Sydney Subbies 2013

[the coach]

Coogee Bowling Club maybe?

Certainly nice and close to Coogee Oval!

 

[SackRobbie]

I have a little inside knowledge of NSW Subbies & Shute Shield competitions so here’s my expectations of the 2013 Subbies season. Shute Shield to follow soon.

There is no doubt the calibre of teams and players is getting better by the year in Subbies. In my opinion some of these Subbies Clubs are better organised than Shute Shield teams. Personally I think there should be promotion & relegation but with Shute Shield teams clinging on to their wedge that is dubious. Regardless here’s my thoughts on what promises to be a great year.

Division 1:

Semis: Drummoyne, St Pats, Balmain & Colleagues to fight it out.
GF: Colleagues v Drummoyne

Colleagues will come back strong after a disappointing year by their standards. They rested on their laurels from all reports last year. Expect them to challenge in all Cups.
St Pats to pull out all stops to go one better this year. I hear their player payments are again healthy and they are recruiting well.
Balmain should do well after a big year last year taking out all honours. Question mark over the step up in class. Smart Club though so you think they’d know what was coming.
Drummoyne will no doubt battle it out in Kentwell. I hear they have loosened the purse strings even further and will be out to show new kids on the block Balmain that they are the dominant force in the inner West. The local derby could be a blood bath!

Relegation tip: Old Iggies

Division 2:

Semi’s: Brothers, UNSW, Oatley, Lindfield
GF: Brothers to beat UNSW

Brothers - we have all seen the good job they have done rebuilding the Club. I expect them to once again win the Club Champs and be in Div 1 in 2014 – a remarkable rise for a Club that was forced to play Div 4 just two years ago because of Club numbers.
UNSW should really be in Div 1. With a great ground and resources to match this Club must be lacking in the front office to be languishing in Div 2. I expect to see a change this year and Uni step it up again this year.
Oatley had a good 1st grade team but lacked a lot else. With the Club Champs points stacked towards 1st grade I would expect them to be up there again.

All other teams to be cannon fodder.

Promotion tip: Brothers
Relegation tip: St Ives

Division 3:

Semis: Blue Mountains, UWSH, Waverley, Hills

Blue Mountains will again dominate Div 3. They have a grave yard out there at Lapstone and I don’t expect anything to change there.
UWSH should do a lot better than they do each year. Well resourced, big backyard, captive audience. Insular thought process though.
Waverley were once a Subbies powerhouse but poor management and too nig a reliance on travellers brought them unstuck. With a superb ground and a good catchment area they should be in Div 1 really.
Hills have had some good young kids coming through for the past few years. Will they stay on? Who knows but expect to see them win some big a big margin and lose some by a big margin.

Promotion tip: Blueys (but they hate Div 2 because of the travel so they may not want to go up.

Division 5:

GF: Redfield v Sydney Irish

Redfield are undefeated in the past 2 seasons. We expect that to change when they face new Club Sydney Irish who I think will be a chance for Div 3 in 2014 the way they are building. Redfield are red hot and well managed so they should retain their players but will be pushed all the way.

Update:

Division 1 relegation looks on the money with Iggies but the others look off with Colleagues only having 1 win from 4. Mosman are leading the way with 4 from 4. After a slow start Balmain had an eye opening result yesterday against St Pats. Drummoyne looks like they wont reach the heights they did in 2012.

Division 2 looks like Brothers will still be the team to beat but obviously Forrest have recruited well and will be up there as will Petersham.

Division 3's UNSW & Blue Mountains look like the front runners.

What do others think about the first month or so of results?

 

[Prodigy]

Update:

Division 1 relegation looks on the money with Iggies but the others look off with Colleagues only having 1 win from 4. Mosman are leading the way with 4 from 4. After a slow start Balmain had an eye opening result yesterday against St Pats. Drummoyne looks like they wont reach the heights they did in 2012.

Division 2 looks like Brothers will still be the team to beat but obviously Forrest have recruited well and will be up there as will Petersham.

Division 3's UNSW & Blue Mountains look like the front runners.

What do others think about the first month or so of results?

Assuming you mean UWSH in Division 3.

Be wary of writing off Drummoyne.....

 

[BORIS CRASHBALL]

I think it's a little hard to tell the true pecking order until a full round has been played, but the surprises for me are:

Colleagues sitting a little low in both Kentwell and Club Champs, perhaps a hangover from retirements after 2011?
Balmain showing strength throught the grades - in top 4 of Club Champs despite 2/4 in Kentwell (although looking like they are building momentum)
Barker 0/4 in Barraclough after coming down from Div 1, although their colts as always seem strong
Petersham grabbing an early lead in the Club Champs - Round 12 already looking like an interesting day at Camperdown Oval

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Certainly nice and close to Coogee Oval!

If the bowlers play hard ball with the Wicks, the Croquet Club isn't too far away as well. Smallish clubrooms but overheads would be low.

 

[the coach]

If the bowlers play hard ball with the Wicks, the Croquet Club isn't too far away as well. Smallish clubrooms but overheads would be low.

Coogee Bay Hotel is close also

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Isn't that establishment full of soccer playing British backpackers?

