I have had a more than 50 year connection with Souths and have a close association with Reggies and 1st Grade.
All this rubbish that guys don't want to play 1st Grade, and we are stacking in 2nds and 3rds is absolute rot. I see Reggies players before every session speaking with coaches about what they need to do to play Prems.
The club has had a full rebuild which is not finished. Prems regularly run out up to 10 players who came through the Colts system and Reggies do the same. The Prems and Reggies players are the same age and in most positions they are on similar levels. Prems are building something, which in the next year or 2, is going to blossom in to a Premiership.
3rds and Reggies are more advanced with results as the competions are easier, Reggies won the comp last year, 3rds were minor Premiers and Grand Finalists(after receiving the Wooden Spoon the previous year) and 4ths were Grand Finalists. This is testament to the work done on the rebuild and changes in the club like no fresh benches and selecting 1st to 5th Grade on merit each week.