Shute Shield 2013

[the coach]

I'm not as good as others on here with history and information but I'm not sure hickey signed up to many woods players but he did inherit a few.

I seem to remember there were a few "casual" fill ins like Ben Batger and maybe even Hugh Perrett. I remember thinking at the time that Chris seemed to go to the Woods when he needed a replacement, but I didn't see any problem with his selections.

 

[wamberal]

Batger must be the most ignored good footballer in recent history.



Perrett is also a bloody good player, a bit small I suppose for the top.

 

[MACCA]

Steve Cummins is also a good prospect. Not sure what the situation is regarding Damien Fitzpatrick. I would have expected him to be on the Tahs' tour.

Fitz is off to France and has signed with Lyon. Cheika didn't re-sign him.

 

[I like to watch]

It was a good point, but maybe it underlines what I have thought about Eastwood for some time ie they are a great team because they play as a team and there are no standout individuals. Having said that I do think that Mitch Lees and Jared Barry are both worthy of Super contracts.

what about their 12?
he is usually amongst their best.I can't recall seeing another 12 best him in the last few years.
He is only 21 or 22 as well.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Batger must be the most ignored good footballer in recent history.
Perrett is also a bloody good player, a bit small I suppose for the top.

I seem to recall that one of the Batger boys played in NZ a year or two back for Hawkes Bay.

 

[Gibbo]

Fitzpatrick has had 3 years at the Tahs and spent the vast majority injured.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Hey Gibbo,

Any photos of the Highlanders strip from Ladies day the other week?

After the bar level for playing in pink was established by the Wicks, anything would look good.

 

[latrell247]

Batger must be the most ignored good footballer in recent history.



Perrett is also a bloody good player, a bit small I suppose for the top.

You're kidding right. Perrett is a big unit

 

[wamberal]

what about their 12?
he is usually amongst their best.I can't recall seeing another 12 best him in the last few years.
He is only 21 or 22 as well.

This year the starting 12 was Taylor Spitz, until he got injured. Maybe you are thinking of Sione Piukala? He is now playing in France. Tim Bennetts was another good centre, he went to the Force and seems to have dropped out of sight.

 

[Rugby Central]

Ha, that is a good one but I can categorically deny (and that is from the horses mouth)
Anyway, BRC are are looking to expand their operations into Rugby League and are the hot tip to buy the Mighty Rabbitiohs from Rusty!

Bit of a bummer. The leather patches of the north shore (and rugby in general) could use a wake-up.

It was ugly, expensive and incredibly painful, but the Super League war was the best thing that ever happened to the mungos. It's the kind of circuit breaker that's desperately needed for Union.

Forget the Rabbits. Tigers stocks are much cheaper now and the Magpie faithful want to jettison them anyway. Make aplay for tigers and then they can keep Marshall and he can still play union. Plus you'd get Liechardt Oval without a fight. Win win I say

 

[Gibbo]

Hey Gibbo,

Any photos of the Highlanders strip from Ladies day the other week?

After the bar level for playing in pink was established by the Wicks, anything would look good.

We didn't go for a custom strip for the day. As it was School Holidays we were welcoming the Junior rep teams who had done so well at the State Championships and all of the players wore their Junior or School socks.

We had socks from France, England, Argentina, Brazil, Fiji, Scotland, Samoa, New Zealand, Roseville, Lindfield, Lane Cove, Wahroonga, West Pymble, Shore, Joeys, Kings, Knox, Barker plus too many others it got too hard to count.

 

[Intruder]

This year the starting 12 was Taylor Spitz, until he got injured. Maybe you are thinking of Sione Piukala? He is now playing in France. Tim Bennetts was another good centre, he went to the Force and seems to have dropped out of sight.

There must be a bigger reason as to 1. Why only a few Eastwood players get contracted and 2. Those few fall out of favour at the super level. They have been so consistent in SS but they don't filter through as many players to the top level especially in the past 4-5 years.

Personally, Alexander and Piukala were the couple I thought who would be solid additions into any Super franchise also add John Grant to that list. Two are overseas and the other on the way back from injury. More and more seem to be heading overseas which is a worry for Australian rugby.

 

[Dave Beat]

There must be a bigger reason as to 1. Why only a few Eastwood players get contracted and 2. Those few fall out of favour at the super level. They have been so consistent in SS but they don't filter through as many players to the top level especially in the past 4-5 years.

