Shute Shield 2010

[naza]

James Leckie is a tool

West Harbour's discipline was poor. If you abuse the referee, don't expect any favours.

Bit of a scrappy game. I thought Easts' all openside backrow did well at disrupting Wests' ball but lacked oomph in the ball running. Some nice touches by Cross & Edmonds and Lester 'Twinkletoes' Salanoa's carved Easts up with great footwork and running lines.

It was disappointing to see Rodney Blake play so poorly.

 

[#1 Tah]

Went to Uni V Para today, Burgo had another good game, Huxley had a blinder, Dennis was good, Yanayanatawa and Tilse did well and Whittiker had a few good runs. Trist, Mitchell, Hodge and Carter were great. TPN was giving the post match talk to Para and said he had fun. I spoke to him afterwards and said he had done his ankle again, and was scrummaging on one foot at the end. He is getting surgery week after next. After the game they all got into a massive huddle and congratulated each other. I managed to get a photo from my phone after the huddle, but while they were still talking

 

[thecow]

does anyone know what radike samo was sent off for?
also - if u watched the telecast of the wests-easts game - if u saw what leckie said to wests about what some player said - that player would be extremely lucky not to be cited - even with leckie taking no on-field action

 

[Eyes and Ears]

does anyone know what radike samo was sent off for?

spear tackle

 

[fatprop]

Blake look average yesterday, nothing has change there.

Cross look great on attack, but still leaks tries, Sidey is big and average

 

[Bruce Ross]

Went to Uni V Para today, Burgo had another good game, Huxley had a blinder, Dennis was good, Yanayanatawa and Tilse did well and Whittiker had a few good runs. Trist, Mitchell, Hodge and Carter were great. TPN was giving the post match talk to Para and said he had fun. I spoke to him afterwards and said he had done his ankle again, and was scrummaging on one foot at the end. He is getting surgery week after next. After the game they all got into a massive huddle and congratulated each other. I managed to get a photo from my phone after the huddle, but while they were still talking

You mention only Tatafu of the Parramatta players, #1, for fairly obvious reasons. Almost all of their other players are virtually unknown whereas the Uni players get a lot of exposure and are therefore easy to pick out. But the Parra players deserve a lot of credit for frequently opening up the Uni defence, and of course for picking up the four-try bonus.

Thanks for drawing attention to the post match two-team-huddle. There should be more of it. [So long as they don't put their arms around one another] It is more meaningful and more in the spirit of rugby than the perfunctory post match drift-past handshakes or the formulaic clapping one another off the field.

By the way, who is "Whittiker"? The program said the ref was Scholtens.:nta:

 

[Eyes and Ears]

Was anyone at Chatswood for Gordon v Warringah yesterday?

 

[AussieDominance]

Yeah I was Gordon matched the Rats in the first twenty, both teams kicked the pill out of shape but more so Gordon. Memo Dave Harvey soft surface ball is not running do not just kick the ball away. Dion Berryman from Gordon was the only bloke who had a bit of a go.

Haylett - Petty can't pass and sounds like he has lost his Force contract next season.

Whittaker could not throw straight all game.

For the rats I thought Smouha was quite good, but the Super 14 experience came through and they held on to the pill for a bit longer. Josh Holmes was dangerous having a hand in all the tries and grabbing one I am pretty sure.

Gordon looked poorly coached, no one knows how to attack. Playing field position is all well and good but kicking the ball away is a different kettle of fish.

Meanwhile Gordon 3rd grade somehow managed to lose after being up 38-7 with twenty minutes to play TG I assume you wouldn't have any hair left.

