Western Sydney Rams . NRC Official Team Thread

[Done that]

I'm aligned with The Rams. I nominally support Parramatta and Penrith, but place the support of rugby at the top of the chain.





1) no it doesn't: GREATER Sydney Rams.

2) Eastwood is west. Maybe they don't deserve quite that many players, but if you want success, add weight to each club's position on the table and check again.


I live in Western Sydney and played subbies for five years out here, including committee stints and dealing directly with the rugby hierarchy including referees. I know the frustration of basically being ignored because we don't have the money, or the old school connections, or the facilities established a century ago that mean we are subject to the whims of LGA.

But if we keep sitting in our pile of mud and bitching about HOW something should happen, we are no better than Poido or Papworth in believing that Club rugby will see the game prosper in this nation.

We need a third tier established, and in time the game can grow outwards and upwards, and bring Western Sydney into the fold as the cradle of life ahead of the GPS system.

The initial constituents of this team were Parramatta ,Penrith,West Harbour,Eastwood(North West) & Southern Districts(South West ).
They will play their games at Parramatta.
If you don't believe this represents Western Sydney & was intended to so do,indicates your perceptions & mine are obviously not the same.
I don't agree that because Eastwood is the most successful team of those mentioned above,that few players from the other clubs would not make it at the Eastwood club.Take a look
at the number of players who have gone to Eastwood in recent years from those other clubs & have succeeded,(a large number of West Harbour players come to mind).
You are not Robinson Crusoe in your support of Rugby ,but I note that you have the Parramatta logo attached to your posts .Based on your altruistic logic you should have the logos of all the
clubs highlighted perhaps ?
To suggest that this is an opportunity to develop some "tribalism" & consequently added interest & support of this team as I have suggested it is,is "bitching",also highlights the difference
between you & I ,I am afraid.Not to suggest that there are apparent deficiencies in the existing model ,presumes that you are in total agreement with it as it stands.
I see tribalism & hence identification with a team , as an important part of garnering support for this team,& I believe that is best achieved in this case by including players of appropriate
standard & reasonable numbers from all the clubs representing Western Sydney.Not to do so will limit the support & interest which supporters in the West will have in this team,but
also,as I have suggested above, create a negative impression in the minds of players in the clubs which have not been so generously looked upon by the selectors,with obvious consequences.
The Wallabies don't mysteriously appear out of nowhere.Clearly national teams depend, ultimately ,on the existence of a strong & viable club base.The same is true for the Super 15 teams,
& no less true for the development of this "3rd tier" competition.In this sense ,anything which is potentially detrimental for the existing SS clubs should be avoided.This is particularly true
for the struggling clubs in Sydney's West.

 

[rimmerdee]

saw this on Facebook haha

 

[HorseSizedDuck]

saw this on Facebook haha

like the Epping rams

 

[Backrow]

What immediately comes to mind, is the fact that while the team purports to represent Western Sydney, there are so few players chosen
from the clubs actually in that area.There is therefore ,not much for the supporters of those clubs & the supporters of Rugby in the West ,to identify with, in this team,& therefore not much
incentive to get behind & support the team.
While I realise that the purpose of the competition is to identify the "3rd tier players" in the Shuts Shield & elsewhere,I would have thought that more support & recognition
might have been given to those clubs which support the concept,& support the development of Rugby in Sydney's West.
Also while Parramatta ,West Harbour & Penrith finished in the bottom half of the table,I think within those teams there are more potential Super 15 players than might
be suggested by the selected team.
What I suspect might be the consequences of this,is that this will have a detrimental effect on the clubs in the West,as I would anticipate that a number of their better
players would interpret their omission for players from elsewhere,as indicating that there is no future in playing for the western Sydney clubs & head off for greener pastures,
in particular overseas,where many of them can at least get a decent financial return.
One wonders also, what consequences there are for the Eastwood club & it's players following Eastwood's decision to formally withdraw it's participation,& by implication,it's support.
It would seem that any consequences are likely to be beneficial to that club, as selections suggest that playing for Eastwood is a sure fire way of gaining selection,& thus
if a young player is in two minds as to where he should play,this sort of situation should remove all doubt.

