Third Tier 2026

[The Ghost of Raelene]

NSW if I was picking the strongest available

1. Lambert
2. Dobbins
3. Botha
4. Phillip c
5. Amatosero
6. Samu
7. Adamson
8. Talataina

9. Wilson
10. Creighton
11. Grover
12. Walton vc
13. O'Donnell
14. Hendren
15. Harvey

16. Kailea
17. Finau
18. Barrett
19. Grant
20. Halaholo
21. Sharples
22. Ropata
23. Jacques

Solid pack but very innexperienced group of backs. I also don't expect to see the full A side every time. You would surely want to sprinkle in some of the new faces and kids amongst established pros to see how they handle it. I'd like to see O'Donnell get time in the 12 with Ropata at 13 personally.

Injured list - All players who would feature in the 23. Next guys opportunity though
- Amone
- Doyle
- Bowen
- Gamble
- Goddard
- Reilly
- Saunders

 

[Blazing Saddles]

NSW if I was picking the strongest available

1. Lambert
2. Dobbins
3. Botha
4. Phillip c
5. Amatosero
6. Samu
7. Adamson
8. Talataina

9. Wilson
10. Creighton
11. Grover
12. Walton vc
13. O'Donnell
14. Hendren
15. Harvey

16. Kailea
17. Finau
18. Barrett
19. Grant
20. Halaholo
21. Sharples
22. Ropata
23. Jacques

Solid pack but very innexperienced group of backs. I also don't expect to see the full A side every time. You would surely want to sprinkle in some of the new faces and kids amongst established pros to see how they handle it. I'd like to see O'Donnell get time in the 12 with Ropata at 13 personally.

Injured list - All players who would feature in the 23. Next guys opportunity though
- Amone
- Doyle
- Bowen
- Gamble
- Goddard
- Reilly
- Saunders

Just for the fun of it, here is a possibles side
1 Usher
2.Margan
3.Lowery
4.Thompson
5. Ferrie
6.Ahokovi
7. Barnabas
8.Talaileva
9.Albert
10.Miln
11.Woolett
12. Stringer
13 . Paramore-naea
14. Shelley
15. Marr
16. Adkins
17. Thomas
18.Fuli
19. Bokser
20. Gibson
21. Sue sue
22. Macgregor
23. Armstrong

 

[teamsport]

NSW if I was picking the strongest available

1. Lambert
2. Dobbins
3. Botha
4. Phillip c
5. Amatosero
6. Samu
7. Adamson
8. Talataina

9. Wilson
10. Creighton
11. Grover
12. Walton vc
13. O'Donnell
14. Hendren
15. Harvey

16. Kailea
17. Finau
18. Barrett
19. Grant
20. Halaholo
21. Sharples
22. Ropata
23. Jacques

Solid pack but very innexperienced group of backs. I also don't expect to see the full A side every time. You would surely want to sprinkle in some of the new faces and kids amongst established pros to see how they handle it. I'd like to see O'Donnell get time in the 12 with Ropata at 13 personally.

Injured list - All players who would feature in the 23. Next guys opportunity though
- Amone
- Doyle
- Bowen
- Gamble
- Goddard
- Reilly
- Saunders

That side has three looseheads and one tighthead. I am assuming they have included Ranawai and Dawson to play tighthead.

 

[JRugby2]

Anyone else find Soccer's new comp interesting? I want to see how it will work after a couple of seasons but the approach of established Clubs is one mooted by Rugby even though I don't think it's good for Rugby to need to stand up new systems which just about all Clubs would need huge investment to be more than they are.

One thing Soccer will have to be careful with is that this may eat support for A League sides. Most rusted on fans of Soccer are a good chance of following one of these sides like Apia in Sydney. May have a deeper support of that side than Sydney FC and spend less on them.

Yeah absolutely.

Football in Aus is the biggest basket-case in this countries sports landscape - and I have huge reservations as to whether this gets genuine traction and lasts.

Without the carrot of promotion, which will never be on the table, I can see a lot of these clubs walking away.

 

[schmidt it in]

I'm interested to see what you guys think about this idea:

Super Rugby AUS is up and running soon, giving fringe super rugby squads more experience at a higher level compared to each states respected premier competitions.
What if we had the 4 Super Rugby sides (Waratahs, Reds, Brumbies and Force) and added in the top placed Shute Shield, Hospital Cup, John I Dent and WA Premier clubs? This takes it to a 8 team competition. To reduce financial strain on the clubs from each state premier comps, for example for the Tahs vs Warringah game (going of 2025 results) could be played at Rat Park.
Rugby AU provides economy flights to the squads for away fixtures.