Cheers

 

[Ron]

I have been watching a little bit of the shute shield lately on abc and the odd home game for eastwood. In doing so i have noticed a few s14 players trotting around the park - doing absolutely nothing special. Sure they may be doing there job well and doing the technical aspects of the game well but there impact on the game was almost non existant. Obviosuly im not criticising every single player that is coming back that would be ridiculous. Ones i have seen that did not impress:
Kane Douglas- Manly's locks both impressed me more
Ben Mowen- his team mate i think lamb impressed me much more. Alongside Southern disticts number 8 not sure who he is.
Sydney unis whole team - the majority are contracted players either in s14, s14 acedemies, wallabies and australia 7s yet there standing on the table goes to show..
Fairbrother (manlys prop) - he has zero impact even at scrum time, to be honest i rate manlys other ( un signed) props well over him and i think some s14 francises should be looking at the big number 1, cant remember his name unfortunatly.

 

[wamberal]

If you have been watching the Woodies you would have been impressed with Ben Hand and Locky McCaffrey in particular, Hugh Perrett, Damien Fitzpatrick, James Stannard, Ben Batger, and of course Lachie Turner have all been outstanding as well. Maybe the stars in the other teams will come to the fore as the finals come closer - hope not.

 

[observer]

The Woodies boys that have returned are going great. Most impressed with Lachie Turner at 13

 

[tranquility]

how has Jacob Woodhouse been going?

 

[DPK]

If you have been watching the Woodies you would have been impressed with Ben Hand and Locky McCaffrey in particular, Hugh Perrett, Damien Fitzpatrick, James Stannard, Ben Batger, and of course Lachie Turner have all been outstanding as well. Maybe the stars in the other teams will come to the fore as the finals come closer - hope not.

Agreed, I think Uni are a good example. They have been playing well under their potential, but as the combinations gel and the players become a more cohesive unit they'll come right. Much to the dissapointment of the rest of the competition.

They are leaving it a bit late, though...

 

[Novocastrian]

Sydney unis whole team - the majority are contracted players either in s14, s14 acedemies, wallabies and australia 7s yet there standing on the table goes to show..

They've also only had all their stars back for a couple of weeks haven't they?

 

[topo]

This weekend will tell us a lot. If Uni perform well against SD their show is back on the road. If they stumble again, they have some real soul searching to do.
I watch a lot of Shute Shield and have done for a few years. I think there are a few S14 players that regularly show their class in this comp:

I have been impressed by:
Nathan Charles, Jerry Yanuyanu, Tilsey, Dave Dennis, Pat McCutcheon, Phil Waugh, Hangers (big time!!!!), the much maligned but consistently good Tom Carter, Mitch Inman and Hux from Uni

Randomly from other sides I have noticed:
Tim Fairbrother: contrary to your views, Ron, I think he is one of the best scrummaging THPs in the comp and rarely gets beaten.
Tyrone Smith is always tough
Damien Fitzpatrick and Matt Dunning(when on the paddock) always go well for the Woodies
Brett Sheehan is usually Warringah's best
KB (Kurtley Beale) and Drew Mitchell have been ripping it up for Randwick
Ryan Cross played very well for Easts last week against WH
Radike Samo has been extremely strong for SD

and I'm sure there are countless others.

One of the great things about Shute Shield Rugby is that you can see these guys up close and, not infrequently, have the opportunity for a beer with them in the bar after the game.
I fear that with the extended S15 next year this may disappear and it will be a big loss.

 

[rugby_man]

Locky McCaffrey and Damien Fitzpatrick have always impressed me everytime I see them play for the Woodies. Nicky Price and Ita Vaea have been very impressive in their outings for Southern Districts. I rate Price very highly. Brendan McKibbin is another who has really shone this season IMO. He has all the qualities to be one of the best halfbacks in the country. He has very good communication skills and his passing finds the marks more times than not.

