QLD GPS Rugby 2014

[ruggasXV]

^The TSS jerseys look pretty slick. Any new jersey designs this year?
And will Churchie be once again donning the skin-tight jerseys that they have grown to love?

I don't think that'll be the TSS regular season jersey, they've used the white jerseys in trials for a number of years now.

I always thought the Churchie jersey was the most aesthetic one, skin-tightness aside. Their grey trial jersey's aren't too bad either. BSHS and GT come a close second.

 

[ruggasXV]

Would anyone be up for joining an official tipping competition for this year's QLD GPS season? I've found a website that can let me create one.

 

[Digby]

Apart from an opportunistic tribal bagging when the chance arose, my main point here is that if a proud rugby school like BSHS can't seem to field anything below a B side with at least the cohort size of boys that once sustained E teams then where are the boys???. The same sort of news comes out of IGS as well. What are the School rugby directors/QRU/ARU doing to address this loss of players in an already small overall nursery?
Monday's Expert, Yesterday at 8:01 PM Report
#934
Very good point.

 

[Digby]

I think tribalism is not limited to any school. in the meantime I'm looking forward to an exciting season and perhaps a broadening in the power base of GPS rugby, with both Ippy (though there is questions on their depth) and BBC looking like they could mount a serious challenge for the title.
Monday's Expert, Yesterday at 8:01 PM Report
#934
Mr Expert
I agree with you.If IGS & BSHS can keep there number 1 teams on the field they will be very very competitive.
As for BBC -is this 2012 again???
Is that 7 or 8 players injured?-there are moon boots everywhere.
And what the hell is wrong with Lazarus?He should be pushing for the 1st xv -but he has not even trained.I saw the" brick with eyes down at training "-so something is going on.
Is Gunther out for the season?.

 

[Stillnoidea]

Dark Shark, I think Gunter at BBC was only 15 when in the 1sts last year.

 

[Refabit]

The result from the Coast yesterday means that this year Toowoomba are going to be competitive for the title this year - or TSS aren't.

 

[TheKing]

Is Gunther out for the season?.

Officially a cracked sternum with a bruised heart.

The sternum injury alone has 2-12 months recovery time post op, which I believe he may have already had.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Just a Parent]

Great game. I can't recall any kicking at allWell Done to BBC 16A's they should be proud of them selves. Beating a state high team who had already played a full game in the B's (being nice and giving the BBC B's a game). then running on tired in the A game. Losing players due to 1st XV and injury at Half time (down to 11 players). and the BSHS A's still front up and give BBC a game, and all you can hear from the sideline is parents giving those boys crap. Disgusting display by BBC parents and players they should be ashamed of themselves. As for the First XV game BSHS had their Halfback out and their blindside flanker out two key players. and has anyone said that state high were wining at one stage against a imported team and school throwing countless amounts of dollars at their rugby program


Mr Magic
There is no magic in your post.
Was speaking to a wonderful parent from BSHS who said he had 2 boys in the 1st xv "both on scholarships" and that he used to teach at BBC and it was good to see the improvement in the BBC rugby program after decades in the doldrums(principally because they were the last to import)
You conveniently sidestep the real issue: what the hell is wrong with BSHS rugby when they cannot field more than 2 sides in each age and only ONE under 15 and ONE under 16 team.
It is the same in cricket & rowing & even worse in tennis.
The late great porky Morgan & Wally Lewis stepped in to save BSHS from getting kicked out of the GPS 15 years ago --but the jungle drums are beating again.

The only people at BBC who should be ashamed are the Board who refused to condone importing(other than Cmwth indigenous scholarships) for so bloody long.

Think that perhaps we missing the aspect that the win at all costs attitude could eventually damage the wonderful GPS comp. The comp in Sydney is experiencing problems and on a wider scale the BJRU couldn't even run a U15 div1 comp last year (stacked sides resulting in insufficient teams to play).
You mentioned rowing which is interesting. Allowing student to only do minimum number of subjects to enable repeating will help result in an excellent crew. Have a son in the 1st vIII for BSHS and they did well last year (they would have given any Brisbane U17 team a fright - and, for example, the 4s won the Qld State championships against some strong competition (due to it obviously being U17). Depth can always be bought and is being bought. The sheer $ quantity is the worrying aspect here - or perhaps it's only me that has these concerns.
Apologies if these comments should be somewhere else - learning.

 

[Set piece magic]

Getting the competitiveness of the competition right is a priority and you make a very valid point Just a Parent.