 

[SackRobbie]

I think it's a little hard to tell the true pecking order until a full round has been played, but the surprises for me are:

Colleagues sitting a little low in both Kentwell and Club Champs, perhaps a hangover from retirements after 2011?
Balmain showing strength throught the grades - in top 4 of Club Champs despite 2/4 in Kentwell (although looking like they are building momentum)
Barker 0/4 in Barraclough after coming down from Div 1, although their colts as always seem strong
Petersham grabbing an early lead in the Club Champs - Round 12 already looking like an interesting day at Camperdown Oval

Looking at the Div 2 draw, Petersham seem to have the easy side of the draw at the moment but finish with tough games. Back to back against Brothers then Oatley, Newport & UNSW. They should jump to an early lead and it will be up to the others to reign them in.
Barker on a downhill slide.

 

[boyo]

Why is a discussion about Randwick in the Subbies thread (unless someone thinks that they should be in the Subbies)?

 

[boyo]

Isn't that establishment full of soccer playing British backpackers?

Or soccer-loving backpackers.

 

[the coach]

Why is a discussion about Randwick in the Subbies thread (unless someone thinks that they should be in the Subbies)?

Good question, I've forgotten how we got here, just ignore us and pretend we're not here.

 

[Ozzie Bob]

Looking at the Div 2 draw, Petersham seem to have the easy side of the draw at the moment but finish with tough games. Back to back against Brothers then Oatley, Newport & UNSW. They should jump to an early lead and it will be up to the others to reign them in.
Barker on a downhill slide.

Its very interesting that you write Barker off. It is a very young team and they pushed Lindfield on Saturday who beat Oatley the week before. They have a very young playing group within the club and will only get better.

Bobs since they were promoted to Div 2 in 2006 have been in every Barrclough grand final (06 vs Beecroft, lost, 08 vs Kings, won, 09 vs UNSW won and 10 vs Kings lost)

They will turn it around. Colts and 4's undefeated!

 

[SackRobbie]

Ozzie, nothing against BOB's and I hope they do come back. It would be terrible to drop down 2 Divisions in 2 years.

Club Champ points are really based on 1st grade wins and at 0-4 that's not a good start.

 

[SackRobbie]

Anyone in Div 2 care to fill us in on how Wil Brame has been playing for Forrest?

 

[Crashy]

I think its fair to say that BOBS haven't played the weaker clubs such as St Ives and Kings OB - I think it would be wiser to assess at the end of round 1. Since coming down to Div 2 last year, the club has done a lot of work re recruitment and a emphasis on enjoying rugby on and off the field. We have a lot of players this year and manyy aren't getting a full game. We've got a few leaguies who've never played before and they are absolutely loving playing rugby for the game itself.
I am not concerned one bit about the threat of relegation as numbers are higher, club spirit is high and we'll get stronger throughout the season. Just need 1sts and 3rds to start firing.
I am interested to see the strength of Division 2 - its great for subbies and means that Div 3 has become the more social division - kind of what Div 2 used to be.

 

[Ozzie Bob]

I think its fair to say that BOBS haven't played the weaker clubs such as St Ives and Kings OB - I think it would be wiser to assess at the end of round 1. Since coming down to Div 2 last year, the club has done a lot of work re recruitment and a emphasis on enjoying rugby on and off the field. We have a lot of players this year and manyy aren't getting a full game. We've got a few leaguies who've never played before and they are absolutely loving playing rugby for the game itself.
I am not concerned one bit about the threat of relegation as numbers are higher, club spirit is high and we'll get stronger throughout the season. Just need 1sts and 3rds to start firing.
I am interested to see the strength of Division 2 - its great for subbies and means that Div 3 has become the more social division - kind of what Div 2 used to be.

Crashy i agree with you entirely. This weekend against Saints is going to tell us a lot!

 

[Fly]

Anyone in Div 2 care to fill us in on how Wil Brame has been playing for Forrest?

Hey Sackrobbie,
Forest played us (Petersham) this past weekend.
After the hype and google gathering information I had done on Will Brame I was keen to see what he brought to what has been a handy Forest side in the past.
The only word I can think of is, "Unremarkable".
He did some good things - but then so did a number of players on boths sides.
I did not think he was the best forward on the field.
Maybe he had an off day, but I just didn't think he stuck out in any way - in ways that at least that I was expecting him to.

 

[grievous]

I think its fair to say that BOBS haven't played the weaker clubs such as St Ives and Kings OB - I think it would be wiser to assess at the end of round 1. Since coming down to Div 2 last year, the club has done a lot of work re recruitment and a emphasis on enjoying rugby on and off the field. We have a lot of players this year and manyy aren't getting a full game. We've got a few leaguies who've never played before and they are absolutely loving playing rugby for the game itself.
I am not concerned one bit about the threat of relegation as numbers are higher, club spirit is high and we'll get stronger throughout the season. Just need 1sts and 3rds to start firing.
I am interested to see the strength of Division 2 - its great for subbies and means that Div 3 has become the more social division - kind of what Div 2 used to be.

I dont understand the last line. What 1st team of any club is social?

 

[Pfitzy]

Lot of SS players back in subbies on nearly the same money as premier, with far less training, responsibility and effort.

If you want to talk about money, go have a look at the Subbies fb page. Jesus the bitching over there!

 

[SackRobbie]

Well done Fly your Shammies are going well. No doubt with an eye on Division 1. Your games v Brothers will be closely watched later in the season.

Anyone headed out to watch the Subbies Rep team at ANZ this weekend?