Shute Shield 2018

[I like to watch]

are any clubs back to pre-season training? how are numbers? I hear DC has opened the chequebook at Gordon, chasing players, which is strange as they have a quality colts group coming through.

Not strange,he much prefers hardened and experienced 1st graders than up and comers.
Very risk averse.
He improves performance by recruiting better players,rather than improving what he’s got.
Not a criticism,just stating facts,that’s what most in his shoes do.

 

[Ozzie Bob]

Haha Crashy you should be the club spokesman!!!!

I think nick’s time as first grade coach at barker old boys put him in good stead.

 

[wamberal]

are any clubs back to pre-season training? how are numbers? I hear DC has opened the chequebook at Gordon, chasing players, which is strange as they have a quality colts group coming through.

Gordon is a real puzzle to me. They had a really good reserve grade side a couple of years ago. They claim to have the most juniors of any district club in Australia. By rights they should be really strong, year after year.


They used to be. Wish they were again, love those local derbies.

 

[meatpie]

Gordon is a real puzzle to me. They had a really good reserve grade side a couple of years ago. They claim to have the most juniors of any district club in Australia. By rights they should be really strong, year after year.


They used to be. Wish they were again, love those local derbies.

What year was that Wamberal? I can't remember a strong second grade for years. I wonder if those players went to other clubs. Something is brewing at Gordon this year.....I expect improvement and hopefully they can attract those colts to grade.

 

[wamberal]

What year was that Wamberal? I can't remember a strong second grade for years. I wonder if those players went to other clubs. Something is brewing at Gordon this year...I expect improvement and hopefully they can attract those colts to grade.

Not all that long ago, but sorry, cannot remember exactly when. We went to a game at Millner, and our twos were pretty strong, but by golly Gordon was very competitive. If I had to guess, I would say 3 or 4 years ago.


Anyway, all the best. I was actually born in Eastwood, and we lived not far from the old Eastwood Oval, and Gordon always used to beat us when I was a kid, and for many years thereafter. Still hurting from the 1976 Grand Final, although I had stopped playing by then.

 

[I like to watch]

Gordon is a real puzzle to me. They had a really good reserve grade side a couple of years ago. They claim to have the most juniors of any district club in Australia. By rights they should be really strong, year after year.


They used to be. Wish they were again, love those local derbies.

They lose contact with most of their juniors at 16 when the private schools get serious about their Rugby.
They had a really good crop of former juniors making Oz schoolboys not long ago, Wicks poached them all.
Uni get plenty of them as well.
they seem to have got plenty of former juniors back to colts the last few years,maybe it’s the start of something?

 

[wamberal]

It would be great for the game, I reckon. Gordon should really be a powerhouse, and if they were, their success might eventuate in more interest generally for the game in their neighbourhood.

 

[AussieDominance]

What year was that Wamberal? I can't remember a strong second grade for years. I wonder if those players went to other clubs. Something is brewing at Gordon this year...I expect improvement and hopefully they can attract those colts to grade.

2014 & 2015 Gordon made 2nd grade finals. Lost to Manly (who won the comp) in 2015 in the semi 45 - 31.

 

[the coach]

I note Paul Hardwick has moved from the Two Blues as assistant to Darren Coleman at Gordon next year.

 

[Azzuri]

They lose contact with most of their juniors at 16 when the private schools get serious about their Rugby.
They had a really good crop of former juniors making Oz schoolboys not long ago, Wicks poached them all.
Uni get plenty of them as well.
they seem to have got plenty of former juniors back to colts the last few years,maybe it’s the start of something?

They're certainly getting good numbers for pre-season training....lots of positive vibes, which is always a good start to a new campaign.

 

[the baz]

surely some the 2018 two blues will be coaxed over to staggies then...not sure that's great for rugby in the west..time will tell

 

[southsider]

They lose contact with most of their juniors at 16 when the private schools get serious about their Rugby.
They had a really good crop of former juniors making Oz schoolboys not long ago, Wicks poached them all.
Uni get plenty of them as well.
they seem to have got plenty of former juniors back to colts the last few years,maybe it’s the start of something?

Hopefully they have a serious look on why these kids aren’t returning though. I get work/uni/living conditions change but jeez there’s more than a handful of Shute shield players travelling from one side of Sydney to the other every week to play for Shute shield teams. There are seldom few teams I would ever remotely consider playing for besides southern districts purely based off my time there as a junior

 

[I like to watch]

They're certainly getting good numbers for pre-season training..lots of positive vibes, which is always a good start to a new campaign.

That’s a good start.
Although it’s pretty short odds that the group the players are in before the Xmas break,is their lot for the next season.

Once that penny drops there’s a bit of leakage of the vibe.....

 

[Azzuri]

That’s a good start.
Although it’s pretty short odds that the group the players are in before the Xmas break,is their lot for the next season.

Once that penny drops there’s a bit of leakage of the vibe...

 

[MACCA]

Not strange,he much prefers hardened and experienced 1st graders than up and comers.
Very risk averse.
He improves performance by recruiting better players,rather than improving what he’s got.
Not a criticism,just stating facts,that’s what most in his shoes do.

Absolutely agree.
From my observation, whatever success DC gets is often due to his recruitment talent. He seems to always have one of the best rosters wherever he coaches. Guess that is a large part of being a good coach.

 

[Warty the Warthog]

Absolutely agree.
From my observation, whatever success DC gets is often due to his recruitment talent. He seems to always have one of the best rosters wherever he coaches. Guess that is a large part of being a good coach.

So after raiding the piggie bank to fund an overhaul of the coaching staff how much money do you think is left to use for player recruitment?

Other than a couple of notable exceptions aren’t most Shute Shield clubs doing it tough or has a rainbow touched down at Chatswood?

 

[I like to watch]

I heard they are awash with uni scholarships as a start

 

[Azzuri]

I heard they are awash with uni scholarships as a start

@IL2W I don't know that the Stags are awash with scholarships when compared against the Corporation or Wicks. But even if they are, surely such scholarships are primarily focused on the Colts cohort rather than "hardened and experienced first graders" who I'd suggest would have mostly completed their studies.

 

[wamberal]

I wonder what Gordon's training facilities are like?

 

[Azzuri]

I wonder what Gordon's training facilities are like?

Wonder no more @Wamberal my good man.

I can exclusively reveal the latest high tech addition to their training facilities.......Behold the Tower of Power!. Hyperbaric and Hypoxic Chambers are so 2017....