Sydney Subbies 2024

[Prodigy]

Final round in Division 3 throws up some spice as well. Three clubs genuinely in contention for the club championship with Knox ahead by 30 and 46 over Merrylands and Sydney Irish, respectively.
Clark: Merrylands travel to Knox with the minor premiership on their mind. A win here could double down their minor premiership and club championship. Irish travel to Valley, which is by no means a guaranteed win. Harbour should be too good for Barker, locking in third place. Quins, after forfeiting to Merrylands and then posting a pic to their socials of the players enjoying a beer at the pub, will look for a pride win over LCOi.
My prediction: 1. Merrylands; 2. Irish; 3. Harbour; 4. Knox; 5. Valley; 6. Harlequins; 7. LCOI; 8. Barker
Farrant: Irish probably will be too good for Valley to lock down top spot, however, Valley have secured their post season. Knox will look to knock off Merrylands to secure the club championship. Harbour , Baker, Harlequins and LCOI, playing for pride, although the fixture between Quins and LCOI might be a game of cat and mouse to see who forfeits first.
My prediction: 1. Irish; 2. Merrylands; 3. Knox; 4. Valley; 5. Harbour; 6. Barker; 7. Harlequins; 8. LCOI
Nicholson: Knox, out and out minor premiers and looking for an undefeateed season, should do the job on Chatswood. LCOI should be too much for Wakehurst but will want those numbers back in a hurry to secure second. Easts, I mean Harbour, will be too much for a gallant Mac Uni and Hawkesbury Valley will lap the trying Brothers.
My prediction: 1. Knox; 2. LCOI; 3. Easts Harbour; 4. Balley; 5. Wakehurst; 6. Chatswood; 7. Mac Uni; 8. Brothers

I think Knox win second grade and colts, and that's enough for them to secure the Division 3 club championship. After Colts, they will be ahead by 70; a win in second grade puts them up by 118, but Merrylands win first grade with the bonus point and miss the CC by a measly 8 points.

Update
Clark: Knox with the 'upset' win over Merrylands threw this one out and landed them the CC. Irish vs Merrylands; Harbour vs Knox
Farrant: as predicted Irish vs Merrylands; Knox vs Valley
Nicholson (Colts): as predicted; Knox vs LCOI; Harbour vs Valley
So next week at Hassall Park, we'll see both Colts game from 10:45 then minor semis; and David Phillips Field will host the Irish vs Merrylands major semi finals.

 

[Pfitzy]

Pfitzy any update on when the catch up games for Div 5 will be played?
Two wins for Oatley could put them into 2nd which seems crazy to pass up.

I haven't even looked at it TBH. That's the comp admin's problem

At this point it doesn't look like happening and from what I can see in FuseSports, the finals are decided.

NSW Suburban Rugby Union

rugbyresults.fusesport.com

 

[Heavyd]

Heard Newport will want to stay in Div2

Yeah not sure. Vaguely remember someone saying something about playing Forest next year. My advice would be the time for those decisions is at sessions end, particularly given the uncertainty around what DIV 2 will look like next year given question marks on Epping, Beecroft and Hills.

Great day Saturday at Porters, high quality intense footy all day. Some good little fillies at ladies day too. Almost the clean sweep with 3rd grade missing two conversions in front to lose 14-12! St Pats were ferocious in 1st grade and Newport has done the other finalists a favour ensuring they arent in the finals as they are a very tough side. Never seen the clubhouse that packed, you literally could not move inside or out.

Let the finals begin!

 

[Pfitzy]

Of the 44 clubs in Subbies, only 7 aren't in finals / finals contention right now.

Div 1 having 2 rounds to go including double points fixtures, all clubs are represented in the top 8 in some way. Not sure if that could change. Lot of mathematics to think about there.

Interesting that Waverley are running 1st in Sutherland, Judd, Whiddon, and Burke. Last in Colts.... They could jump to 2nd in Kentwell with a big double points win against Colleagues this week, setting up 1 v 2 at Lapstone the week after. The Goats can't be caught for minor premiership based on the gap they have.

Div 2 has 7 of the 8 clubs represented - Beecroft being the exception.
Div 3 has 6 of the 8 (Barker and Quins).
Div 4 has 6 of the 8 (Kings, Redfield - Chatswood's Colts are in the Radford Cup split off comp).
Div 5 has 9 of 11 (St Ives and Balmain missing out - Mac Uni's Colts are in Radford).

