The Chairman
Phil Hardcastle (33)
Ouch
NSW AAGPS 2025
- Thread starter Joker
- Start date
The Chairman
Phil Hardcastle (33)
Must’ve been a tough watch for the boys. Early season still. I’m sure DMJ and Sincs will have something to say about this at Lennox Head. Promising work from the 2nds though. Head up gents.
No, I believe everything rests with the Shore boys. My observations are that the backs seem flat and somewhat hesitant. They allow their opposition to close the gap and even appear to be waiting for them to come to them. The forward pack needs to do some work at the breakdown and guard that possession of the ball like warriors. They should not rely on only a few to do the heavy lifting. The other aspect they need to work on is their mindset. I think these boys will start winning but they need the commitment and drive to make it happen sooner rather than later. It's early days yet and these are trial games. Let the coaches work the combinations of players and the boys to start forming and performing as a team. I think there'll be some good sessions at Lennox to knock the boys into shape.
Schoolboyrugby23
Allen Oxlade (6)
Still below Knox, Barker, Waverley, and Trinity. Trinity were beating them 26-5 before the game was called off due to an injury.
footyhead10
Frank Row (1)
That is embarrassing for shore
Crashy
Alan Cameron (40)
It was Alos 1sts
Here for the advice
Peter Burge (5)
An undersized pack. They need to trial and mix some of the larger 2nd forwards into the 1s to see how they hold up. Shore will never have the largest pack but need to win their lineouts and have a solid scrum. They have a three 1s players in the backline to return but those trialing will be better for the 2 games in 1st. Also a few could focus on play vs a push and shove….. when your down by 20 winning the niggle is no victory. Take nothing away from a solid Cranbook team.
The Goat
Frank Nicholson (4)
Hey @footyhead10,
The Cranbrook side was utterly dominant throughout the match I must give them credit. Although the Shore School was a reserve grade team at best missing the likes of Galligan, Bassingthwaighte, Francis and Callaghan all running waters on Saturday so Its hard to say it was a total 'embarrassment'. I certainly believe Shore are still heavy weights when it comes to the AAGPS Season although will the likes of Kings and Joeys run away with it, with Riverview in deep need for improvement.
Cheerio, Goat
Signing off posts with your user name is tedious. Stop it, everyone!
The Cranbrook side was utterly dominant throughout the match I must give them credit. Although the Shore School was a reserve grade team at best missing the likes of Galligan, Bassingthwaighte, Francis and Callaghan all running waters on Saturday so Its hard to say it was a total 'embarrassment'. I certainly believe Shore are still heavy weights when it comes to the AAGPS Season although will the likes of Kings and Joeys run away with it, with Riverview in deep need for improvement.
Cheerio, Goat
Signing off posts with your user name is tedious. Stop it, everyone!
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the player
Bob McCowan (2)
Alas Joker my disgust is misguided. I suppose my true displeasure is aimed at the treachery shown by my brother in wavering from the family tradition of Shore. If anything, my disgust is at his circumstances, not anything within his control, though I concede I overreacted in the heat of playful banter.
Speaking of which
What a fantastic game it was at Shore yesterday. The Thirds were ultimately defeated in a valiant effort by their Aloyscius opposition - I believe Shore went down 7 - 15. Aloysious played remarkably well despite turning up an hour late, with some big standouts, of whom I unfortunately lack names. The Shore defence was solid, and only grew stronger as the game went on, but fatigue and a slight lack of coordination meant that the Alloisyus boys were able to consistently gain meters through frequent attacks in the forwards. I had my eye on the Allos 7 as he seemed to find running in a straight line about as difficult as spelling his schools name, which so far I am confident I have failed to do. I doubt his coaches and teammates would be complaining about this, as his carving strafes often went straight through at least two shore defenders. Allocyius scrummaging was also good, though throughout the game fatigue and shores home ground spirit seemed to push them towards the back foot. In terms of backs, I didn’t notice any particular standouts but overall I think most players showed competency and performed well.
