Pfitzy
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Unless they're using the forecast that says 22. And really it isn't about Saturday - it is about Thursday and Friday...
Sydney Subbies 2024
- Thread starter Lindommer
- Start date
Unless they're using the forecast that says 22. And really it isn't about Saturday - it is about Thursday and Friday...
Pfitzy
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Difficult to do - how do you measure quality year on year? Things change so quickly.
KentwellCup>ShuteShield
Ted Thorn (20)
Jesus Christ these shute shield clubs are so greedy. The game is killing itself.
Footyhead67
Frank Row (1)
Eastcoast
Bill Watson (15)
I was using the Apple Weather app - Rain definitely has changed on the Saturday since I last looked. Still hoping to get up to 27 though! This does change things. Council are always a little cautious at this time of year
Pfitzy
Nathan Sharpe (72)
There's your issue
Seriously tho - the intensity of the rain forecast has definitely climbed in the last 24 hours. It is hard to believe that tomorrow will bucket down as I sit in my home office here in the northwestern suburbs, which are getting a similar forecast.
Heavyd
Arch Winning (36)
Talking to a Newport dad who has a son in the juniors and the real worries come about participation. At rugbys peak it was one of the largest clubs with almost 500 kids from minis to Opens. This year they are somewhere in the 200's and the minis have fallen off a cliff. Fast forward 15 years to what this looks like for comps like subbies! Kids just aren't choosing to play rugby so lets hope the Lions and RWC can change that.
KentwellCup>ShuteShield
Ted Thorn (20)
well shit thats not looking good. I wonder what the kids are playing now? would be interesting to see the league and afl numbers.
I would also guess due to demographic change, younger families moving out of the area. I know my sister had to move out of the curl curl area to Newcastle. Her husband is a big rugby guy. So theres one future player (their son) gone from the area.
Also worrying looking at the Newcastle comp. Have lost a few clubs and their colts competition since the 2010s.
I would also guess due to demographic change, younger families moving out of the area. I know my sister had to move out of the curl curl area to Newcastle. Her husband is a big rugby guy. So theres one future player (their son) gone from the area.
Also worrying looking at the Newcastle comp. Have lost a few clubs and their colts competition since the 2010s.
Heavyd
Arch Winning (36)
Soccer is killing it, junior rugby League is also dying a slow death.
Pfitzy
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Junior soccer has always had good numbers tho - just that the Matildas are now knocking it out of the park.
Rugby League is finding that money isn't always the best way to grow. They've had a number of clubs die out here as the race for talent reaches fever pitch. Part of the reason why rugby finds it so hard out here is the money on offer for even low level RL.
Rugby will continue to destroy itself while schools tells kids they can't play club rugby. The kid who goes to the school might go on to Colts, or not. Most of these guys are just a pay cheque to a Premier club looking to warehouse 70+ Colts just in case.
The kids left without a team at all because a few got into schools have more limited options. The local juniors - Norwest Bulls - had to merge their kids with Hawkesbury Valley and Hills to get an Opens side one year. That isn't sustainable.
We kick the chair out from under kids at U15, U18, and U20 level. I reckon the stats for dropoff at those ages would be staggering.
Rugby League is finding that money isn't always the best way to grow. They've had a number of clubs die out here as the race for talent reaches fever pitch. Part of the reason why rugby finds it so hard out here is the money on offer for even low level RL.
Rugby will continue to destroy itself while schools tells kids they can't play club rugby. The kid who goes to the school might go on to Colts, or not. Most of these guys are just a pay cheque to a Premier club looking to warehouse 70+ Colts just in case.
The kids left without a team at all because a few got into schools have more limited options. The local juniors - Norwest Bulls - had to merge their kids with Hawkesbury Valley and Hills to get an Opens side one year. That isn't sustainable.
We kick the chair out from under kids at U15, U18, and U20 level. I reckon the stats for dropoff at those ages would be staggering.