There is a psychology flow on effect of having depth and teams. Having teams competitive and winning makes the boys love playing

When the boys love playing they tell their friends etc and they come and play next season as well. If you look at the BBC u14 age group this year who had a successful season last year they now have an F team in addition to last years E team.

The result is that players of an 'F' standard can play and have a great time playing against teams of their skill level. It is no fun for these D, E & F standard players to play for a school with only an A and B team and get pumped every week, so in that scenario many stop playing.

Without wading too far into the scholarships issue, they have brought an added physicality to the game which means that not only is their skill level often higher, but their ability to injure is also high..

The result is we go through peaks and troughs of various schools fielding less teams and more teams than the average.

Unfortunately the ball is in the court of the schools and not the QRU/ARU to value their rugby program and invest a LOT of money to keep the teams competitive. And believe me, the teams at the top have money pouring in left right and center.

Thus it is an unfortunate by-product of a semi-professional competition that a lack of heavy funding into the respective rugby programs leads to less boys playing.

That's not to blame the schools either. Some schools in the GPS have more money to move than others, some have a very strong cash flow from old boy donations, etc.

The best way for an even competition across all age groups to continue is to have 9 very competent DOR's.

A cause for concern no doubt

 

[phatmik]

Well written Spikhaza.

 

[phatmik]

With respect to the broader competition scheduling and number of player injuries preseason, would competition planning be more succinct with representative commitments and injury toll reduced if the GPS season was played in its original seasonal timeframe (I think term1-2??)

 

[LIKEATIGER]

New

Yesterday I was either going to watch St Peters v Ashgrove or BBC v State High. I'm pleased I went to Toowong. And excellent contest and the two teams ran themselves ragged. ​

Evenly poised at half time with State High up 3 tries to 2. Their fun stopped there with BBC running in four unanswered tries in the second half. ​

The opening phase of around 20 phases leading to a BBC try was excellent. There were many such phase sets during the match. ​

BBC 9 and 7 both stand outs. They used their width very well and State High couldn't match them out wide. The 12 and 8 sustained big injuries; ACL and broken sternum. One of their props finished with a broken hand too.​

State High were led well around the field by their 10 and 7 was hard on the ball. Shame was State High played the last 10 men with 14 players as they ran short of reserves. Not a good sign during a trial period. Their fitness was questionable too and BBC cut them up easily in the second half.​

Bugger all kicking, multiple phase play and nine tries. An excellent game overall. ​

Corne Uyc, Today at 2:20 PM Report
#915
Congrats on a fair & accurate summary.BBC phase play very impressive.\BBC 7 was my man of match -but a lot of injuries. BBC 2 was on crutches after the match.\BBC looked much fitter.
BSHS 2nd xv were smashed-so depth looks bad.

 

[LIKEATIGER]

I ended up at that Ashgrove v St Peters game...good game dominated by the Ashgrove pack. Second rower Byrne for Ashgrove and Setu (fullback) from Ipswich are supposed to be the 2 favorites for Qld schools from AIC. Look for them when GPS v AIC on Friday nite

 

[L Yates]

Thus it is an unfortunate by-product of a semi-professional competition that a lack of heavy funding into the respective rugby programs leads to less boys playing.

That's not to blame the schools either. Some schools in the GPS have more money to move than others, some have a very strong cash flow from old boy donations, etc.


Good comment.Remember also that some schools have been "at it" longer than others.

As a former DOR at one school said to me said last year " welcome to GPS rugby.The only sporting comp in Australia without a salary cap"

But the same applies to swimming(Churchie last to 1st):cricket(the top 3 schools-TSS/ACGS/BBC all had new rep players), Rowing (Nudgee 1st viii last year and T&F(IGS have Cathy Freeman Foundation)).

Cant see it changing-so don't complain-get a program in place.

But you are so right:some schools have a bigger war chest to call on.

 

[SideKick]

I think tribalism is not limited to any school. in the meantime I'm looking forward to an exciting season and perhaps a broadening in the power base of GPS rugby, with both Ippy (though there is questions on their depth) and BBC looking like they could mount a serious challenge for the title.
Monday's Expert, Yesterday at 8:01 PM Report
#934
Mr Expert
I agree with you.If IGS & BSHS can keep there number 1 teams on the field they will be very very competitive.
As for BBC -is this 2012 again???
Is that 7 or 8 players injured?-there are moon boots everywhere.
And what the hell is wrong with Lazarus?He should be pushing for the 1st xv -but he has not even trained.I saw the" brick with eyes down at training "-so something is going on.
Is Gunther out for the season?.