But we aren’t here to talk about them
I mentioned earlier that there were some members of the Shore crew I was keen to see. Morrow (3, confusingly wearing the 17 jersey) was interesting to watch. I was a tad disappointed to see him start a bit slow, but as the game progressed he seemed to gain some confidence and definitely put it to work, proving my initial scepticism was unfounded. Morrow did struggle to hold his ground against an undoubtedly more experienced Aliouyscus loose head, but as the game went on he proved technique wasn’t everything. Towards the end of the game I noticed Morrow picking up the slack and putting his considerable size and apparent strength to work, with my limited knowledge of front row technique informing me that his peers and coaches had given him some feedback throughout the game that he appeared to act on. In collisions he seemed to dominate, with some solid hits that left some Alloscyius boys seeing stars, and a general dominance of the breakdown, often taking on several opposition clear-outers with the devastation of a shark in a fishbowl. Overall I think he played well, and his strength in contact definitely made up for the lack of ball his hands felt.
Warner (11) was also an interesting player to see. His nerves of the first game were gone, and much more careful passes than last week dropped his knock on count to zero. He put his speed and skill to endurance to work, with an impressive workrate allowing him to gain significant meters for Shore. He also proved that whilst combat is oft about the fight in the hog, not the hog in the fight, both can be true, with his general coordination throughout the game and some inspiring tenacity combining with a true athletes build to produce a fantastic show for us on the sidelines. On top of this, he showed tremendous courage in tackles against hefty opponents his larger teammates in the diesel department probably should have dealt with. Definitely one to watch, I cannot wait to see how his performance develops.
Roberts didn't disappoint at 9, with clean consistent ball whilst it was available. He was able to steer the squad around the paddock well and showed some skill and determination on the occasion he went into contact. Really, there isn't much to say - I never saw him late to the breakdown, and he stayed consistent the whole game, emblematic of the current focus on fitness within the Shore regime. He kept the flashy, experimental stuff to a minimum and just focused on delivering ball accurately and quickly which was definitely good to see. On defense he didn't lack any courage and succeeded in combat against some hefty Aloyisyus forwards, and did a great job of identifying gaps in defense and making sure the larger members of his team could plug holes. I think the loss of Brownie since Saturday was a blow to the team due to his significant lung capacity and loud voice I could consistently hear from my spot on the sidelines, but Roberts definitely attempted to make up for it. Lots of potential here.
But wait
theres more.
I have a few honorable mentions from the weekend. Mackellar (8) brought some of that aforementioned workrate to the forward pack. Consistent running, tackling, rucking, and general dominance was fantastic to see, and it was nice to see a reminder of last year's Third XV's contact dominance. One of the things I was disappointed by in the first "half" was Shore's hesitancy/lack of line speed on defense, but as time went on I frequently saw Mackellar leading the charge which resulted in a significant uplift in defense performance. Incredible stuff.
Yates (2) had some standout moments but I would like to focus on lineouts where consistently ball was delivered clean, fast and accurately followed by a rapid sprint to the next location he could be useful. He had some great moments in the Saturday game that he built upon on Thursday, and I'm excited to see where his athleticism will take him through the season.
The list goes on. Big congratulations to both Aloysius and Shore - both sides played well and fairly and it seemed to be a very productive trial. I'd like to commend the Shore and Allos boys who attempted to break up the needless scuffles that plagued the middle of the game - There were times where the sole referee was incapable of breaking up two full teams arguing, so I'm glad some boys decided to be the bigger men and step up.
In other Shore news
Congratulations to the 1s and 2s on their games yesterday - Unfortunately I was unable to be there but from what I have heard the seconds earned their victory and the firsts took their loss fairly.
More to come
- The Player
Signing off posts with your user name is tedious. Stop it, everyone!
