Waratahs 2018

[Rugbynutter39]

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/u...rrison-on-threeyear-deal-20180130-h0qk1g.html

FInally one of the school boy stars not lost to league. With Castle saying they are going to make more effort to avoid league poaching our union schoolboy stars hopefully this is somewhat behind this.

 

[wamberal]

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/u...rrison-on-threeyear-deal-20180130-h0qk1g.html

FInally one of the school boy stars not lost to league. With Castle saying they are going to make more effort to avoid league poaching our union schoolboy stars hopefully this is somewhat behind this.

More effort with the chequebook is the only thing that most "young stars" are attracted by, apparently. This fellow might be an exception.

 

[RugbyReg]

I remember a lot of criticism when he was picked for the national schoolboys team basically on the back of his Randwick performances.

I watched him in the test v NZ and he was pretty underwhelming.

I won’t judge him solely on that but there are people high up that see something in him that many people do not.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

More effort with the chequebook is the only thing that most "young stars" are attracted by, apparently. This fellow might be an exception.

Rugby has to compete with the cheque book but challenged when only 4 pro teams. Sevens helps as another pro option to retain our schoolboy stars


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[wamberal]

Rugby has to compete with the cheque book but challenged when only 4 pro teams. Sevens helps as another pro option to retain our schoolboy stars


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I have told this story before, hope it is not boring for those who can remember it, but to me it is pretty telling. One of my neighbours is a made keen New Zealander, absolutely loves his rugby, grew up in a rugby family (although his father played both codes, at representative level). His brother lives in Sydney, and has a son who is a very good young prospect. He is now about 15 or so. He has been playing both codes, as lots of kids do. His rugby home is Randwick, and he is, or was for quite a while, being mentored by Simon Poidevin.

However, he is also being chased hard by St George. Guess who is willing to pay real bucks for young schoolboys? Not us.


If he goes in that direction, he gets to play representative footy, Harold Matthews for under 16s, not sure whether it is televised, but it would not surprise me. Then SG Ball, and Flegg. All pretty high profile competitions.



Money, and profile. How do we compete, really? Not with money, that is for sure. We don't have it. The only place that youngish players can get some profile is in the GPS competition, and we know what the average Gagger thinks about that.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

I have told this story before, hope it is not boring for those who can remember it, but to me it is pretty telling. One of my neighbours is a made keen New Zealander, absolutely loves his rugby, grew up in a rugby family (although his father played both codes, at representative level). His brother lives in Sydney, and has a son who is a very good young prospect. He is now about 15 or so. He has been playing both codes, as lots of kids do. His rugby home is Randwick, and he is, or was for quite a while, being mentored by Simon Poidevin.

However, he is also being chased hard by St George. Guess who is willing to pay real bucks for young schoolboys? Not us.


If he goes in that direction, he gets to play representative footy, Harold Matthews for under 16s, not sure whether it is televised, but it would not surprise me. Then SG Ball, and Flegg. All pretty high profile competitions.



Money, and profile. How do we compete, really? Not with money, that is for sure. We don't have it. The only place that youngish players can get some profile is in the GPS competition, and we know what the average Gagger thinks about that.

And hence why I hope twiggyball can be successful and offer more opportunities for our talented schoolboys. Won’t keep them all but like to see us keep a lot more than currently do.


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[wamberal]

We all have high hopes, mate, but it is really important for us all (meaning all the powers that be) that we are realistic in what we are trying to achieve.


I suspect that what we have to do is to play to our strengths, when it comes to the junior ranks. Yes, a new competitive situation for the current crop of professional players will be wonderful, but it won't do much, if anything, for the levels below, unless we believe in the trickle down effect. That will be haphazard, if it exists at all.


We have to be effective in locating and targeting our potential next pro recruits, and they will mostly come from the GPS, CAS, and equivalent sectors, and, hopefully, some from the specialist sports high schools.

 

[southsider]

If he goes in that direction, he gets to play representative footy, Harold Matthews for under 16s, not sure whether it is televised, but it would not surprise me. Then SG Ball, and Flegg. All pretty high profile competitions.
[/quote I think we also need to make a bigger deal of our junior rep sides. Playing Harold Matts and SG Ball is considered an honour in league. I've never played league in my life but am well aware of those two competitions and the trophies theyre named after, fuck knows who the Trophies in Union equivalent are named after. Kids want to feel important and professional when playing in rep teams. League do this really well with low cost options like Summer camps, getting personal invites to trial, free boots from a sponsor, little bit of a shout out on social media. In union its a generic email of "yea rep trials come down, training starts a month and a half before state cup, give us X amount of money and we will let you play" More of a ticking the boxes approach than a genuine investment for the future

 

[Inside Shoulder]

I won’t judge him solely on that but there are people high up that see something in him that many people do not.

