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Rams v Vikings NRC Round 2: Thursday 28 August 2014

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I like to watch

David Codey (61)
it might be difficult for a firmly entrenched Super rugby guy like Mogg to get "up" for this comp. I mean a year ago he was starting against the ABs and now he's playing amateur footy on Thursday night in front of 800 people. It's possible he'd rather be doing something else.
i would have thought he would be keen to play well in at least one game this year,no matter what the grade or the size of the crowd.
 

masai

Frank Nicholson (4)
If it really is the case that he'd rather be doing something else than play NRC, that's pretty disappointing, because that "something else" is 6 months of pre-season. I've never known anyone to prefer daily fitness sessions with no end in sight to actually playing and competing in real rugby games.

These guys are supposed to be pros who live for the contest on the field. Sorry if this is off topic.
 

fatprop

George Gregan (70)
Staff member
it might be difficult for a firmly entrenched Super rugby guy like Mogg to get "up" for this comp. I mean a year ago he was starting against the ABs and now he's playing amateur footy on Thursday night in front of 800 people. It's possible he'd rather be doing something else.

If anyone needs the NPC it is Mogg, he was rubbish this season and needs to find some form
 

Dave Beat

Paul McLean (56)
The disappointing bit was the crowd figure. I reckon a better game for televising would have been e.g. Rays i.e. another Sydney team


I agree but Thurs nights - getting a family to a game Thursday night very hard. I've barked on long and hard in the NRC thread TV Ratings v Crowds - what is more important and to who / why.

I thinking it was in yesterday paper the Dogs were complaining about back to back Thursday night home games as their gate brings $400k.
 

Lee Grant

John Eales (66)
I'll also add: while I'm not thrilled we lost, the level of rugby I found suitable for achieving our aims e.g. growing the game and putting the club guys into a tougher level of competition.

The disappointing bit was the crowd figure. I reckon a better game for televising would have been e.g. Rays i.e. another Sydney team

It will take a while for this competition to mature. Even this year would have started better had the NRC process been started earlier; but that was because of the need to get the Foxtel and Foxsports contributions nailed down first.

It could have waited until 2015 but I'd rather see it in 2014, warts and all.

Even this year you will see an improvement in the teams as the players train and play with each other more and the coach changes his team and game plans around a bit to address the weaknesses he sees, and to use the strengths better.

Right now it is looking like a schools' rep competition where the sides look 100% better at the end of the week than they did on day one.

But more important will be the changes to the squads from one year to the other so that the 2014 teams' weaknesses are addressed by changing the player group (and maybe some coaches).

You will see less whacky Barbarian-type rugby in Year 3 than you are seeing now in Year 1 even if they keep the current scoring system (though I doubt if it will survive anyway).

I didn't expect the crowds to be any better than they are: it's going to be even harder to identify with the Sydney teams than it was in 2007 because the regional aspect was stronger in the setup then.

It will be OK if it ticks the rugby boxes and the teams can survive financially, nevertheless.

Crowds aren't everything: when Aussie test cricket was in its pomp folks weren't exactly rushing to watch the Sheffield Shield, but it was a priceless resource to develop the players.
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Pfitzy

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Crowds aren't everything: when Aussie cricket was in its pomp in test cricket folks weren't exactly rushing to watch the Sheffield Shield, but it was a priceless resource to develop the players.
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I agree. I'm just disappointed they can't all be as awesome as me :)
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
I thought Jared Barry was excellent last night. A real standout for the Rams.

He carried really well, was really physical and was also solid in the lineout. He's clearly carrying a bit of extra padding but he looks like a guy who has the base skills who could excel in a professional environment.

One to watch for the Tahs.
 

Brumby Runner

Jason Little (69)
it might be difficult for a firmly entrenched Super rugby guy like Mogg to get "up" for this comp. I mean a year ago he was starting against the ABs and now he's playing amateur footy on Thursday night in front of 800 people. It's possible he'd rather be doing something else.

Hard to say what goes on in a player's mind, but I'd be surprised if Moggy didn't want to be out there playing a best he can. Just think it might be time to put him on the wing with different playing instructions - just run with the ball every opportunity. Hopefully, he could get his mojo back.
 

Lee Grant

John Eales (66)
I thought Jared Barry was excellent last night. A real standout for the Rams.

One to watch for the Tahs.
Agree Braveheart - he's always been a good player but you'd have to wonder about his gut.

At 115kgs and 197 cms it doesn't sound to bad but when he was playing for the Oz Baas v the NSW U/20s earllier in the year someone asked me who the fat prop was. The players were a long way away; so I couldn't recognise him; but when he came nearer I realised it was Barry.

He's lost a bit of weight since then but if he wants to get into Super Rugby he needs to get himself into the Invited Players group at the Tahs to strip some weight off him.

It's interesting that Sam Wykes Steve Mafi is going to play for the Force: they must have room for him as a foreign player though maybe he has some kind of dispensation because he was raised in Sydney.

He's bigger and more rugged than when he was on the fringes of the Tahs' group. He was more like Sam Wykes when he left and had the same haircut, as I recall, but he got a hard edge at Leicester.

He was just a year or two away from a Tahs' contract, but you can't blame young players for wanting to try themselves overseas.

Maybe the NRC will lift the players quicker so they can get a contract quicker - or get them recognised quicker if they were good enough all along. Then maybe they won't get into the situation of playing for an Island nation and burning bridges.
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Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
It's interesting that Sam Wykes Steve Mafi is going to play for the Force: they must have room for him as a foreign player though maybe he has some kind of dispensation because he was raised in Sydney.

He's bigger and more rugged than when he was on the fringes of the Tahs' group. He was more like Sam Wykes when he left and had the same haircut, as I recall, but he got a hard edge at Leicester.

He was just a year or two away from a Tahs' contract, but you can't blame young players for wanting to try themselves overseas.

Maybe the NRC will lift the players quicker so they can get a contract quicker - or get them recognised quicker if they were good enough all along. Then maybe they won't get into the situation of playing for an Island nation and burning bridges.
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I'm assuming you mean Steve Mafi in the first instance.

He looks like he really needs a fair bit of game time. In the first game against Country Eagles he was well off the pace. He was a little better last night. At the end of the game, he was lying on his back on the ground seemingly exhausted and then rolled himself off the field so someone else could potentially come on.

He's made some comments that he'd never want to come back to the Tahs but it's interesting that he's going to the Force seeing as Michael Foley would have been at the Tahs when he was on the scene.
 

Shiggins

Simon Poidevin (60)
Watch an ITM cup game. Then watch this game. No wonder we got pumped last weekend by 50. I think the NZ high school games would be better to watch. Pretty average. Hopefully it gets better.

Why is Alcock playing for GSR? Has he left the force?

Steve Mafi looked good but couldn't quite last the 80. Will be keeping an eye on him as he has signed with the force.

I thought the Vikings came good and showed their class after a slow start But way to many handling errors by both sides

Was it greasy or something?
 
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