Disclaimer: The names of players are taken from the numbers on their backs referenced with team lists, as well as conversations I had with their peers whilst watching. If I got anything wrong, please feel free to correct me, I will be happy to include any relevant edits!
Speaking of which
What a fantastic game it was at Shore yesterday. The Thirds were ultimately defeated in a valiant effort by their Aloyscius opposition - I believe Shore went down 7 - 15. Aloysious played remarkably well despite turning up an hour late, with some big standouts, of whom I unfortunately lack names. The Shore defence was solid, and only grew stronger as the game went on, but fatigue and a slight lack of coordination meant that the Alloisyus boys were able to consistently gain meters through frequent attacks in the forwards. I had my eye on the Allos 7 as he seemed to find running in a straight line about as difficult as spelling his schools name, which so far I am confident I have failed to do. I doubt his coaches and teammates would be complaining about this, as his carving strafes often went straight through at least two shore defenders. Allocyius scrummaging was also good, though throughout the game fatigue and shores home ground spirit seemed to push them towards the back foot. In terms of backs, I didn’t notice any particular standouts but overall I think most players showed competency and performed well.
But we aren’t here to talk about them
I mentioned earlier that there were some members of the Shore crew I was keen to see. Morrow (3, confusingly wearing the 17 jersey) was interesting to watch. I was a tad disappointed to see him start a bit slow, but as the game progressed he seemed to gain some confidence and definitely put it to work, proving my initial scepticism was unfounded. Morrow did struggle to hold his ground against an undoubtedly more experienced Aliouyscus loose head, but as the game went on he proved technique wasn’t everything. Towards the end of the game I noticed Morrow picking up the slack and putting his considerable size and apparent strength to work, with my limited knowledge of front row technique informing me that his peers and coaches had given him some feedback throughout the game that he appeared to act on. In collisions he seemed to dominate, with some solid hits that left some Alloscyius boys seeing stars, and a general dominance of the breakdown, often taking on several opposition clear-outers with the devastation of a shark in a fishbowl. Overall I think he played well, and his strength in contact definitely made up for the lack of ball his hands felt.
Warner (11) was also an interesting player to see. His nerves of the first game were gone, and much more careful passes than last week dropped his knock on count to zero. He put his speed and skill to endurance to work, with an impressive workrate allowing him to gain significant meters for Shore. He also proved that whilst combat is oft about the fight in the hog, not the hog in the fight, both can be true, with his general coordination throughout the game and some inspiring tenacity combining with a true athletes build to produce a fantastic show for us on the sidelines. On top of this, he showed tremendous courage in tackles against hefty opponents his larger teammates in the diesel department probably should have dealt with. Definitely one to watch, I cannot wait to see how his performance develops.
Roberts didn't disappoint at 9, with clean consistent ball whilst it was available. He was able to steer the squad around the paddock well and showed some skill and determination on the occasion he went into contact. Really, there isn't much to say - I never saw him late to the breakdown, and he stayed consistent the whole game, emblematic of the current focus on fitness within the Shore regime. He kept the flashy, experimental stuff to a minimum and just focused on delivering ball accurately and quickly which was definitely good to see. On defense he didn't lack any courage and succeeded in combat against some hefty Aloyisyus forwards, and did a great job of identifying gaps in defense and making sure the larger members of his team could plug holes. I think the loss of Brownie since Saturday was a blow to the team due to his significant lung capacity and loud voice I could consistently hear from my spot on the sidelines, but Roberts definitely attempted to make up for it. Lots of potential here.
But wait
theres more.
I have a few honorable mentions from the weekend. Mackellar (8) brought some of that aforementioned workrate to the forward pack. Consistent running, tackling, rucking, and general dominance was fantastic to see, and it was nice to see a reminder of last year's Third XV's contact dominance. One of the things I was disappointed by in the first "half" was Shore's hesitancy/lack of line speed on defense, but as time went on I frequently saw Mackellar leading the charge which resulted in a significant uplift in defense performance. Incredible stuff.
