPS this year:
Angus Grover (I)
Toby Brial (S)
Luca Cleverley (N)
Issac Fonua (K)
Tom Hartman (I)
Marshall Le Maitre (E)
Jay Mckenzie (S)

This was selected from the 2 Academy games vs Queensland at the beginning of they year. These players above were not selected in the NSW schools side as they will have their own training camps with the rest of the NSW PONI players whilst the schools side are playing in Queensland.
For the likes of Makasini, Rodwell, Bassingswaite. Because of their tight affiliation with league clubs, they will particiapate in no further REP rugby.

A lot of the comments on this forum are based on the 'form' players not getting picked and the PONI players not 'progressing' as much throughout the year, since they already nationally recognised.

My rebuttal to this, is that there are 2 further announcements for the 'form' players to join the PONI squad. Right now the squad is at 25, and the 2 further announcements will make it 40. From this, the 40 best U18 players in the country will go to camp in canberra. On september 25 or 26th they play an internal trial against each other called 'Green vs Gold'. After this trial, the coaches select 25 boys to fly to NZ and send 15 boys home.

So for those PONI players not 'improving' in their game, the 'form' players will have an opportunity against them if they make the PONI squad, so they make the Aus u18s team.

I tried to make this as clear as possible but feel free to reply with any questions you may have.

All of this is understood, there must be a further element to this though where by players not named in PONI or NSW Schools teams and not injured must have been given a golden ticket straight into Gen Blue U18. Anyways, all reinforces that PONI and other forms of golden tickets are dumb policy…. Play and compete for a spot on equal terms, one in, all in. Play god damn it, play.

 

[sundayeightpm]

No real surprises here…Agree that Joeys is a good 16s group - and a few of them already playing opens. On past form, Joeys, New and Shore the benchmark 16s. This is what is so frustrating - the class of athletes playing this game across the Indy schools is ridiculously high - how does it not translate to super rugby and national success??

 

[Rudderless]

Summary of Day 2 of the Under 16 Championships

Sunday 30th June 2024 - St Gregory’s College Campbelltown

10:00 Loser Game v 6 Loser Game 8 CUP FINAL
AICE 18 CCC 15
11:30 Winner Game 6 v Winner Game 8 BOWL FINAL
CAS 38 ISA II 10
13:00 Loser Game 5 v Loser Game 7 PLATE FINAL
CHS 45 Pres B 19
14:30 Winner Game 5 v Winner Game 7 SHIELD FINAL
Pres A 19 ISA 10

 

[Rudderless]

Next we have the 50th Australian Schools Rugby Championships at the Sunshine Coast Stadium in QLD

Live on NSW Rugby TV

Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday for Boys.

As I write this, I note there is STILL NO official squad lists (for Schools 1 and 2) posted on the NSW Juniors website after trials finished Thursday night. Maybe they'll get round to posting them just as the teams run out onto the field this Tuesday !!

 

[sundayeightpm]

Thanks - teams are out and are listed on rugbynews.net.au

 

[runningrugbyrules]

So who else is 16/17 this year from Joeys finishing Yr.12 ‘underage’ ??

Fowler
Billy Blair
Liam Massey
………..

I still haven’t sighted Billy Blair, Declan Minto, Louis Prior or Rory O Conner this year. Are they injured???

And the reason for no Wallabies success is tonight I’m watching two Australian Schoolboys No.10s playing for Roosters & Tigers
NRL’s success has been equalled by the Wallabies demise

 

[Joker]

Honest question.

What is the pinnacle a schoolboy can attain?
I am so bloody confused as you would know.
Does playing for Australian Schoolboys rate any more?
PONI? what the hell is this?

Could anyone help those who do not know the alphabet?
Is making the NSW schoolboy a big deal? I looked at the team and didn't see Grover. Where is he?
Bugger me this alphabet of teams does indicate who is the best

WHO IS?

 

[Rudderless]

Finally on a Sunday night

 

[FastNFurious]

Grover is in the gilded PONI cage so there is no way to tell if he is amongst his peer group.

 

[FastNFurious]

Blair is playing 3rds with OConnor, Prior and Minto are injured.

 

[Here for the advice]

The PONI scam is the major reason for inconsistent selection calls. Sets in bias and means protected players don’t need to push ….. so you probably do have an issue with PONI you just don’t realise!

I would think as players they would want to also play for their state and compete against them in the up coming comp…… as some of those picked have developed in the last six months.