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Sydney Subbies 2025

Odyssey_Park the 2nd

Chris McKivat (8)
That’s a reasonably blanket statement… look at the examples set by Blueys, Waves, Mosman, HH and even the Breakers to a lessor extent. There are a number of clubs doing well with recruitment and retention in 2025. The challenge is for those Subbies clubs in the lower divisions to close the gap. Now I know that is easier said than done, but even Blueys was a multi year journey… the ingredients … clear accountable high quality administration, a good quality coached rugby program, and a clear recruitment and retention strategy. Surely they seem to be common denominators for the aforementioned clubs.
I said yesterday that there are always exceptions. Throw in UNSW and LCOI to that list but overwhelmingly clubs are struggling across the divisions (below Div 1) to get players on the park and then grow in size.
Maybe it is the quality of the administration at these clubs but the greater the number of clubs struggle the more likely it’s a bigger problem than clubs just not putting on the “effort”
 

Pfitzy

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Maybe it is the quality of the administration at these clubs

Quantity of volunteers is a big problem. So many guys - even at clubs with success - just want to turn up, play footy, get on the cans, and leave. No thought for how the field is marked, the physio arranged, the insurance paid, etc.

And then you ask people to help and they stick their hand out!

If I got paid minimum wage for the hours I do at our club, I wouldn't need my actual paid job. I'd rather do 6 hours a week and have the rest taken care of by someone else.
 

BJT

Peter Burge (5)
That’s a reasonably blanket statement… look at the examples set by Blueys, Waves, Mosman, HH and even the Breakers to a lessor extent. There are a number of clubs doing well with recruitment and retention in 2025. The challenge is for those Subbies clubs in the lower divisions to close the gap. Now I know that is easier said than done, but even Blueys was a multi year journey… the ingredients … clear accountable high quality administration, a good quality coached rugby program, and a clear recruitment and retention strategy. Surely they seem to be common denominators for the aforementioned clubs.
And a giant footprint with the nearest clubs competing for players being Emus or Hawkesbury Valley depending on the year and Bathurst.
 

CrashBandicoot2

Frank Nicholson (4)
Can't help but feel how the Epping 2024 situation developed and ended last has driven this decision.
The Epping situation appeared that a club was able to play 3 competitive games each week providing opposition game time for 3 of their teams instead of having an extra week off throughout the year. Judging by the team sheets, the Other Div 2 clubs 1st Grade players saw enough game time in 2's on those weeks to keep their fitness.
Maybe that's why the Finals results were different to the regular season......

Question remains - Does Subbies want healthy competition? Or Just to fill a quota because it looks good on the Annual Report.
If the reports above are true from Barker - They advised they wouldn't be able to fulfil the Div 3 requirements, but werent supported to be placed in a suitable competition to remain viable.
 

sterlingmortlocksgloves

Sydney Middleton (9)
That’s a reasonably blanket statement… look at the examples set by Blueys, Waves, Mosman, HH and even the Breakers to a lessor extent. There are a number of clubs doing well with recruitment and retention in 2025. The challenge is for those Subbies clubs in the lower divisions to close the gap. Now I know that is easier said than done, but even Blueys was a multi year journey… the ingredients … clear accountable high quality administration, a good quality coached rugby program, and a clear recruitment and retention strategy. Surely they seem to be common denominators for the aforementioned clubs.
Wouldn’t put Newport up there, they can’t field a 5th grade side. Not to mention a large majority of their 4th grade side also played an entire game of Colts.
 

Here To Do

Herbert Moran (7)
Wouldn’t put Newport up there, they can’t field a 5th grade side. Not to mention a large majority of their 4th grade side also played an entire game of Colts.
Far be it from me to "glaze" (as the kids say) Newport, but based on the last few seasons they are too strong to be a Div Two team - it's still early days for 2025 and particularly the top division. Not even SRU field a 5th Grade any more, I don't think we should be too harsh on them (at least not yet).
 

Pfitzy

Nathan Sharpe (72)
And a giant footprint with the nearest clubs competing for players being Emus or Hawkesbury Valley depending on the year and Bathurst.

It's hardly rugby country tho. You need to capture a very high percentage of the kids who stay in rugby and don't already go to SRU in order to even have a team.

If I could capture and retain 10% of the rugby league talent available within 10km of my ground at U19 level, I reckon it could win any Colts comp in subbies within 2 years.

You simply can't understand how massive it is until you see it up close.
 

Here To Do

Herbert Moran (7)
It's hardly rugby country tho. You need to capture a very high percentage of the kids who stay in rugby and don't already go to SRU in order to even have a team.

If I could capture and retain 10% of the rugby league talent available within 10km of my ground at U19 level, I reckon it could win any Colts comp in subbies within 2 years.

You simply can't understand how massive it is until you see it up close.
Penrith would be in Super Rugby as well
 

Odyssey_Park the 2nd

Chris McKivat (8)
So we have made this big change and Blacktowns happy. We haven’t put Barker into Div 6 cause that’s now an 8 team comp and there fore the draw should be simpler etc. Except it’s not as they are counting the games already played so twice through out the season up to 4 teams have a bye in the same round..
I’m just amazed at the decision to just leave Barkers grade guys out in the cold.
 

Champagne Rugby

Peter Burge (5)
Not to flog a dead horse, but Beecroft are quite annoyed the game against barker doesn't count. They never wanted to play on the long weekend and requested it be postposed only for the game to be cancelled retrospectively. Players that got injured are particularly annoyed.

To be fair to Barker most of the anger seems to be directed at subbies and how the situation unfolded. That being said removing Barker from the division was a must I don't think there would have been too many people keen to replay the same game another 2 times later in the year with the 1st game being so lopsided the ref ended the game 5-10 minutes early.
 
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