Natal shark
Peter Burge (5)
Converted to queenslanderThey're probably all bloody NSWelshmen!
Converted to queenslanderThey're probably all bloody NSWelshmen!
They're probably all bloody NSWelshmen!
Converted to queenslander
From the Forum activity this week (or lack thereof) there seems to a bit of angst that Churchie has (or at least is in the box seat) to win an undefeated premiership having beaten TSS last Saturday. Not sure why that is because they are a very good team that yes are full of superstars but they are a pleasure to watch. And despite the success appear a team of no egos that play for each other and their school. Yes they may have won the arms race this year but credit where credit is due. I know that everyone is happy to support winners and the real test of school community support is when the team is not having success but having been at the Churchie v BBC game at BBC it was embarrassing how many Churchie boys were there in the wet supporting their team in comparison to the BBC home team.
Yes and no. Also a growing trend amongst the schools for either getting the students repeating a year when a "sportsman" commences in the older age groups or putting them through year 11 and 12 over three years.
So that in their final year, the students are 18 and "hardened" athletes.
One school is known for actively getting their students to do only one subject and sometimes two in their final year (having elected to do year 12 over two years) and then pay the students to do groundsman work on their fields during the spare time across the day.
Another school is aligned to the NSW schooling system for the age the boys start at the school (being six months behind the QLD system) and they dominate the Open Age Groups year in, year out because the boys are on average six months older in Year 12 and have already played Open in the season before.
Look at many of the outstanding rugby players this year from some of the schools and I would reckon that many of them turned 18 this year. I saw the bios of the BBC boys recently and saw that one of the outstanding players was around 18 and a half years old. His opposite number that day had turned 16 only a couple of months ago. The opposite number was good enough to be there, but I know that having over two years age and experience would have been a massive factor and an advantage.
It will work its way out with next year's year 8 cohort being the first prep year in Queensland, but there is at least another five years to go before this occurs.
I actually agree that it is a farce and that an imported premiership is hollow. But I would be interested to know when the last 'pure' premiership was. The BGS premiership a couple of years ago?
That's because the buses didn't leave until after full time in the firsts, and it was too wet to walk home !From the Forum activity this week (or lack thereof) there seems to a bit of angst that Churchie has (or at least is in the box seat) to win an undefeated premiership having beaten TSS last Saturday. Not sure why that is because they are a very good team that yes are full of superstars but they are a pleasure to watch. And despite the success appear a team of no egos that play for each other and their school. Yes they may have won the arms race this year but credit where credit is due. I know that everyone is happy to support winners and the real test of school community support is when the team is not having success but having been at the Churchie v BBC game at BBC it was embarrassing how many Churchie boys were there in the wet supporting their team in comparison to the BBC home team.
Ok well done churchie but in all due respect they imported a premiership the whole GPS sport is now a farce! pity he parents that pay full fees and see their boys being demoted in their senior years!!
In my opinion we should be letting St Peters, Marist and a whole host of other schools have a crack to grow the game! But of course those who sit at the GPS round table will never agree.