Dave Beat
Paul McLean (56)
If you can't hear the ref', try Sports Ears.
Aiui most first grade referees are miked up (especially in the SS).
Gee you Uni boys have all the tools
If you can't hear the ref', try Sports Ears.
Aiui most first grade referees are miked up (especially in the SS).
I hope Cheika has the brains and the imagination to work out that some of our semi-professionals might be far better than some of the full-time professional players, if they only had a similar opportunity.
Jared Barry, for one. Dave Porecki (the young Manly LHP) is another. Jed Gillespie is out for the season, he is another one.
Players who glide straight from school into full-time professional careers might not have the mongrel and determination of a player who has had to fight his way up against the odds (and without having had access to all the training resources and time that the full-timers have).
Not to start another 3rd tier debate or anything, but I have to say it after that game yesterday. If Pulver still tries to bring in some naff comp like Super B, he's kidding himself. The 3rd tier was staring us all in the face yesterday. Massive crowd, top quality game of rugby - had to be the best advertisement for club rugby in a long time, in a time when most people in the media are looking to talk down about club footy because it's not the ITM cup.
Hope the big crowds and great rugby continues at Coogee next week.
Gee you Uni boys have all the tools
If you can't hear the ref', try Sports Ears.
Aiui most first grade referees are miked up (especially in the SS).
I've had guys in the office who don't follow rugby and saw the game at a pub, they reckon it was more enjoyable than the test the night before.
Start and Finish the Shute with the Soup, and then lets showcase our game.
Massive crowd - yes, and we have TG Milner, Concord, Rat Park, Coogee + more, - plenty of grounds were we could play the 3T and allow the grass roots to build and benefit.
Yep Winton for Skelton....The Uni players arrive by bus and moved as a group into the ground. There was certainly a few million in Super 15 contracts on displayYep, Manly were bloody good, but the bench options of Uni are just amazing
I hope Cheika has the brains and the imagination to work out that some of our semi-professionals might be far better than some of the full-time professional players, if they only had a similar opportunity.
Jared Barry, for one. Dave Porecki (the young Manly LHP) is another. Jed Gillespie is out for the season, he is another one.
Players who glide straight from school into full-time professional careers might not have the mongrel and determination of a player who has had to fight his way up against the odds (and without having had access to all the training resources and time that the full-timers have).[
Porecki is a classic example - unfashionable rugby school, few season sin colts, gets serious - sheds the kg's etc . Wasn't even thought of as a starting front rower for first grade at the beginning of the season . All heart and deserves ever chance that comes his way...I hope Cheika has the brains and the imagination to work out that some of our semi-professionals might be far better than some of the full-time professional players, if they only had a similar opportunity.
Jared Barry, for one. Dave Porecki (the young Manly LHP) is another. Jed Gillespie is out for the season, he is another one.
Players who glide straight from school into full-time professional careers might not have the mongrel and determination of a player who has had to fight his way up against the odds (and without having had access to all the training resources and time that the full-timers have).
There has been some great club rugby this season, even during the Soup season.
But the problem for the ARU is that there is more than one city that needs a third tier.
A full national competition (with all the viable first grade clubs involved) would be too big. A selective competition, with a few teams from each city, would be unfair and would discriminate against players who happen not to be in one of the chosen teams (thus ensuring that the strong would get stronger, and the weak would disappear).
Not to start another 3rd tier debate or anything, but I have to say it after that game yesterday. If Pulver still tries to bring in some naff comp like Super B, he's kidding himself. The 3rd tier was staring us all in the face yesterday. Massive crowd, top quality game of rugby - had to be the best advertisement for club rugby in a long time, in a time when most people in the media are looking to talk down about club footy because it's not the ITM cup.
Hope the big crowds and great rugby continues at Coogee next week.
There has to be some continuity, with the same teams (or most of them) guaranteed of a spot every season. That has a whole lot of advantages, particularly building up sponsorship, a tv following, and spectators. (I am talking about a post season competition, after each city's usual competition, maybe only one round thereof of course, then local finals).
But I have thought and thought about it. If we retain current team identities and just pick the top four in each city and have done with it, that means the rest will die away. The fairer way to do it might be to pick the top four at the end of the regular season - but again, what happens to the rest?
The top four from the season would presumably gain some financial benefits, which would make them even stronger next season - not to mention that they would find it easier to attract better players. The strong would get stronger, in other words.
Maybe that is the price we have to pay? Eastwood, Manly, Southern Districts and Combined Universities to represent Sydney (the latter being SU plus the three western Sydney clubs). Eastwood, Manly, and Southern could poach who they like, except for players from SU, Penrith, West Harbour, and Parramtta).
A similar appropriate scenario for Brisbane, a couple of teams each from Melbourne and Perth, and away we go.
There has to be some continuity, with the same teams (or most of them) guaranteed of a spot every season. That has a whole lot of advantages, particularly building up sponsorship, a tv following, and spectators. (I am talking about a post season competition, after each city's usual competition, maybe only one round thereof of course, then local finals).
But I have thought and thought about it. If we retain current team identities and just pick the top four in each city and have done with it, that means the rest will die away. The fairer way to do it might be to pick the top four at the end of the regular season - but again, what happens to the rest?
The top four from the season would presumably gain some financial benefits, which would make them even stronger next season - not to mention that they would find it easier to attract better players. The strong would get stronger, in other words.
Maybe that is the price we have to pay? Eastwood, Manly, Southern Districts and Combined Universities to represent Sydney (the latter being SU plus the three western Sydney clubs). Eastwood, Manly, and Southern could poach who they like, except for players from SU, Penrith, West Harbour, and Parramtta).
A similar appropriate scenario for Brisbane, a couple of teams each from Melbourne and Perth, and away we go.
Manly 9, 12, 13 were better, Uni 10 (Foley) pretty classy, 15 (Kingston) good. Wings - closer.He did,but he was not the only back to out point his opposite number,in particular the centres IMO.