NSW Rugby obvservations

[WorkingClassRugger]

I'd love to see the Shield reintroduce both Canberra and Newcastle. If we cannot have a national competition at least we can have one more representative of the state. I'd even go further to suggest allowing rep teams from both the Illawarra and Central Coast be given another go. They'd likely be solidly beat in efery game but its start and reaches out to more of the population. It'll likely never happen but it would be nice.

 

[lily]

Gnostic, the Illawarriors played in the 2007 season. The Central Coast also had a team in 2007.

 

[Hawko]

Gnostic, the Illawarriors played in the 2007 season. The Central Coast also had a team in 2007.

And then someone decided the Sydney-centric nature of the competition was more important than widening and strengthening the game across the state. Shute should have Illawarra, Central Coast and Newcastle; plus maybe a team from Bathurst/Orange area. Yes they'd be like Parramatta for a while, but over time they'd grow and strengthen into real mid table outfits. Given what happens with the Super 15 players now, you could play the first round between 16 teams and then split the comp into two divisions of eight. As this was around the time that the Super players returned, Shute second half would avoid Uni, Randwick etc racking up 100-0 scorelines.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

A Central West team may be a little bit of a stretch but sure would be interesting to see if it happened. In the near future if the SRU are even remotely serious about the game at the grassroots level it would be good to see at the very least Newcastle, the Illawarra, Central Coast and Canberra re-enter the competition.

 

[matty_k]

Yes they'd be like Parramatta for a while, but over time they'd grow and strengthen into real mid table outfits.

But anyone with talent would be poached by the Sydney clubs (well the younger ones anyway).

 

[The Chosen]

A Central West team may be a little bit of a stretch but sure would be interesting to see if it happened. In the near future if the SRU are even remotely serious about the game at the grassroots level it would be good to see at the very least Newcastle, the Illawarra, Central Coast and Canberra re-enter the competition.

Travel-wise, Central West would be just as feasible as Canberra. Central West 1st Division run a 10 Club Comp., comrising 3 Open grades + Colts. Fairly strong competition- Country Week is already over and Central West Opens lost to Newcastle in a semi but their Colts won the Country Carnival!

 

[Gnostic]

Gnostic, the Illawarriors played in the 2007 season. The Central Coast also had a team in 2007.

I remember why I blocked them out now. They were truly dire. I would like to see the Shield expand, but it needs to be a semi-pro only comp, (insurance, travel etc can be paid, no match payments) which will level the playing field and restrict cost growth. There was no Central Coast side in 2007 though.

Ref:- http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q...qTNkWz&sig=AHIEtbSq967IJ27cG3N2LAEhqqoBx5F7Kg

 

[DPK]

But anyone with talent would be poached by the Sydney clubs (well the younger ones anyway).

Australian rugby would be stronger for it, but you're right, these clubs wouldn't exactly thrive.

 

[TOCC]

Well hopefully with the new organisation the clubs can feel a sense of empowerment and since they are effectively now the masters of there own destiny they wont be able to complain or be angry towards the ARU/NSWRU as much.

 

[Gnostic]

Well hopefully with the new organisation the clubs can feel a sense of empowerment and since they are effectively now the masters of there own destiny they wont be able to complain or be angry towards the ARU/NSWRU as much.

:lmao:

You don't really believe that do you?

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Travel-wise, Central West would be just as feasible as Canberra. Central West 1st Division run a 10 Club Comp., comrising 3 Open grades + Colts. Fairly strong competition- Country Week is already over and Central West Opens lost to Newcastle in a semi but their Colts won the Country Carnival!

It's not the lack of a solid foundation that I doubt. What's the density of the teams like, are the distancing needed to travel to train for players manageable?

With the Illawarra apart from Vincentia and Shoalhaven they are located pretty close to one another. Newcastle and Central Coast would be similar.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

I remember why I blocked them out now. They were truly dire. I would like to see the Shield expand, but it needs to be a semi-pro only comp, (insurance, travel etc can be paid, no match payments) which will level the playing field and restrict cost growth. There was no Central Coast side in 2007 though.

Ref:- http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q...qTNkWz&sig=AHIEtbSq967IJ27cG3N2LAEhqqoBx5F7Kg

Yeah, they were dire but so were Parramatta last year. That didn't mean they couldn't improve. There are 14 clubs down here all with juniors plus they'd likely be able to entice Campbelltown seniors back with the opportunity to play Shute Shield. I still think it would a good move to re-introduce them. As for the Central Coast. What year did they compete?

