NSW club rugby thread

[naza]

It was a good year.

Positives :
- Easts mesmerising (as usual)
- Gordon's development into a power
- West Harbour's turnaround into the entertainers of the club comp
- Warringah Rats knocked out already
- the hilarity of seeing overhyped rep players like Mark Gerrard doing bugger all

Negatives :

- Not a lot of new talent emerged
- the ELVs

 

[Rugby Rat]

Yep that halftime scoreline of 0-22 was mesmerising....

For the Randwick fans... :lmao:

 

[Pfitzy]

Don't know how you can call it a great year with one club dominating, the majority of clubs bordering on mediocrity - rising above it some weeks slipping beneath it others and the usual suspects propping up the bottom of the table. Crowds were again poor, despite star players being available for large slabs of the season.

Got to agree there. There were some great moments in club rugby this year (Parramatta dishing it up to a few clubs for starters) but by and large it was the same old shit if the broadcasts were anything to go by. ANd there's the issue: the broadcasts are usually Uni/Randwick/Easts and maybe the odd game out at Eastwood.

 

[fatprop]

Reformation in the air as schism pushes clubs to breakaway comp

Greg Growden and Rupert Guinness | September 11, 2008

THE reformation of the Sydney Rugby Union to run a breakaway competition may be just weeks away due to growing disenchantment among the premiership clubs with the NSW Rugby Union.

The Herald was told last night a delegation of club presidents will meet NSWRU chairman Jim L'Estrange to express its concerns with the state body on many issues. The delegation will also approach the Australian Rugby Union to explain why the clubs want to "re-establish our own destiny".

One high-ranking official said last night: "The breakaway will happen."

Club officials also met L'Estrange on Tuesday night, where they explained how they wanted lower grades involved in a proposed competition restructure.

Meanwhile, one thing former Wallabies centre Morgan Turinui will be assured of when he plays for Randwick in Sunday's Shute Shield preliminary final against Gordon is that he will be a lot better rested than he was last weekend. The match is the second of two preliminary finals, with the first being held on Saturday between minor premiers Sydney University and Eastern Suburbs at Coogee Oval.

When Turinui played in last Sunday's elimination final victory over Warringah at Woollahra Oval, he had barely stopped wobbling on the terra firma of Australian soil after spending 48 hours in the skies.

After "probably the worst game I have played for Randwick", Turinui rued his attempt to play a full 80 minutes after returning to Sydney at 3pm on Saturday from a trip that began in France on Thursday. After returning from France, where he had been on tour with the Queensland Reds - with whom he has re-signed for two more years - Turinui's role in Randwick's 30-24 win was best remembered for his cramps and fatigue.

Not that anyone should be surprised, considering the route he took to Sydney. It included flights from Nice to Dublin, Dublin to Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi to Singapore, Singapore to Brisbane, and then from Brisbane to Sydney.

"I left France on Thursday morning and got back Saturday afternoon," Turinui lamented after the game. "I thought, 'I will be all right. I will take care of myself'. But I cramped in both calves and then in both hammies. I will never do that again. I thought I would be OK. You think, 'I have to play the next day', but mate ?"

Turinui is grateful to the Reds for releasing him to play for Randwick, even though it means he has to fly back to Brisbane to train with them this week before returning to Sydney to rejoin the Galloping Greens.

"Queensland have been really good in letting me do this. I want to make sure I don't miss any sessions with them," he said of the Reds, with whom he settled on new terms during their tour of France.

Turinui says if Randwick were to beat Gordon, who finished the round robin series in second place, they would have to step up a level.

"We have to make sure that we accumulate points when we have teams under pressure, which we did a few times in the first half [against Warringah]." he said. "But the flip side to that is that we are leaking points quite easily, like some simple stuff [Warringah] did off the back of our mistakes."

So the Sydney clubs want to run ther own comp (Or is it the usual axis of evil)

 

[Scarfman]

The one thing I'm sure of is that the clubs expected the ARU to create a domestic club competition to replace the ARC. Hasn't happened, so they're going to take charge of their own destinty.

