Shute Shield 2017

[WorkingClassRugger]

• Yes we shouldn't forget 97% of players liked - I agree with that.
• I also reckon there would be a huge percentage out there who didnt make the NRC cut but would have still loved to be playing.

Both are equally as important.

Yeah it's a hard balance, because if you move club rugby forward cricket, but more importantly the pre seasons 7's get effected.

There are other ways to keep those outside of the NRC engaged. You mentions 7s. I actually believe either a 7s or 10s season should be looked at to be played in the post season. The rounds could even be centred around NRC games. The beauty of Rugby, well in my opinion, is that we have three distinct formats that allows for a variety of playing options.

 

[howyagoin]

Lower graders want more rugby. Ending in the last week of July is not good enough.

How about play the 1st grade grand final when it needs to be and continue lower grades until early September as a compromise. Eligibility works the same as the finals eligibility. Have to play a certain number of games in that grade before the cut off date to be up for selection. NRC still gets played, and the social footballer still gets his season

 

[the coach]

Lower graders want more rugby. Ending in the last week of July is not good enough.

How about play the 1st grade grand final when it needs to be and continue lower grades until early September as a compromise. Eligibility works the same as the finals eligibility. Have to play a certain number of games in that grade before the cut off date to be up for selection. NRC still gets played, and the social footballer still gets his season

It would be interesting to see what sort of crowds the lower grades would draw in opposition to the NRC. I suspect the tribal aspect would have some influence. Not sure about the financials though --- would clubs be able to afford to put 6 teams on the field without the drawing power of the 1st grade to boost the gate/canteen takings? Might lend itself to all 6 teams playing at the one ground ie 3 colts + 3 grade.
Worth a try I reckon.

 

[the coach]

Thinking more about this I suspect the ARU (in its infinite wisdom) would not allow it on the basis of "we didn't think of it".

 

[amirite]

It would be interesting to see what sort of crowds the lower grades would draw in opposition to the NRC. I suspect the tribal aspect would have some influence. Not sure about the financials though --- would clubs be able to afford to put 6 teams on the field without the drawing power of the 1st grade to boost the gate/canteen takings? Might lend itself to all 6 teams playing at the one ground ie 3 colts + 3 grade.
Worth a try I reckon.

Seeing as more of the staff are unpaid in those grades (strappers instead of physios, etc.) and that they could play on less fancy grounds, I think costs would be quite low.

There's a lot of local country clubs that run on virtually nothing, so she'll be right.

 

[Dave Beat]

Lower graders want more rugby. Ending in the last week of July is not good enough.

How about play the 1st grade grand final when it needs to be and continue lower grades until early September as a compromise. Eligibility works the same as the finals eligibility. Have to play a certain number of games in that grade before the cut off date to be up for selection. NRC still gets played, and the social footballer still gets his season

There are some very good first graders out there who didnt make NRC, they cant play?

 

[red son]

Maybe we go back to the future.
As in 2007. Shute Shield was played April to July. Then First grade played for the Trevor Allan Cup from August to September in parallel with the old ARC.

Bring back the Trevor Allan Cup?

 

[Highlander35]

Do a variation of what the three Not Nots do in the English pyramid.

Separate 1sts, 1sts Colts and maybe the 2nds into a new "Shute Shield".

Put the rest of the grades as the new top tier of Subbies, with Promotion and relegation.

Elite teir runs the 16 week regular season and 3 rounds of finals, subbies runs the full double round robin.

Fiddle around with the player pointsand eligibility system so first Graders can play, but they simply can't stack teams when the top comp is over.

 

[Dave Beat]

Do a variation of what the three Not Nots do in the English pyramid.

Separate 1sts, 1sts Colts and maybe the 2nds into a new "Shute Shield".

Put the rest of the grades as the new top tier of Subbies, with Promotion and relegation.

Elite teir runs the 16 week regular season and 3 rounds of finals, subbies runs the full round robin.

Fiddle around with the player pointsand eligibility system so first Graders can play, but they simply can't stack teams when the top comp is over.

That may work, but i think there would be more concern thatd get greater attendances than the NRC. Maybe the NRC game could be played after the 3pm first grade fixture.

 

[howyagoin]

There are some very good first graders out there who didnt make NRC, they cant play?

I agree with what you're saying...

But in the interest of keeping say, the 2nd grade competition fair... Would it not be better to have to of qualified for 2nd grade?

Just ideas... I know it means some good footballers miss out, but in absence of any other suggestions (apart from a Trevor Allen Cup style comp), there doesn't seem to be much.

Perhaps a Trevor Allen style Comp of 8-10 weeks with only 3 grades/Colts continue uninterrupted?

Bottom line is the guys who don't play NRC are now ending in mid-late Juky. Good way to alienate social players and send them to sub is where they get more games

 

[howyagoin]

Round 1 of SS seems to of been booked in for first weekend of April... So 2 more weeks for 2017 it seems?

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Mack Mason has just been signed from the reds U20"s into the Supplementary or EPS for the Tshs.

Blokes in these squads generally don't get a lot of game time with the Tahs, and usually spend most of the Year with Shute Shield.