 

[Eyes and Ears]

I have been watching a little bit of the shute shield lately on abc and the odd home game for eastwood. In doing so i have noticed a few s14 players trotting around the park - doing absolutely nothing special. Sure they may be doing there job well and doing the technical aspects of the game well but there impact on the game was almost non existant. Obviosuly im not criticising every single player that is coming back that would be ridiculous. Ones i have seen that did not impress:
Kane Douglas- Manly's locks both impressed me more
Ben Mowen- his team mate i think lamb impressed me much more. Alongside Southern disticts number 8 not sure who he is.
Sydney unis whole team - the majority are contracted players either in s14, s14 acedemies, wallabies and australia 7s yet there standing on the table goes to show..
Fairbrother (manlys prop) - he has zero impact even at scrum time, to be honest i rate manlys other ( un signed) props well over him and i think some s14 francises should be looking at the big number 1, cant remember his name unfortunatly.

SD#8 is Ita Vaea - in Brumbies academy this year. I think he has been Souths best player.
Manly Prop - do you mean Salesi Manu from Aust U20 or Eddie Aholelei?

 

[Eyes and Ears]

how has Jacob Woodhouse been going?

currently playing 2nd grade at Easts. I think he has been at 13 with Harry Bennett playing 15.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

When the Uni "Rock stars" start clicking - look out.

IMHO they may have left their run a little too late after giving up a big handicap lead to the others in the early rounds of the Shute Shield.

Are they in danger of not making the finals regardless of their performance for the rest of the comp?

 

[DPK]

Robinson faces Rodzilla
July 14, 2010 - 6:55pm
Story by: AAP
Reds prop Rodney Blake

Benn Robinson is set to face "Rodzilla"

Qantas Wallabies scrum cornerstone Benn Robinson is facing a heavyweight test upon his return to Rugby this weekend after a break of more than two months.

Prop Robinson is aiming to prove his fitness for Australia's July 24 Bundaberg Red Tri-Nations opener against South Africa in Brisbane by making his return from a fractured forearm in a Sydney club game on Saturday.

The 27-year-old Waratahs scrum linchpin expects to come up against massive West Harbour front-rower Rodney Blake, nicknamed "Rodzilla".

One of the biggest props in the business, former Reds front-rower Blake has returned to Australia and will play for the fledgling Melbourne Rebels Super Rugby franchise next year after spending two seasons with French club Bayonne.

Robinson, who will be turning out for Eastwood, will be conceding around 20 kilos in weight to Blake, who he played alongside in the Australian team in 2006.

"I think I'm playing against Rodney Blake. He's around 135 kilos, so it's going to be a big test for me, coming back to scrummaging," Robinson told reporters on Wednesday.

Neither Robinson nor hooker Stephen Moore, who will also return to action for Eastwood on Saturday after a two-month rest caused by a fractured jaw, have been treated with kid-gloves at training by their Wallaby teammates.

"This week is a real tester for us, he (Moore) has got a few knocks on the jaw already and I've got a fair whack on my arm," Robinson said.

"It's just about getting confidence back in your arm and you achieve that through a few bumps and bruises."

Robinson said his arm felt really good despite it getting "a bit of a bashing".

"The doctors are really happy with the healing, so I'm just looking forward to getting stuck in a bit more," he said.

In-form five-eighth Quade Cooper returned to the team camp on Wednesday after being given leave to attend a family funeral in his country of birth, New Zealand.

Cooper, who won the Australian Super Rugby Player of the Year award, is keen to build on the sizzling form that he carried into Australia's four inbound Tests during June.

"I'm happy but, at the same time, you want to keep improving," Cooper said.

"You don't want to get to a certain stage and just stay there, you want to keep moving forward."

Cooper was looking to proving himself in Tri-Nations combat, having never played against New Zealand and only off-the-bench against South Africa.

"It's going to be exciting for me to play against the country where I was born, it will be a big occasion for myself and my family, it's something I'm really looking forward to," Cooper said.

However, Cooper wasn't taking it for granted that he would definitely play in the Tests against the All Blacks in Melbourne on July 31 and Christchurch the following Saturday.

He had no doubt he would be targeted by the big Springbok back-row in Brisbane on Saturday week.

"I'm sure they will. It happened all through the Super 14, so I can't see it changing," Cooper said.

"The whole team has got to come together and be physical with their pack and really muscle-up."