Prodigy
Ron Walden (29)
Says who?
WoodyWoodsman
Sydney Middleton (9)
The Woodsman is back......
Rumours of lots of clubs facing challenges, but it wouldn't be the start of a season without it.
Is it better that we know about struggling clubs now, or after we get through Round 1? Should these clubs just persevere and push through it because that's the division they are in? How long do these clubs last? The season? Round 7 as mentioned above.....
The only way forward for Subbies Rugby is if we work together, rather than tear each other apart. If a club is graded in Division 2, but cannot field the required teams, what's the solution?
There is obviously pressure for Subbies to get it right, for the Club to survive and provide players with competition at their level.
Rumours of lots of clubs facing challenges, but it wouldn't be the start of a season without it.
Is it better that we know about struggling clubs now, or after we get through Round 1? Should these clubs just persevere and push through it because that's the division they are in? How long do these clubs last? The season? Round 7 as mentioned above.....
The only way forward for Subbies Rugby is if we work together, rather than tear each other apart. If a club is graded in Division 2, but cannot field the required teams, what's the solution?
There is obviously pressure for Subbies to get it right, for the Club to survive and provide players with competition at their level.
Pfitzy
Nathan Sharpe (72)
So many moving parts.
Clubs want to get their draw ASAP so they can plan. Fair enough.
If everyone knew what their concrete numbers were on February 1st, a lot of issues would be avoided BUT that assumes everyone who says they're coming back is actually coming back.
You can spend all off-season recruiting hard and still end up where you were the year before (I've done it enough times now to know).
What if you're lucky enough to be in Div 1 but lose 30 players in the off-season? That's rough.
What if you commit to 2 Grades and have a late influx in March?
What if you commit to Colts but lose 5 of the young blokes preseason?
I think the Woodsman is referring to flexibility. We've already seen a bit of that over the last couple of seasons with rescheduling games to different time slots. A situation where a club is regraded mid-season is much tougher - ground availability is a constraint for small clubs like mine who don't have their oval to themselves.
Ref_Ted
Ward Prentice (10)
Have a look at the local AFL clubs, kids everywhere.
Pfitzy
Nathan Sharpe (72)
AFL has a ton of money - handing out free stuff all over.
Heavyd
Arch Winning (36)
Good question. What are you hearing?
KentwellCup>ShuteShield
Ted Thorn (20)
Was down at middle oval this arvo and saw the mosman swans jnr afl. wow looks like very strong numbers.
I wonder what their numbers are compared to the whales.
I wonder what their numbers are compared to the whales.
KentwellCup>ShuteShield
Ted Thorn (20)
Okay just looked up. Doesn't seem as bad as once thought. Mosman AFL has 350 participants, from minis to u17s
Mosman has 561 according to their 2020 annual report. Which is a marked increase from 2019. So its not to bad yet.
I believe Mosman AFL has a bigger area to draw from as well.
Mosman has 561 according to their 2020 annual report. Which is a marked increase from 2019. So its not to bad yet.
I believe Mosman AFL has a bigger area to draw from as well.
KentwellCup>ShuteShield
Ted Thorn (20)
https://www.sjru.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/SJRU-AGM-Annual-Report-2023.pdf
this paints a pretty good picture. While numbers are down. Its not panic stations yet. Although when you look at Sydney population growth, it is cause for worry.
NSWRU needs to focus on growth areas and schools in sydney.
this paints a pretty good picture. While numbers are down. Its not panic stations yet. Although when you look at Sydney population growth, it is cause for worry.
NSWRU needs to focus on growth areas and schools in sydney.
Pfitzy
Nathan Sharpe (72)
The growth part is interesting - being out in the Hills / Blacktown area the last 20 years, I've seen the enormous changes that have occurred.
There are many more people moving into the area, but the last decade it has been mainly people from southern or eastern Asia - they're not rugby people, yet. Perhaps through the right school or local connection they could be, but that requires the schools bit, as you say.