 

[Gnostic]

2006 from my research indicates that they were scheduled to play along with Illawarra. Without digging deeper I haven't found a team sheet or any results for them yet.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

I remember they did play a season before completely disappearing. I think it was back when the competition was split in two with the Shield being played prior to the Tooheys New Cup.

 

[Gnostic]

Definitely 2006. They played in the two pool competition in Pool A, Round 1 was a home fixture Gosford against the Students as a curtain raiser for the Tahs V Blues game. Round 2 was a bye for them. No team sheet or full breakdown yet. Did see that they requested that their entry to the Shield in 2007 be deferred until 2008. Obviously this didn't happen and tey went the way of the Illawarriors post 2007.

 

[AngrySeahorse]

I'd love to see the Shield reintroduce both Canberra and Newcastle. If we cannot have a national competition at least we can have one more representative of the state. I'd even go further to suggest allowing rep teams from both the Illawarra and Central Coast be given another go. They'd likely be solidly beat in efery game but its start and reaches out to more of the population. It'll likely never happen but it would be nice.

You’ve pretty much said exactly what I’d like to see happen to NSW Rugby.

My view on Rugby just under Super level in Australia is that a National comp whilst great in theory would not work given the current climate but that strengthening the state comps is the way to go. Get a really good NSW Rugby comp that encompasses all of NSW (+ the ACT). People would be more passionate about the state game, raise the profile in other areas and may finally push Super Rugby to consider new areas to recruit players. Do the same in the other states of course.

Probably won’t happen but would be awesome if it did.

Illawarriors and Central Coast – I knew there had to be more, just couldn’t put the names to them.

As for Sydney clubs luring them away and the teams being flogged I’d rather follow a team representing my area that gets flogged and provides locals with a pathway to a higher level of Rugby than the current situation. In addition, whilst I don’t know the exact names/businesses involved I hear there are quite a few businessmen involved in supporting Newcastle Rugby. If they got behind a shute shield team they may be able to retain more people than you think. Then there’s always Nathan Tinkler and his sports company.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

That's the thing. I think they'd all retain a lot more junior talent than many anticipate. Having the opportunity to play top flight club Rugby locally instead of having to re-locate to Sydney would be a very tempting proposition. These Unions need to be better represented in the top flight. All four sugested have far more depth in terms of junior clubs in which to draw from than dare I say any of the Sydney clubs and when you consider that within the Illawarra Rugby Union there is a catchment of just under 400,000, adding in both the Central Coast and Newcastle that's around 1 million people not represented when they really should be.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

That's the thing. I think they'd all retain a lot more junior talent than many anticipate.It's because they lack opportunities locally so they migrate to the city. Having the opportunity to play top flight club Rugby locally instead of having to re-locate to Sydney would be a very tempting proposition. These Unions need to be better represented in the top flight. All four sugested have far more depth in terms of junior clubs in which to draw from than dare I say any of the Sydney clubs and when you consider that within the Illawarra Rugby Union there is a catchment of just under 400,000, adding in both the Central Coast and Newcastle that's around 1 million people not represented when they really should be.

 

[Cutter]

Having played a fair bit of both, even the best country provincial teams are only 2/3 grade standard. That's assuming you could get the blokes from the whole zone travelling to training 3 nights a week plus travelling for games. A NSW country side played in a preseason comp in around 1997, but, again, there are travel issues and they still didn't win it. I have no doubt that you could find 35 blokes in the country to form a very competitive first grade side, but you won't find them living close enough together to make it workable and you won't find 4/5 grade sides plus colts. These are great ideas but reality should form part of the discussion.

 

[lily]

I remember why I blocked them out now. They were truly dire. I would like to see the Shield expand, but it needs to be a semi-pro only comp, (insurance, travel etc can be paid, no match payments) which will level the playing field and restrict cost growth. There was no Central Coast side in 2007 though.

Ref:- http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q...qTNkWz&sig=AHIEtbSq967IJ27cG3N2LAEhqqoBx5F7Kg

I guess I said 2007 because I was coach of Manly Colts 19s and we played Illawarra. The way it worked was that they would submit a under 19s and from what I remember 2 open teams. I also coached in 2006 and we didn't play the Central Coast team as they only had an opens team. Sione Ofahengaue was their No8. This should say something about their squad. He was coming off a broken neck.