From BBC-
Gunther appears certainly out.
Christianson (tight head- GPS 3 Res) didn't train with GPS on Sunday- seems to have a broken hand.
Peterson, (tight head) the only survivor from the ill-fated 2012 BBC 1st XV , was back training with GPS 3 and looks like playing in the State trials.
Tuuga (Hooker/flanker? GPS 2 Res): on crutches, will probably miss the trials but it doesn't look to serious.
Lazarus is risen, haven't heard details of why he's not training.
I have heard that the fitness regime has taken it's toll on some of the big boys, with lack of recovery time before trials causing some concern.

 

[Just a Parent]

Getting the competitiveness of the competition right is a priority and you make a very valid point Just a Parent.

There is a psychology flow on effect of having depth and teams. Having teams competitive and winning makes the boys love playing

When the boys love playing they tell their friends etc and they come and play next season as well. If you look at the BBC u14 age group this year who had a successful season last year they now have an F team in addition to last years E team.

The result is that players of an 'F' standard can play and have a great time playing against teams of their skill level. It is no fun for these D, E & F standard players to play for a school with only an A and B team and get pumped every week, so in that scenario many stop playing.

Without wading too far into the scholarships issue, they have brought an added physicality to the game which means that not only is their skill level often higher, but their ability to injure is also high..

The result is we go through peaks and troughs of various schools fielding less teams and more teams than the average.

Unfortunately the ball is in the court of the schools and not the QRU/ARU to value their rugby program and invest a LOT of money to keep the teams competitive. And believe me, the teams at the top have money pouring in left right and center.

Thus it is an unfortunate by-product of a semi-professional competition that a lack of heavy funding into the respective rugby programs leads to less boys playing.

That's not to blame the schools either. Some schools in the GPS have more money to move than others, some have a very strong cash flow from old boy donations, etc.

The best way for an even competition across all age groups to continue is to have 9 very competent DOR's.

A cause for concern no doubt

Getting the competitiveness of the competition right is a priority and you make a very valid point Just a Parent.

There is a psychology flow on effect of having depth and teams. Having teams competitive and winning makes the boys love playing

When the boys love playing they tell their friends etc and they come and play next season as well. If you look at the BBC u14 age group this year who had a successful season last year they now have an F team in addition to last years E team.

The result is that players of an 'F' standard can play and have a great time playing against teams of their skill level. It is no fun for these D, E & F standard players to play for a school with only an A and B team and get pumped every week, so in that scenario many stop playing.

Without wading too far into the scholarships issue, they have brought an added physicality to the game which means that not only is their skill level often higher, but their ability to injure is also high..

The result is we go through peaks and troughs of various schools fielding less teams and more teams than the average.

Unfortunately the ball is in the court of the schools and not the QRU/ARU to value their rugby program and invest a LOT of money to keep the teams competitive. And believe me, the teams at the top have money pouring in left right and center.

Thus it is an unfortunate by-product of a semi-professional competition that a lack of heavy funding into the respective rugby programs leads to less boys playing.

That's not to blame the schools either. Some schools in the GPS have more money to move than others, some have a very strong cash flow from old boy donations, etc.

The best way for an even competition across all age groups to continue is to have 9 very competent DOR's.

A cause for concern no doubt

Agree. We need to encourage and support all teams and I'm sure we will enjoy this session unfold. The playing fields need to be level (excuse the pun) - lets hope winning is more than just how much $ has been spent.

 

[L Yates]

lets hope winning is more than just how much $ has been spent.

Great comment & I hope you are correct:but the evidence from NSW GPS comp does not support what you saying as notwithstanding the so-called moratorium on importing:
1) SSHS and SGS do not play at 1st xv level any more;
2)traditional powerhouses like St Josephs got beaten by 50 points a couple of weeks ago.

At least there are no 50 point thrashings in Qld-and from what I have seen it is a very close comp.Look at last year -the top 4 teams all had losses to each other.

 

[ruggasXV]

I'm just gonna leave this here...
http://mysportstips.net/

Comp Number - 10403
Comp Password - rugby

 

[Red Black]

I'm just gonna leave this here.
http://mysportstips.net/

Comp Number - 10403
Comp Password - rugby

Great idea, make sure to repost this before the season starts up again

 

[Bowside]

State High and IGS only having max 2 or 3 teams in an age group is still a poor result. I realise demographics change but a strong rugby culture should be able to overcome this. First XV success is only one metric of a successful rugby program, the ability to field 5-6 teams is equally important because it expands the rugby community, creates long term fans etc.

The GPS should never have put Basketball and Rugby in the same semester. A few of the bigger traditional rugby schools (and the QRU) should have stepped up and blocked the move on the grounds that it would decrease the potential talent pool of quality rugby players.