I have it on good Authority that Olmstead is now in Canada looking to play for them going forward. How many other young players are going to crack the shits with Australian rugby and it's bull shit selections and defect?

 

[Backrow]

saw this on Facebook haha

Melrose' coaching career will have flashed before his eyes after the Eastwoods lost to souths on Saturday. How well will the eastwood rams expect to do against super teams like the balmuni stars chocked full of genuine talent.

 

[Eyes and Ears]

I have it on good Authority that Olmstead is now in Canada looking to play for them going forward. How many other young players are going to crack the shits with Australian rugby and it's bull shit selections and defect?

Is it likely that he decided to go to Canada to try to make RWC15 and therefore made himself unavailable for NRC?

 

[Eyes and Ears]

Melrose' coaching career will have flashed before his eyes after the Eastwoods lost to souths on Saturday. How well will the eastwood rams expect to do against super teams like the balmuni stars chocked full of genuine talent.

Not really. Most of the best Souths players are playing for the Rams too.

 

[Braveheart81]

Eastwood only lost because their goalkicker missed a sitter to win the game.

That said, the penalty against Ngaumo was pretty sketchy. I thought he had rights to the ball.

I felt for the poor Warringah players in the crowd who saw their season end on the back of an easy miss.

 

[Pfitzy]

You are not Robinson Crusoe in your support of Rugby ,but I note that you have the Parramatta logo attached to your posts .Based on your altruistic logic you should have the logos of all the
clubs highlighted perhaps ?

Facetious statement.

Not to suggest that there are apparent deficiencies in the existing model ,presumes that you are in total agreement with it as it stands.

I am in complete agreement with A model, and getting the fuck on with making it work.

You can block your ears and say "Western Sydney is getting ripped off!" repeatedly until you are blue in the face; it will not change the reality that while this can help the uplift of rugby out here, it is more important that it help the uplift of rugby nationwide.

There are some Western Force fans who are going off the fucking deep end about how the Tahs get all the money and WA gets nothing. I ask "but without the contribution NSW makes to rugby, no-one gets anything?".

So it is - at present - with the rugby heartland in the Eastern Suburbs. If the best players are all moving out of certain clubs, as you point out:

Take a look
at the number of players who have gone to Eastwood in recent years from those other clubs & have succeeded,(a large number of West Harbour players come to mind).

Then we accept that player movement is a natural occurrence of wanting to play at a successful club, and gratifying that you've been identified to do so.

If the Rams can build a successful team with a hard working back office, then in future years, the recruitment policy will allow for more localised selection.

You simply cannot build it in a day, and if you're not going to play the long game on this one, you might as well exclude yourself because you're not part of the solution.

 

[Blackers13]

Is it likely that he decided to go to Canada to try to make RWC15 and therefore made himself unavailable for NRC?

Incorrect. He's going to Canada becuase he was cut from the Rams top squad

 

[Cattledog]

OK now that the SS is over for a lot of these players when are we going to see a bit of fan / youth engagement?

We have the final rounds of the Western Sydney Minis comp for the next 2 weekends culminating in the end of season gala day & the SJRU comp only has two weeks to run before semis.

As such (if the Rams are not proactive) a lot of kids will cease training in two weeks and drift off to summer sports. Free passes, mini footballs, free orange tee shirts, & photo opportunities with players would do a lot to kick start this season & supporter base.

The list of potential junior supporters is substantial:

Blakehurst Southern Districts
Burraneer Southern Districts
Engadine Southern Districts
Menai Southern Districts
Oatley Southern Districts
Rockdale Southern Districts
Sylvania Southern Districts
Beecroft Eastwood
Dural Eastwood
Epping Eastwood
Hillview Eastwood
North Rocks Eastwood
Redfield Eastwood
Ryde Eastwood
Blue Mountains Penrith
Hawkesbury Penrith
Penrith RSL Penrith
Rooty Hill Penrith
St Patricks Wests
Wests Juniors Wests
Blacktown Parramatta
Dundas Valley Parramatta
Hills Parramatta
Liverpool Parramatta
Norwest Bulls Parramatta
Rouse Hill Parramatta

A simple phone call to the SJRU would get a list of club contact details!

