Shute Shield 2025

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Ghost, I thought the Rats No 9 was equal or maybe a little better on the day than Teddy Wilson, who seemed to just dish the ball out to a runner without taking the line on himself. The other players I thought were impressive were the No12 and the No 15 for the Rats. Both made quite a few linebreaks and were generally putting the Easts defence under pressure whenever they had the ball.

He was good. Looks a decent size as well which is an underrated facet at 9. Your ability to chew up a defender or barge through from close.

Rats backrow did a good job at going after Teddy.

Tyson Davis (12) is a good and experienced player. Probably unlucky to not seen higher honours at some point in his career but there's only so many jobs. Played Aus 20s and NRC as a young bloke and now a dual comp winner for the Rats as a returning player from 2017.

 

[Eyes and Ears]

I assume that might be the opportunity for Tyson to hang up the boots with a premiership finale.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Could be. How old would he be? 30/31?

He’s a Rats local and if they keep the ball rolling may be incentive to come back. Knows the Holmes boys so well.

Also might play as a part timer. Always there on the bench and start when needed. Bautz at Norths type thing

 

[Eyes and Ears]

30 this year

 

[HarryElite]

According to someone I know from western Sydney, quite a few of the players out there today were Penrith district juniors originally

My point: we need pathways so they can stay in the area. The challenge is rugby league of course

Only 2 guys in the GF squads (from 46 players). Alatini a penrith junior but played colts at rats (now brumbies), and then ropata who's from campbelltown and moved from souths to rats this season. I believe parra tried really hard to get ropata back to the west with a fair few of his mates they all bought back but couldnt compete in the $ department.

at the moment for 2026, it looks like there are zero waratahs players at west harbour (tupou and aho gone), parra (the lock gone) or souths, with a fair few new waratahs players signed who arent connected to any clubs, i wonder where they will end up based on nsw rugby saying they want to fix the west and help the weaker teams get more exposure.

kneepkens from souths came top 5 in ken catchpole this year, did the offseason with force and hasnt had any approach from tahs, in fact i believe he is headed to moana or drua. alan ferrie the lock/backrow from souths, came 2nd in ken catchpole after only arriving at the half way point of the season - no contact by tahs. the parra fullback was the most exciting player ive seen all season, kiwi lad who just capped by samoa vs scotland, not even an invitation to train by tahs.

i totally understand tahs cant sign everyone but they can get plenty of people to train and trial.

sorry for the mini rant

 

[Pfitzy]

Only 2 guys in the GF squads (from 46 players). Alatini a penrith junior but played colts at rats (now brumbies), and then ropata who's from campbelltown and moved from souths to rats this season. I believe parra tried really hard to get ropata back to the west with a fair few of his mates they all bought back but couldnt compete in the $ department.

Fair enough. I thought they were talking about across the grades on GF day, not just First Grade.

The frustration of course is any loss is hard felt when you know retaining everyone is the only way forward.

 

[Pfitzy]

sorry for the mini rant

Nothing wrong with a mini rant

My eternal mini rant is that we're not going to see meaningful change in Western Sydney until we get better alignment across the basin.

Getting rugby back into schools will help, but for every development officer you throw into the area, each NRL club in Sydney can pile in 5.

And then the private schools will pick out the best players, have their tuition paid by league, and watch most of them go back to play the 13-a-side code anyway. There isn't enough paid gigs in rugby to support the rest, and there isn't enough connective tissue between juniors, schools, and seniors to help the game flourish.

 

[Pfitzy]

Dave Telfer will be at Gordon next year according to their social media

 

[wamberal99]

Dave Telfer will be at Gordon next year according to their social media

I guess that they can offer more stability and, dare I say it, more errr resources.

 

[Prodigy]

Dave Telfer will be at Gordon next year according to their social media

I guess we now know why Eastwood were happy to announce he was going

 

[pnut]

I guess we now know why Eastwood were happy to announce he was going

The board sacked him with a year to go on his contract what are you saying

 

[pnut]

I guess that they can offer more stability and, dare I say it, more errr resources.