Any whispers what club Mason will be allocated to? Would be nice if it was not one of the usual suspects south of the harbour and east of Strathfield however I don't think this will be the case. Deegan and Horwitz probably have the #10 gig stitched up at the Wix, so we probably wont see him galloping around Coogee Oval. I reckon that there may be serious interest in a Fringe Tah #10 at Beasties or The Corporation.

 

[AussieDominance]

Apparently Easts is what I have heard.

 

[Oz talent]

We have put significant resources into developing Deegan and Davey Horwitz for young Mason to come out our way. The Corporation will snap him up for mine.

 

[Shadow]

Apparently Easts is what I have heard.

Definatly at Easts, they paid the asking price

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

I agree with what you're saying.

But in the interest of keeping say, the 2nd grade competition fair. Would it not be better to have to of qualified for 2nd grade?

Just ideas. I know it means some good footballers miss out, but in absence of any other suggestions (apart from a Trevor Allen Cup style comp), there doesn't seem to be much.

Perhaps a Trevor Allen style Comp of 8-10 weeks with only 3 grades/Colts continue uninterrupted?

Bottom line is the guys who don't play NRC are now ending in mid-late Juky. Good way to alienate social players and send them to sub is where they get more games

Why can't the SS set up their operations into two distinct wings. The social and the performance. We have heard in the past that the SS is a vital cog in the pathway of Australian Rugby but yet are still grassroots? They cannot be both in my opinion. Why couldn't each club run a social side that competes in the Subbies comps and a performance that involves elite talent.

This way the seasons don't necessarily have to run on the same schedules. This way those who want to play for the social aspect can have their season while those in the performance section can focus on having 18 good hard games of club rugby and then onto the NRC.

 

[I like to watch]

if you chop up the 1st grade comp to give more prominence to the NRC, where are the future NRC players coming from?

 

[howyagoin]

Why can't the SS set up their operations into two distinct wings. The social and the performance. We have heard in the past that the SS is a vital cog in the pathway of Australian Rugby but yet are still grassroots? They cannot be both in my opinion. Why couldn't each club run a social side that competes in the Subbies comps and a performance that involves elite talent.

This way the seasons don't necessarily have to run on the same schedules. This way those who want to play for the social aspect can have their season while those in the performance section can focus on having 18 good hard games of club rugby and then onto the NRC.

The problem with this is that there are plenty of players over the years who have started in 3s and even 4s and gone on to play 1st grade. Also, some 4th graders get a real kick training alongside 1st grade players. Some of these social players are there for a good time, some are there to become better footballers long term, and some are highly aspirational and want to work their way up the grades..... Then there's the few that have lofty ambitions but don't quite cut it and crack the shits, go to another club because they weren't given "a fair go" and end up playing the same grade at their new "better" club

 

[John S]

This should be interesting, and how it plays out: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...28eed4e0?csp=052b271f9b115c0c64cf12c6743e0a25

 

[Hugh Jarse]

^^^^^^
In summary:
NSWRU has taken steps to bring the NSW RU and Waratahs Inc together to create a “whole of game” approach with four board members, including chief executive Andrew Hore and chairman Roger Davis, sitting on both boards.
Take it away Andrew Hore:

“The dysfunction came with the Chinese wall between the two entities,” “The head and the heart had lost one another.

“We have a new structure. No longer are we two separate entities. The Waratahs used to be masquerading almost as a rugby league club."

“We have two boards with four directors who move from board to board. There are six on each board and four that move from board to board."

“There are advantages in that because what it does is it means the community game gets a strong voice and the professional game gets a strong voice and four people moving between the two can ensure that there is a harmony there."

“That said, is it what we would like in an ideal world? No, but we are not just going to charge in to more governance reform unless its right.”

“The Waratahs have their objectives for the season, but we are one,” “The Waratahs are the flagship. They’re not the fleet, they are the flagship. Instead of talking about them separately now, they are one of the fleet, an important part of the fleet, no doubt about it, but they are the flagship.

“NSW is dependent on the success of the Waratahs and community rugby. There is a danger when you separate the Super clubs from the states that you can lose age old values and principles that rugby was built upon. The Waratahs Pty Ltd will still operate the Super Rugby franchise and pay the NSWRU an annual $1.1m licensing fee at least for the foreseeable future."

“At this stage it will remain, but the general feeling is for the time being the key thing is we keep putting money into community rugby,”

“It’s got to be far more collaborative."

“Instead of having one major building of NSWRU, maybe break it up so we have representation around the state in different hubs."

“We have to grow up and lead this state and help the people below. Hopefully, that leads the national body (ARU) to have faith in us to give us that autonomy to deliver the outcomes they need as well.”

“It was quite telling last week when the NRL CEO said what the NRL clubs need to understand is they are just one part of the whole puzzle.”

“Sometimes you can get too focused on just one layer of the game. What I’m seeing in the NRL is how damaging that can be."

“If you look at rugby traditionally, it has moved like a whole series of bubbles. Super Rugby has moved in its own bubble, Shute Shield has done its own thing.

“Hopefully, we can bring these bubbles into alignment. Everyone talks about the difference between New Zealand and Australia and keep looking at the elite end. It’s actually not the elite end. It’s the alignment of the sport underneath that that comes through as one.”