Can you imagine the U6's - U9's at the WSM end of season gala day going nuts on the Rams sponsored jumping castle and having photos with Rams Wallaby players & getting free passes off the Rams mascot!

Yes I am a member.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

OK now that the SS is over for a lot of these players when are we going to see a bit of fan / youth engagement?

We have the final rounds of the Western Sydney Minis comp for the next 2 weekends culminating in the end of season gala day & the SJRU comp only has two weeks to run before semis.

As such (if the Rams are not proactive) a lot of kids will cease training in two weeks and drift off to summer sports. Free passes, mini footballs, free orange tee shirts, & photo opportunities with players would do a lot to kick start this season & supporter base.

The list of potential junior supporters is substantial:

Blakehurst Southern Districts
Burraneer Southern Districts
Engadine Southern Districts
Menai Southern Districts
Oatley Southern Districts
Rockdale Southern Districts
Sylvania Southern Districts
Beecroft Eastwood
Dural Eastwood
Epping Eastwood
Hillview Eastwood
North Rocks Eastwood
Redfield Eastwood
Ryde Eastwood
Blue Mountains Penrith
Hawkesbury Penrith
Penrith RSL Penrith
Rooty Hill Penrith
St Patricks Wests
Wests Juniors Wests
Blacktown Parramatta
Dundas Valley Parramatta
Hills Parramatta
Liverpool Parramatta
Norwest Bulls Parramatta
Rouse Hill Parramatta

A simple phone call to the SJRU would get a list of club contact details!

Can you imagine the U6's - U9's at the WSM end of season gala day going nuts on the Rams sponsored jumping castle and having photos with Rams Wallaby players & getting free passes off the Rams mascot!

Yes I am a member.

They could also snag the Harlequins and Rams junior out this way.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

OK now that the SS is over for a lot of these players when are we going to see a bit of fan / youth engagement?

We have the final rounds of the Western Sydney Minis comp for the next 2 weekends culminating in the end of season gala day & the SJRU comp only has two weeks to run before semis.

As such (if the Rams are not proactive) a lot of kids will cease training in two weeks and drift off to summer sports. Free passes, mini footballs, free orange tee shirts, & photo opportunities with players would do a lot to kick start this season & supporter base.

The list of potential junior supporters is substantial:

Blakehurst Southern Districts
Burraneer Southern Districts
Engadine Southern Districts
Menai Southern Districts
Oatley Southern Districts
Rockdale Southern Districts
Sylvania Southern Districts
Beecroft Eastwood
Dural Eastwood
Epping Eastwood
Hillview Eastwood
North Rocks Eastwood
Redfield Eastwood
Ryde Eastwood
Blue Mountains Penrith
Hawkesbury Penrith
Penrith RSL Penrith
Rooty Hill Penrith
St Patricks Wests
Wests Juniors Wests
Blacktown Parramatta
Dundas Valley Parramatta
Hills Parramatta
Liverpool Parramatta
Norwest Bulls Parramatta
Rouse Hill Parramatta

A simple phone call to the SJRU would get a list of club contact details!

Can you imagine the U6's - U9's at the WSM end of season gala day going nuts on the Rams sponsored jumping castle and having photos with Rams Wallaby players & getting free passes off the Rams mascot!

Yes I am a member.

They're trying to get some interesting supporters gear going. I suspect the Rams are the only team with an active supporters group and finished web page.

 

[RugbyFuture]

most teams have finished websites or are running off the respective states site.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

most teams have finished websites or are running off the respective states site.

I know NSW Country have a site but that's all I have been able to find. I'm talking about independent dedicated sites.

 

[Dave Beat]

They're trying to get some interesting supporters gear going. I suspect the Rams are the only team with an active supporters group and finished web page.

http://wl.eventopia.co/NorthHarbourRays

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

http://wl.eventopia.co/NorthHarbourRays

Good to see as I've been trying to find the sites with little luck via google.

 

[Dave Beat]

Good to see as I've been trying to find the sites with little luck via google.

Finals footy first

 

[RugbyFuture]

Sooooo ...

 

[southsider]

don't see what the problem with olmstead going is....was never going to make a super team and obviously isn't that much of a standout player at SS level that he demanded selection either at the rams or some other franchise. His best bet is to go to Canada and try and represent them at the world cup