Brothers aren't technically in a Division as a standalone club but their Colts will be in the Radford as well. Good initiative there to give the boys something to play for despite a season of tough games against the Nicholson sides

 

[footy_footy]

Yeah not sure. Vaguely remember someone saying something about playing Forest next year. My advice would be the time for those decisions is at sessions end, particularly given the uncertainty around what DIV 2 will look like next year given question marks on Epping, Beecroft and Hills.

Great day Saturday at Porters, high quality intense footy all day. Some good little fillies at ladies day too. Almost the clean sweep with 3rd grade missing two conversions in front to lose 14-12! St Pats were ferocious in 1st grade and Newport has done the other finalists a favour ensuring they arent in the finals as they are a very tough side. Never seen the clubhouse that packed, you literally could not move inside or out.

Let the finals begin!

Had my first taste of senior rugby at Porters on Saturday and there was some great rugby on display. All games were fiercely contested and both clubs showed why they were 1 & 2 on the Club Championship. Well done to Newport who again proved they were that little bit better edging out some close matches. St Pat's travelled in numbers and I think you'd struggle to find a more attended post-match function in Subbies this year!

Any idea how the finals venues were selected or is it simply a matter of which grounds are available? Seems like Major at Newport and Minor at UNSW would be an obvious choice given there is no cross over and both clubs have all grades in the respective Major and Minor. Anyway, Hills and Briars get the home ground advantage in the main games.

 

[parkfootyenthusiast2]

The question should be does Knox want to move up or are they happy in Div 3. With Epping Beecroft and Hills not fielding all grades this year surely at least Epping and Beecroft are going to be dropped potentially past Div 3. This will leave a hole in Div 2 that needs to be filled

Outside of a merger with Old Barker or another similar club I can’t see a situation where Knox can field 4 grades and colts. Simply isn’t a team in division 3 ready to step up into division 2 unless someone loans Sydney Irish some colts. Will be interesting to see how the subbies board tries to manage that next year.

Unrelated, the div 3 finals draw is out and the loser of the major and winner of the minor plays at Merrylands home ground next week? There’s a good chance both 1st and 2nd grade Merrylands sides get to play at home next week if they lose to Irish… hell of a safety net.

 

[Heavyd]

Had my first taste of senior rugby at Porters on Saturday and there was some great rugby on display. All games were fiercely contested and both clubs showed why they were 1 & 2 on the Club Championship. Well done to Newport who again proved they were that little bit better edging out some close matches. St Pat's travelled in numbers and I think you'd struggle to find a more attended post-match function in Subbies this year!

Any idea how the finals venues were selected or is it simply a matter of which grounds are available? Seems like Major at Newport and Minor at UNSW would be an obvious choice given there is no cross over and both clubs have all grades in the respective Major and Minor. Anyway, Hills and Briars get the home ground advantage in the main games.

Thirsty crowd too. Heard over 150 cases of 30 packs were demolished.

 

[The Ghost of Bernie]

Thirsty crowd too. Heard over 150 cases of 30 packs were demolished.

Decent plumbing by the sounds of it too...

That's mind blowing. How do you even accommodation 150 cases prior to consumption?

 

[Crashy]

With decades of experience in consuming said quantities, you learn how to accommodate. Lets say the club makes $100 profit per case. (how much is a beer at Subbies these days?), thats a decent fund raiser on beer alone..

 

[The Ghost of Bernie]

With decades of experience in consuming said quantities, you learn how to accommodate. Lets say the club makes $100 profit per case. (how much is a beer at Subbies these days?), thats a decent fund raiser on beer alone..

I did the maths and it's staggering. And that's not taking into account soft drinks or food.

 

[Crashy]

$15k would cover a fair few expenses for the year.

 

[Heavyd]

$15k would cover a fair few expenses for the year.

Nah, take into account beers for each grade, supporters club beers and 6 bar staff means it wouldn't be anything like that. Besides it wont go anywhere near covering the 5 Saturdays that had torrential rain but thankful to get a sunny day for the clubs big day.

 

[Crashy]

6 bar staff! sweet jesus you'd rival one of the bigger Shute Shield clubs with that payroll..