Do they? Or is this a case of the "fear of missing out" driving the bus? "What if he turns out to be the messiah?" It remains remarkable that the Tahs think the next best uncontracted 10 in the country is not playing Shute Shield or Premier rugby or John I Dent cup he is playing colts at - you guessed it - Randwick.

 

[sidelineview]

I think the Waratahs should be congratulated for stepping up their development programs and giving hope to more young players to reach their potential.

If Castle had an influence in signing Harrison then good on her, although I don't think the chequebook is the only thing that can keep young rugby players in the game, but it does obviously help.

If young players see others being rewarded then it spurs them on as well. If money is their main motivating factor then they can build a reputation in rugby and then have the option of fielding offers from overseas rugby clubs, NRC, Super rugby and league clubs if they're good enough. Looking at long term prospects rather than short term.

Apart from young rugby players from the private school sector attracting attention, the Colts players are also being targeted more now with some clubs doing a great job in developing their local juniors.

 

[sidelineview]

I remember a lot of criticism when he was picked for the national schoolboys team basically on the back of his Randwick performances.

I watched him in the test v NZ and he was pretty underwhelming.

I won’t judge him solely on that but there are people high up that see something in him that many people do not.

He wasn't just selected based on his Randwick performances. He was in fact a member of the 2016 Australian Barbarians Schoolboy team and was obviously earmarked as a future prospect then.
He has also been a member of quite a few junior rep teams and a product of Randwick's development squads. I don't think this was a spontaneous decision.

 

[Braveheart81]

Do they? Or is this a case of the "fear of missing out" driving the bus? "What if he turns out to be the messiah?" It remains remarkable that the Tahs think the next best uncontracted 10 in the country is not playing Shute Shield or Premier rugby or John I Dent cup he is playing colts at - you guessed it - Randwick.

That is in no way what they are indicating by signing an 18 year old. They have Foley, Beale, Mason and Hegarty on the books who can or do play fly half. They have absolutely no need for the next best flyhalf available to form part of their squad. What they do need is to plan for the future and try and pick the players they think have the best long term prospects and help develop that.

 

[fatprop]

The guy is 18

Foley and Beale will be unlikely to be around after the next RWC.

Hegarty is unlikely to be the answer to any question, so there is Mason and now Harrison in development

The challenge will be giving Mason enough time to keep him around and not be sniped while creating a real competitive atmosphere between the two

 

[sidelineview]

Hopefully Harrison wont be the last young number 10 contracted in the near future.
If they can afford it. Thats the big IF.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

That is in no way what they are indicating by signing an 18 year old. They have Foley, Beale, Mason and Hegarty on the books who can or do play fly half. They have absolutely no need for the next best flyhalf available to form part of their squad. What they do need is to plan for the future and try and pick the players they think have the best long term prospects and help develop that.

And that person is not playing in any of those places - he's playing colts at Randwick. As were Horwitz, Deegan etc etc. No pattern, just coincidence.

 

[Braveheart81]

And that person is not playing in any of those places - he's playing colts at Randwick. As were Horwitz, Deegan etc etc. No pattern, just coincidence.

I think the fact he was captain of the Australian Schoolboys team is more pertinent than him being a Randwick colts player.

 

[wamberal]

Maybe Randwick is better at attracting good young players. Maybe being at Coogee helps, a nice central location. Maybe they are in a catchment where a lot of sport is still played.


I could go on. Anyway, good on them, I would hate to think what Australian rugby would look like today if Randwick did not exist.

 

[Braveheart81]

Or that the kid went to school in Randwick and presumably lives in the area.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Maybe Randwick is better at attracting good young players. Maybe being at Coogee helps, a nice central location. Maybe they are in a catchment where a lot of sport is still played.


I could go on. Anyway, good on them, I would hate to think what Australian rugby would look like today if Randwick did not exist.

We don't have to accept Randwick on their terms we could exercise an independent judgment as to the good done for the game by the warehousing of talent and the way in which they have recruited. Despite the identification of both of those I named as future solutions both have departed, one with no game time. My information is that this will be the last season for other 18 year olds signed on potential - also from Randwick. Not sure what your tolerance for pursuing a failed model is but this exceeds mine.

 

[I like to watch]

I haven't seen enough of the kid to make a judgement.
school kids such as Beale and Hooper stood out as being a grade above their cohort. they succeeded.
The Horwitzs & the Deegans,who were just deemed the best of their age by schoolboy selectors,were not so successful.
Is he the former or the latter?