Personally, Alexander and Piukala were the couple I thought who would be solid additions into any Super franchise also add John Grant to that list. Two are overseas and the other on the way back from injury. More and more seem to be heading overseas which is a worry for Australian rugby.

It is shame our talent is heading overseas.

• George Smith - is almost playing a full Super Season over here, before heading over to Japan for their season. The point I'm making our seasons don't over lap.
• Japan are hosts to the RWC in 2019, that is only 6 years away. They would be looking to promote and develop their player base.
• The Japanese have often approached our player base, and pay handsomely.

I'll leave the frame work, timing and construction alone,

• A Japanese team plays their Preseason over here in Australia.
• This may be their development team / pool for 6 years time.
• Televised in Aust. & Japan, Japan help bank role it - they pay our players enough. Look at a SBW for only a part season.
• We also may have a team over there for our preseason (this year we had an academy team but we didn't get exposure), or
• Our players may earn an income playing over there in our off season, we just need to be sure we get them back.

The logistics, and infrastructure would no doubt provide a mountain to climb, but at the moment we are loosing talent. So just exploring retention ideas & options.

 

[wamberal]

There must be a bigger reason as to 1. Why only a few Eastwood players get contracted and 2. Those few fall out of favour at the super level. They have been so consistent in SS but they don't filter through as many players to the top level especially in the past 4-5 years.

Personally, Alexander and Piukala were the couple I thought who would be solid additions into any Super franchise also add John Grant to that list. Two are overseas and the other on the way back from injury. More and more seem to be heading overseas which is a worry for Australian rugby.

There cannot be any particular reason, I think it just the case that we have had a good solid echelon of first grade players who were good enough to win at that level, but not good enough to step up. Barry Faamausili, a classic example, absolutely killed the "all star" University front rowers in the 2011 grand final. Other very good players like Tom Alexander and Gareth Palamo never got any recognition at all. John Grant got an offer from Wests Tigers, I hope he will back in rugby next season, somewhere. Ideally with the Woodies, of course.

 

[Spieber]

This year the starting 12 was Taylor Spitz, until he got injured. Maybe you are thinking of Sione Piukala? He is now playing in France. Tim Bennetts was another good centre, he went to the Force and seems to have dropped out of sight.

Wamberal, has Mitchell ever tried out for a Super team?

 

[southsider]

champion team not a team full of champions

 

[lily]

Bennetts went to play in Japan. Isn't viewed as a foreign player due to Filipino visa somehow. Believe he is still there.

 

[Gibbo]

The Full house sign has gone up on the Gordon RUFC Gala Dinner for saturday night. This is a great effort by the organising committee and should be a cracking night!

 

[Fowi]

what about their 12?
he is usually amongst their best.I can't recall seeing another 12 best him in the last few years.
He is only 21 or 22 as well.

Do you mean Michael McDougall? He has also played quite a bit of 13 this season. But I think he is a real good player, very willing, runs good lines and a hard worker. I'd be very suprised if one of the Super Rugby teams isn't looking at him.

 

[northman91]

There cannot be any particular reason, I think it just the case that we have had a good solid echelon of first grade players who were good enough to win at that level, but not good enough to step up. Barry Faamausili, a classic example, absolutely killed the "all star" University front rowers in the 2011 grand final. Other very good players like Tom Alexander and Gareth Palamo never got any recognition at all. John Grant got an offer from Wests Tigers, I hope he will back in rugby next season, somewhere. Ideally with the Woodies, of course.

Eastwood have had a gun line up over the years and I'm dumbfounded at how there have been so many uni players picked over these Eastwood boys. Don't get me wrong these uni boys deserved the opportunity and most of them have done well since joining a super rugby side.

But players like Hugh Perrett, Cam Mitchell, Michael McDougall, Ben Bagter, Jed Gillespie, Lachie McCaffery, Jarred Barry, etc have done a much better job performing at Shute Shield level than Angus Roberts, Trent Dyer, Tom English, Nic Stirzacker, Sam Talakai, Liam Winton who have all been given opportunities.

If I recall Eastwood have beaten uni 7 times in a row?

It's a shame a lot of these boys are heading overseas because they haven't been given an opportunity in Australia