sundayeightpm
Herbert Moran (7)
I think someone asked the same question on here on page 1 or 2 back in the year 1927. System still seems to be working pretty well ;-)
NSW AAGPS 2024
- Thread starter Joker
- Start date
- Status
Rudderless
Trevor Allan (34)
Country v Schools 2
12-33
SJRU v Schools 1
15-38
12-33
SJRU v Schools 1
15-38
The Soaring Eagle
Allen Oxlade (6)
Excited for Sydney v Country will be a great game. Also, will this game be available on any streaming platforms? Just curious, cheers.
runningrugbyrules
Fred Wood (13)
Agree, but this decline all started a few decades ago when rugby ran with the foxtel money and took super rugby off free to air. More than half of Australian households couldn't afford FOXTEL, so kids like the ones in Western Sydney grew up watching NRL or AFL on free to air. The sport became a rich man’s sport overnight that most of the public couldn’t watch.
Rugby is continuing this mistake by placing Super rugby on Stan. It doesn’t matter if tests are on free to air when kids don’t know the players and haven’t seen free to air rugby at a decent time since last September. Kids have been watching NRL every week since Feb. Rugby needs to on free to air to survive.
PROPaganda
Chris McKivat (8)
I absolutely agree. Although despite these factors, I believe that Wallabies success will inevitably attract the public interest in watching test matches. However regarding Super Rugby, I cant see it growing in popularity anytime soon. League is way to attractive in the way it markets the game, going to Vegas, State of Origin, 17 teams and 8 games a week. NRL also is quickly expanding, bringing in a team last year and planning to bring another one in 2026. Super Rugby is quit the opposite as we saw the Rebels banished last month. Luckily it’s not all bad news, Union is miles of League when it comes to international football and I cant see that changing.
Cauliflower Ear
Frank Nicholson (4)
Sadly, Union is becoming a niche within a niche in Australia.
If you are a follower, supporter or student of a GPS school in Brisbane or Sydney then nothing. If you belong to any other club or school who regularly has its players poached by the GPS systems in Brisbane or Sydney then blow the whole thing up.
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CasualObserver
Sydney Middleton (9)
The player pool has shrunk due to participation levels over the years. However, the pool is further reduced through counterproductive policies and structures such as:
1. The PONI system that picks the future too early and discourages kids outside of the system and reduces competition.
2. Leadership vacuum at the junior level which creates a power struggle between clubs and within village groups. This leads to families losing interest as the environment is so toxic. I have been involved in many junior sports, and rugby is far and away the worst run at club and association level. Clubs that get power then exercise it through selections for reps etc. it turns the more sane families off. Private schools will never trust rugby authorities to not stuff up the system so you need to assume Saturday will stay the same for many years to come. Fix up club rugby and the numbers come back - start with strong leadership, clear fixturing done months in advance not one or two weeks, better gradings which don't change halfway through the season making the first half of the season irrelevant.
3. Gen Blue/Pathways done too early. Why are they reducing the pool and picking future wallabies when they are 14 and 15, before they are physically and mentally mature. Kids born at the back end of the age group basically have a line drawn through their name 6 or 7 years before the real stuff even starts. The only logical reason you would structure a pathways system this way is if you believed there is a direct link between the month of birth and rugby ability. This makes the pool maybe 40% smaller through lazy development policies. Why not have six monthly squads to capture the good kids that haven't grown yet.
4. Select development squads that don't include kids at GPS and big rugby school kids. I know many of the best kids end up at GPS schools, but some of bias for the reps and pathways teams is ridiculous. Why would good kids stay in the sport.
5. Engage the CHS sport schools. It looked like very few of these kids made many of the rep teams. Is there program in place? Maybe have a combined team play vs other schools on a regular basis. Is there a round robin comp for these schools similar to GPS, CAS and ISA?
I would have thought there is a close relationship between the size of the player pool and future strength, so rather than excluding, start including.
1. The PONI system that picks the future too early and discourages kids outside of the system and reduces competition.
2. Leadership vacuum at the junior level which creates a power struggle between clubs and within village groups. This leads to families losing interest as the environment is so toxic. I have been involved in many junior sports, and rugby is far and away the worst run at club and association level. Clubs that get power then exercise it through selections for reps etc. it turns the more sane families off. Private schools will never trust rugby authorities to not stuff up the system so you need to assume Saturday will stay the same for many years to come. Fix up club rugby and the numbers come back - start with strong leadership, clear fixturing done months in advance not one or two weeks, better gradings which don't change halfway through the season making the first half of the season irrelevant.