Yates (2) had some standout moments but I would like to focus on lineouts where consistently ball was delivered clean, fast and accurately followed by a rapid sprint to the next location he could be useful. He had some great moments in the Saturday game that he built upon on Thursday, and I'm excited to see where his athleticism will take him through the season.
The list goes on. Big congratulations to both Aloysius and Shore - both sides played well and fairly and it seemed to be a very productive trial. I'd like to commend the Shore and Allos boys who attempted to break up the needless scuffles that plagued the middle of the game - There were times where the sole referee was incapable of breaking up two full teams arguing, so I'm glad some boys decided to be the bigger men and step up.
In other Shore news
Congratulations to the 1s and 2s on their games yesterday - Unfortunately I was unable to be there but from what I have heard the seconds earned their victory and the firsts took their loss fairly.
More to come
- The Player
Signing off posts with your user name is tedious. Stop it, everyone!
Disclaimer: The names of players are taken from the numbers on their backs referenced with team lists, as well as conversations I had with their peers whilst watching. If I got anything wrong, please feel free to correct me, I will be happy to include any relevant edits!
Last edited by a moderator:
All good.
BTW. Before Joeys offered the day option many Joeys old boys sent their sons to Shore as they (including me) felt the culture was close to Joeys. With the extended day boy program (boys leave at 5.30 at the earliest and 9pm (yr 7-10) 10.30pm (yr 11-12) at the latest)
Long days but as a parent I knew where my son was at all times.
BTW. Before Joeys offered the day option many Joeys old boys sent their sons to Shore as they (including me) felt the culture was close to Joeys. With the extended day boy program (boys leave at 5.30 at the earliest and 9pm (yr 7-10) 10.30pm (yr 11-12) at the latest)
Long days but as a parent I knew where my son was at all times.
The Chairman
Phil Hardcastle (33)
the player
Bob McCowan (2)
Appreciated Chairman. You often appear to have a crystal ball with these kinds of things… any predictions for movements throughout the gps squad?
Thefootyman76
Frank Row (1)
Who were the 10 12 and 13 in the Shore 2nd XV yesterday. I thought they worked quite well together. They look like a decent team. Backline was good defensively.
I wouldn't agree the Cranbrook team were dominant the whole match. Most of the first half was played in Cranbrook's half, and they went into half time 5-5. Shore's kickers need to know where the ball is going, and instead of handing the ball to their opposition, they should find touch or contain it.
The Chairman
Phil Hardcastle (33)
It seems the Opens coaching has been somewhat overhauled.
Now premiership winning coaches Warren Dobes and Harry Byrnes are off the 3rd XV, and Dan Polis is on. I like Polis, he worked very well with the 13As for a few years to good success. First time I can remember that a Shore 13As went undefeated. From what I can see, it seems its a very structure-focused game. There doesn’t seem to be alot of creativity. Thats why i’m almost certain that high level GPS squads would get the better of them. They need some more dynamic players. We will see how the Fourth XV goes soon but that would be my judgement.
The Chairman
Phil Hardcastle (33)
Good point Squidlips. Shore’s kicking game always develops later. I’m personally a massive advocate for kicking (despite the strict instructions of the rugby traditionalists) and without a good kicking game you will win nothing. Lets hope they can whip it into shape.
Thefootyman76
Frank Row (1)
@The Chairman do you know the answer to this. Mabye a little more info on the players?
The Chairman
Phil Hardcastle (33)
10 - Glasson, think he is new to the school, from what I can see he has got a good organisational mind. Again though I would love to see some more creativity. Getting more of the backs involved
12 - Brownie, a name that is well known within the Shore School let alone Shore Rugby. I like his play, he is solid defensively but again I would like to see it shifted out more.
13 - Shirley, again another solid defensive player. Don't think Shore's backs will be lacking in the defensive department here. Haven't really seen enough but I hear him being moved back to fullback, and personally I think that is a silly decision. Much more suited to the centres.