This turns it into essentially a mini FA cup style, offering Super Rugby squads more game time, along with the tribalism of each states respected club scene to gain more high profile fixtures?

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

I'm interested to see what you guys think about this idea:

Super Rugby AUS is up and running soon, giving fringe super rugby squads more experience at a higher level compared to each states respected premier competitions.
What if we had the 4 Super Rugby sides (Waratahs, Reds, Brumbies and Force) and added in the top placed Shute Shield, Hospital Cup, John I Dent and WA Premier clubs? This takes it to a 8 team competition. To reduce financial strain on the clubs from each state premier comps, for example for the Tahs vs Warringah game (going of 2025 results) could be played at Rat Park.
Rugby AU provides economy flights to the squads for away fixtures.

This turns it into essentially a mini FA cup style, offering Super Rugby squads more game time, along with the tribalism of each states respected club scene to gain more high profile fixtures?

I'd support rep squads from each competition. For thosr not called up to the respective Super Rugby franchise squads. Clubs sound like a good idea but I think the disparity would be too great.

 

[Wilson]

I'm interested to see what you guys think about this idea:

Super Rugby AUS is up and running soon, giving fringe super rugby squads more experience at a higher level compared to each states respected premier competitions.
What if we had the 4 Super Rugby sides (Waratahs, Reds, Brumbies and Force) and added in the top placed Shute Shield, Hospital Cup, John I Dent and WA Premier clubs? This takes it to a 8 team competition. To reduce financial strain on the clubs from each state premier comps, for example for the Tahs vs Warringah game (going of 2025 results) could be played at Rat Park.
Rugby AU provides economy flights to the squads for away fixtures.

This turns it into essentially a mini FA cup style, offering Super Rugby squads more game time, along with the tribalism of each states respected club scene to gain more high profile fixtures?

I don't think it works mixing the model at all - the top placed club sides are also supplying players to those super sides and it's a very unclear what benefit crossing the club and super sides like that would provide, relative to the cost.

Either you focus on the super sides in a super au comp for development purposes or you set up a national club championship for product, but you cant do both at once.

 

[Crashy]

Yeah absolutely.

Football in Aus is the biggest basket-case in this countries sports landscape - and I have huge reservations as to whether this gets genuine traction and lasts.

Without the carrot of promotion, which will never be on the table, I can see a lot of these clubs walking away.

i actually felt sorry for Australian soccer last night. 19k turned up in Canberra for the game vs NZ, and at half time they booed the teams for being so boring. Its one of those games that you have to take the good with the bad. rugby knows that more than most.

 

[Crashy]

I'm interested to see what you guys think about this idea:

Super Rugby AUS is up and running soon, giving fringe super rugby squads more experience at a higher level compared to each states respected premier competitions.
What if we had the 4 Super Rugby sides (Waratahs, Reds, Brumbies and Force) and added in the top placed Shute Shield, Hospital Cup, John I Dent and WA Premier clubs? This takes it to a 8 team competition. To reduce financial strain on the clubs from each state premier comps, for example for the Tahs vs Warringah game (going of 2025 results) could be played at Rat Park.
Rugby AU provides economy flights to the squads for away fixtures.

This turns it into essentially a mini FA cup style, offering Super Rugby squads more game time, along with the tribalism of each states respected club scene to gain more high profile fixtures?

any idea how much money RA loses / makes from the Super Rugby AUS? I'll try and get to the game at Rat park but hard to imagine more than 5k will be there. ( which will generate a good atmosphere).

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

I imagine the logistics carry a good chunk but at least with this structure 90% of the players are already in house and accounted for. NRC required money for a shit ton of Clubbies and Coaches to show up in front of nobody.

 

[rugbyAU]

any idea how much money RA loses / makes from the Super Rugby AUS? I'll try and get to the game at Rat park but hard to imagine more than 5k will be there. ( which will generate a good atmosphere).

I can't find any details on tickets for that game

 

[Strewthcobber]

any idea how much money RA loses / makes from the Super Rugby AUS? I'll try and get to the game at Rat park but hard to imagine more than 5k will be there. ( which will generate a good atmosphere).

RA - probably not much. Given there's essentially no central revenue to distribute, Id magine the state unions are probably taking on the costs paying most salaries anyway, would keep any gate.

 

[Caputo]

Apparently the Western Force home games are free. Maybe the suburban venues are to hard to have a venue charge.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

I like that. Just get people in and recognising the Force brand. And yes, they’d have to get fencing and all sorts in then.

No idea what the WA Grade comp do?