On the other hand, this could just be a rebellion against the points system.

 

[fatprop]

Interesting scenario, they start this "rebel comp"

Then the S14/15 goes two rounds potentially in 2010 with 5 teams.

All of a sudden the whole club rugby scene will be without all their key players pretty well forever.

 

[naza]

Interesting scenario, they start this "rebel comp"

Then the S14/15 goes two rounds potentially in 2010 with 5 teams.

All of a sudden the whole club rugby scene will be without all their key players pretty well forever.

And the irony is the Sydney Clubs want to be run by the ARU, not the NSWRU. Gee, who do you think is going to protect their interests more ? JON wants 52 rounds of Super rugby a year.

 

[naza]

Uni 26 Easts 10 FT
Easts 10 Uni 6 HT

Halangahu's class and good control from Uni saw them dominate the first half. Beasts defence and strong work at the breakdown minimised the damage. Easts really got a roll on in the last 7-8 minutes of the first half, scoring a try. Stanford had a shocker. His poor handling and options costs Easts dearly.

Unfortunately the Sydney Uni old boys club got to the refs at halftime and the inevitable Uni rigged 'win' eventuated. A ridiculous Penalty try and 2 yellow cards were big and Easts got worn down by the constant amount of decisions given against them. You can't beat a team like Uni when you get penalised for pulling down the maul !! ICAC needs to be called in. Uni offside all day, constantly playing the ball on the ground, never releasing the tackler - allowed to get away with murder.

In terms of players, Fainga'a and McGann were outplayed by their opposites. Charles is very promising and Jenkins might already be a better openside than Phil Waugh. Jenkins was stretchered off the field - fingers crossed its not too serious. Dean Mumm was superb, best on ground and scored a well deserved try.

 

[Pfitzy]

I thought the penalty try was a little harsh naz but that's the effect of the video ref on the game. McGann has no-one to blame but himself for the yellow, but by then it was too late. Brnac was lucky not to get a card earlier in the game IMHO - he did some pretty obvious ball-killing inside his own 22 on two occasions.

 

[RugbyReg]

Interesting scenario, they start this "rebel comp"

Then the S14/15 goes two rounds potentially in 2010 with 5 teams.

All of a sudden the whole club rugby scene will be without all their key players pretty well forever.

so its a Rebel comp? Meaning unaligned with the officials? Meaning not recognised by the NSWRU and ARU?

So where will they get their players from? None of the rep players will be able to play. No Mumm, Charles, Halangahu, Inman, Afaeki, etc etc etc. It'll be sub-districts stuff, and who'd pay to watch NTA play?

 

[Sully]

If they go "Rebel" there will players lining up to play in the other States.

 

[Pfitzy]

Depends Sully - the long-timers who are getting paid here won't move from their clubs because they know they're on about as good a wicket as they can get. The guys who still want to play rep football may have to move elsewhere. But would the ARU accept dealing with anyone but NSWRU? O'Neill will most likely threaten to take over NSWRU again if they can't sort their shit out.

 

[The Chosen]

Randwick 25 Gordon 22 @ Rat Park.
Apparently a tryless first half & Gordon came out firing after oranges with 2 quick tries.
Randwick came from behind with `regulars' Tuiranui & Frier to the fore. What a rort!!!

 

[Rugby Rat]

WOO HOOO...

The Mighty galloping Greens make the final. 2008 premiership trophy on it's way back to where it belongs.

 

[fatprop]

WOO HOOO...

The Mighty galloping Greens make the final. 2008 premiership trophy on it's way back to where it belongs.

Uni by 20, they lose Jenkins and Waugh will comes in.

 

[Rugby Rat]

WOO HOOO...

The Mighty galloping Greens make the final. 2008 premiership trophy on it's way back to where it belongs.

Uni by 20, they lose Jenkins and Waugh will comes in.