3. Gen Blue/Pathways done too early. Why are they reducing the pool and picking future wallabies when they are 14 and 15, before they are physically and mentally mature. Kids born at the back end of the age group basically have a line drawn through their name 6 or 7 years before the real stuff even starts. The only logical reason you would structure a pathways system this way is if you believed there is a direct link between the month of birth and rugby ability. This makes the pool maybe 40% smaller through lazy development policies. Why not have six monthly squads to capture the good kids that haven't grown yet.
4. Select development squads that don't include kids at GPS and big rugby school kids. I know many of the best kids end up at GPS schools, but some of bias for the reps and pathways teams is ridiculous. Why would good kids stay in the sport.
5. Engage the CHS sport schools. It looked like very few of these kids made many of the rep teams. Is there program in place? Maybe have a combined team play vs other schools on a regular basis. Is there a round robin comp for these schools similar to GPS, CAS and ISA?
I would have thought there is a close relationship between the size of the player pool and future strength, so rather than excluding, start including.
A lot to digest here. The importance these schools place on winning the 1st XV rugby and the methods adopted the past 20-30 years to do so has done nothing to benefit the game outside of those schools. Australian rugby is quite unwell and this is a contributing factor. It's a bizarre mentality that winning the GPS rugby is more important than any problem it creates or other club/school it affects outside of that competition. It reeks of elitism, certainly that is how it is perceived by many people.
Here for the advice
Peter Burge (5)
Any holiday games planned for the schools to get back on track pre the last rounds? Any GPS/CAS cross over?
Soupnasty
Allen Oxlade (6)
What problems has this created for other schools or clubs that are greater than the ones they have created for themselves?
If we didn't have these elite competitions - would there be an elite competition at all?
The answer to underperformance isn't to lower the performance of those that are doing it well!
I don't understand why Australian rugby community always wants to point its finger at where we are strong.
Srgnt Short Ball
Chris McKivat (8)
Growing more true as time passes, to see Italy above us in the world ranking as we slump to 9th was truely heartbreaking.
sundayeightpm
Herbert Moran (7)
Given the last few posts of negative sentiment from a few members, I don't mean to pick on you, but I am curious, why are you here on this forum then? It's a serious question, and not meant to antagonise you?
12 GPS names for the recently played league ASSRL champs (and NRL club affiliation where mentioned) explaining some of those who didn't play in the Schools tournaments, and who weren't PONI squad.
Also a lot of CAS and ISA lads per this Zero tackle article first linked in ISA thread
NSWCIS
Callum Grantham (Newington College, Sharks)
Matthew Humphries (Newington College, Rabbitohs)
Heamasi Makasini (Newington College, Tigers)
Toby Rodwell (Newington College, Roosters)*
Rex Bassingthwaighte (Shore School, Roosters)
Jai Callaghan (Shore School, Roosters)
Will Cannavo (Scots College, Knights)
Sam Ive (Scots College, -)
Onitoni Large (Scots College, Tigers)
Heinz Lomoto (Scots College, Panthers)
Braith Sloane (Newington College, Bulldogs)
Baxter Warner (Newington College, Roosters)
* Named in U18 Australian Schoolboys team
Also a lot of CAS and ISA lads per this Zero tackle article first linked in ISA thread
NSWCIS
Callum Grantham (Newington College, Sharks)
Matthew Humphries (Newington College, Rabbitohs)
Heamasi Makasini (Newington College, Tigers)
Toby Rodwell (Newington College, Roosters)*
Rex Bassingthwaighte (Shore School, Roosters)
Jai Callaghan (Shore School, Roosters)
Will Cannavo (Scots College, Knights)
Sam Ive (Scots College, -)
Onitoni Large (Scots College, Tigers)
Heinz Lomoto (Scots College, Panthers)
Braith Sloane (Newington College, Bulldogs)
Baxter Warner (Newington College, Roosters)
* Named in U18 Australian Schoolboys team
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CasualObserver
Sydney Middleton (9)
I unsuccessfully tried to decipher the rankings calculations (world ranking calculator link). From my basic estimates if Georgia win on Saturday they may jump us, especially if they win by 15,
Can someone that is good at maths have a look at this?
Why does a schools comp need to be elite? The elite competition for kids should be the state championships.
The finger is pointed at where "we" are strong is because those schools and competitions are so much stronger in this day and age at the expense of other clubs and schools who are preyed upon for talent. It wasn't this way for a long long time and Australian rugby did pretty well, not any more though.
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