 

[TheBigArvo]

Outside of a merger with Old Barker or another similar club I can’t see a situation where Knox can field 4 grades and colts. Simply isn’t a team in division 3 ready to step up into division 2 unless someone loans Sydney Irish some colts. Will be interesting to see how the subbies board tries to manage that next year.

Unrelated, the div 3 finals draw is out and the loser of the major and winner of the minor plays at Merrylands home ground next week? There’s a good chance both 1st and 2nd grade Merrylands sides get to play at home next week if they lose to Irish… hell of a safety net.

Merrylands have hosted the last few finals series and they’ve always been great days out there. They’ve got plenty of space and the lights if needed. I think night finals are a great idea wether it be Friday or Saturday nights. Really helps to shorten those days with the bigger divisions kicking off before 9.

Previously the requirements for hosting finals has been 2 grounds which has ruled a lot of clubs out and it’s a lot of work for the hosting club especially if your teams are playing at the same time.

 

[TheBigArvo]

6 bar staff! sweet jesus you'd rival one of the bigger Shute Shield clubs with that payroll..

Seeing as though Eastcoast can’t deliver on the Hunters club house. Surely the GAGR Christmas drinks will have to be at Porters club house.

 

[HarryElite]

I still think Briars will take the comp out in their division. You take 6/7 players from 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade shute shield team who all know each other really well and they gonna take out a division 2 subbies comp.

 

[Heavyd]

I still think Briars will take the comp out in their division. You take 6/7 players from 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade shute shield team who all know each other really well and they gonna take out a division 2 subbies comp.

Which Shute Shield club, West Harbour?

 

[SubbiesSoftie]

Which Shute Shield club, West Harbour?

Two Blues
And they were all 3rd Graders. But yes I agree, they could go well but haven't been able to play to their apparent potential yet this year

 

[parkfootyenthusiast2]

Div 3 Round 14 (last of the reg season!) Predictions

Merrylands (1) at Knox (4): Merrylands by 12.
Old Barker (8) at Sydney Harbour (3): Harbour by 10.
Sydney Irish (2) at Hawkesbury Valley (5): Irish by 20.
Lane Cove Old Ignations (7) at Sydney Harlequinns (6): LCOI by 5.

2/4, closing the regular season in tatters.

Knox 46 def. Merrylands 20: Well, there's an upset. By the team sheets it looks like Merrylands travelled a little light this week with some key players absent, and a somewhat soft red card relatively early into the second half definitely didn't help proceedings, but that's a big momentum building win for the Knox lads at home to secure the club championship. Set piece dominance in the second half was the difference. 4 tries for the superstar Filipo at #8 for Knox, player of the season in divison 3 for sure. No changes for finals however, Knox stays in the minor, Merrylands in the major, these two could meet again soon.

Sydney Harbour 38 def. Barker 24: The end of a very tough season for the Barker lads, will be interesting to see how they stack up next year. They'll need to prioritise returning a colts outfit, the life blood of a club like theirs. For Harbour, it's a solid albeit underwhelming win against the cellar dwellars. Still without Lorang and Garrels (not sure what the diagnosis is there), they'll have to lift it up a notch next week against Knox or they'll face the prospect of their first title-less season since entering suburban rugby.

Sydney Irish 18 def. Hawkesbury Valley 14: Close one! Valley turned out for their Ladies Day schmick in their pink jerseys and gave the league leading Irish a real crack. Irish got the bus out to McQuade and they'd be happy they did because they needed everything to get this one over the line. Irish vs Merrylands will be interesting next week with both teams showing cracks. For Valley, they finish 5th in the Clark, and will go for the title in 2nd grade and Colts, a handy season all things considered. They'll aim for more consistency in the top flight next year.

Sydney Harlequins 33 def. LCOI 12: Well so much for the upset. Quins round out their season at home in a big day for the club, with some fresh legs off the back of last week's full grades forfeit vs Merrylands. A disappointing year as many had them tipped for finals. For LCOI, they'll rue a slow start to their first season post merger but there are some signs of potential there, starting with their colts outfit in the major semi next week.

Semi final previews to come.

Yours in the business end of the season,
PFE.

 

[Heavyd]

Two Blues
And they were all 3rd Graders. But yes I agree, they could go well but haven't been able to play to their apparent potential yet this year

Home game crowd will help enormously to no doubt,