Waugh will be very handy at club level 4 sure. I will stand by the Greens lifting again and winning.

 

[The Chosen]

Gordon 21 - Eastwood 20

Stand out for Eastwood was no. 15 John Grant
Anyone know where he's come from. The commentators said he's straight out of school.

I too trekked out to Milner to view the Eastwood-Gordon derby. First grade game for me this year as I normally attend the various School games. Took me back to regular Sundays @ Milner when we had the likes of North vs South Harbour, City vs Country & various Barbarian games. They were great days.
Good to see the Gordon revival after several years in the doldrums- Lachlan Fear has blended a pretty mobile and talented team. Despite some more well-known players in the Woodies team, Gordon playwed well and one can see why there are placed close to the Prem,iership lead.
For me the player of interest was Gordom fly-half, Dave Harvey. Popped up everywhere all over field and scored a very tidy double. Also a more than competant goal-kicker.

Obviously I've become an astute student of the game- Harvey was named co-winner of the Catchpole Medal(?) last night with some dude from the Rats(no disrespect meant)

 

[naza]

Saturday 20 September 2008 - Tooheys New Shute Shield Grand Final
SYDNEY UNIVERSITY V RANDWICK
Concord Oval - ABC TV 3:10pm
Sydney University: 1. Jerry Yanuyanutawa, 2. Nathan Charles, 3. Laurie Weeks; 4. Al Campbell, 5. Will Caldwell; 6. Dean Mumm, 7. Phil Waugh, 8. Tim Davidson [c]; 9. Nick Haydon, 10. Daniel Halangahu; 11. Peter Playford, 12. Leo Afeaki, 13. Mitch Inman, 14. Ed Jenkins; 15. Nathan Trist.
Reserves: 16. Jono Owens, 17. Nick Hensley, 18. Lachlan McCutcheon, 19. Tim Aistrope, 20. Nathan Sievert, 21. Jeremy Atkins, 22. Nick Edwards, 23. Jeremy Tilse.

Randwick: 1. Sekope Kepu, 2. Adam Freier, 3. Lotu Taukeiaho; 4. Steve Brennan, 5. Mark Chisholm; 6. Chris Houston, 7. Rodney Voullaire, 8. Stephen Hoiles [c]; 9. Josh Valentine, 10. Tim Walsh; 11. Ratu Nasiganiyavi, 12. Dane Inman, 13. Morgan Turinui, 14. Bernie Orbell; 15. Matt Nethery.
Reserves: 16. Peter Jorgensen, 17. Daniel Spencer, 18. Ben Mowen, 19. Ben Toleafoa, 20. Tony Luxford, 21. Atonio Halangahu, 22. Francis Fainifo, 23. Ben Bartlett.
Referee: James Leckie

Uni have been clinical. Their set piece work has really lifted. They make few mistakes. They are fit enough to make bucketloads of tackles and still run over the top of teams in the last 20 minutes. They tend to just wear teams down rather than blow them away with attacking firepower. But it works, and is why they're on track for their 4th premiership in a row.

Randwick have not clicked in attack too much this season. Cohesiveness and teamwork has been lacking due to so many personnel changes with injuries and rep duties. They don't have quite as much skill or flair as a typical Randwick finals team but they still have some firepower with their rep forwards and Ratu and Turinui out wide. And when you look at talent, they have Fainifo and Mowen on the bench. :lmao:

Uni's defence is very good and they do a good job slowing things to a crawl at the breakdown. Randwick are pretty handy at the breakdown themselves though. I think it'll be a defence dominated game for the first 60 and then its anyone's. I expect Uni to win - Leckie lets them do whatever they want to at the ruck - but would love for Ratu to go nuts !

 

[formeropenside]

Isn't Peter Jorgenson like 40 by now, assuming thats the same one?

 

[naza]

He's 35. Been around a while ! Has lost acres of pace but is a fairly smart creative inside centre off the bench.