No stupid Eastwood board

 

[Desmond]

John Manentii the new Sydney Uni coach as well. Everyone leaving the sinking Eastwood ship by the looks of it.

 

[Homer]

Nothing wrong with a mini rant

My eternal mini rant is that we're not going to see meaningful change in Western Sydney until we get better alignment across the basin.

Getting rugby back into schools will help, but for every development officer you throw into the area, each NRL club in Sydney can pile in 5.

And then the private schools will pick out the best players, have their tuition paid by league, and watch most of them go back to play the 13-a-side code anyway. There isn't enough paid gigs in rugby to support the rest, and there isn't enough connective tissue between juniors, schools, and seniors to help the game flourish.

Even worse, as Penrith Emus tries to move up the subbies ladder, on the subbies thread it was said that only one local school out there plays rugby. now.

 

[Pfitzy]

Even worse, as Penrith Emus tries to move up the subbies ladder, on the subbies thread it was said that only one local school out there plays rugby. now.

And that school plays in a competition that was mostly stood up on the back of those schools coming together to create it, and with Eastwood's help I believe.

 

[Pfitzy]

Speaking of Eastwood - I can't read this due to paywall, but the heading says all you need to know

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/hills-shire-council-has-been-hit-with-a-lawsuit-by-residents-over-proposal-for-fred-caterson-reserve-plans/news-story/c1bddd08e251d6b5ac03a664422c403d

 

[Pfitzy]

Easts announce Batger extension

 

[Crashy]

Speaking of Eastwood - I can't read this due to paywall, but the heading says all you need to know

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/hills-shire-council-has-been-hit-with-a-lawsuit-by-residents-over-proposal-for-fred-caterson-reserve-plans/news-story/c1bddd08e251d6b5ac03a664422c403d

let me introduce you to https://archive.md/ my friend....

Fed-up residents in a leafy Hills community have slapped The Hills Shire Council with a lawsuit over controversial plans to redevelop Fred Caterson Reserve, Castle Hill.
The Fred Caterson Champions Inc, launched by a group of concerned residents, announced they are launching legal action against the council in the Land and Environment Court to seek an urgent injunction to stop all proposed works on the site last Friday.
The group called on The Hills Shire Council to preserve the ‘jewel’ of Castle Hill.
The lawsuit comes amid a multimillion-dollar council-led project to redevelopment the site into a series of sports ground, with a memorandum of understanding between council and Eastwood Rugby Club.

The Hills Shire Council has failed to consider to the fullest extent possible the effect the proposal will have on the environment,” a FCC statement read.
“The proposal aims to build (three) fields on 6.8ha of environmentally sensitive crown land. “The council is also in advanced negotiations to licence the publicly funded facilities to Eastwood Rugby Club for potentially up to 30 years.
“The FCC is concerned this will prevent local community use of land.”
Castle Hill local and Fred Caterson Action Group leader Susan Sandercock said the situation has been distressing to many in the community.
“Personally, I can no longer visit the Pony Club site without tearing up, knowing that such a peaceful and environmentally important place is about to be ripped apart,” she said.
“Many others fell the same. The pervading sadness, combined with feelings of helplessness is terrible.”

a fucking pony club

etc etc etc

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

I feel like it will all go through but this will just delay it even more which sucks for residents and the Club.

This happens with almost any development these days. A small group of usually older locals who have been there since they bought a house for a block of cheese and half quart of milk think no progress or change should ever happen even though the proposed change can offer far more opportunities for more people in the community.

Go through the process, play fair but firm and get it over the line.

 

[Rob42]

Yep, it will cost both in terms of rate-payer money and time. They never seem to mention that Fred Caterson already holds 6 soccer fields, a baseball field, a BMX track, a radio-control car track, a cemetery, an indoor basketball centre, carparks, plenty of mountain bike and walking tracks (paved and unpaved), and that the pony club site is just an open field that council slashes to keep the grass down.