NSW Invitational U16 Tournament 2014

[Azzuri]

Sad that no one has stood up to congratulate whichever person was responsible for getting the trash heap XV a gig in the tournament, or who maybe owned the idea. I expect that the motivation may have been motivated by "revenge", but none the less, the outcomes might stand as a reminder to what is trying to be achieved.

The person who owned the idea and brought it to fruition is well known to anyone assocaited with western zone.....he's rugby through and through and has no son in the team. It was a brilliant idea which apart from the obvious schadenfreude benefits also gave a bunch of lads who should have made city a chance to show the selectors how wrong they got it.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

<snip>
Someone should ask the schools coach how #10 went at the U16s championships/trials and who he played for and since he was not nominated by his school how he knew anything about him, let alone that he was a patch on Dainton (23).
And who the #12 played for in that comp and what position he plays for his school and whether his father has a development job in rugby and how come the 12 from his school who was in the Presidents XV A did not get a look in.

@IS, I am a simple person and like many in rugby, am confused by all the various factions, and trials and championships that exist at Under 16 level, particularly when the names are often used interchangeably to refer to different events.

While I suspect you have posed slightly rhetorical questions to illustrate inconsistencies in "the process", please correct me if my interpretation of the above is incorrect but does the above seek answers to these questions?
1. Did the NSW Schools Coach (Tom Hart) know how the NSW Schools #10 (Angus-Corke from Joeys, according to the team list posted above) went at Schools U16s (the Knox Tournament?)/Trials (AAGPS trials for the Presidents XV?)
2. How could Coach Hart choose Angus-Corke at starting 10 over Dainton from Aloys, when the former wasn't nominated by Joeys for the Presidents XV trials, nor did they attend the Schools U16 Championships at Knox?

Gets a little confusing from here on but here goes (I might have got it wrong based on what I think the reference to "that comp" is.)
3. Which team the NSW Schools #12 (Simmonsson from New) play for at the NSW Schools U16's championships at Knox College, and what position does he play in his Newington school team?
4. Does his father (Simmonsson's) have a development role in rugby?

5. Why did the #12 from the Newington College team that Simmonsson plays in, who was selected for Presidents A XV at NSW Schools U16 championships (don't have a programme from Knox to get the name) not get selected for NSW Schools?

 

[Magilla]

Anyone have a match report for the nsw 15's and 17's games?

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Bailey Simmonsen played the second half of the season in the Newington firsts. He had a groin injury so didn't trial but was called up last week after lots of injuries. He was one of the best players in the schools team regardless of who his dad is. Have a look at the try he scored yesterday against Sydney. A real talent

He did trial: for GPS, at 15.
That was how he got injured. he did not play in the "championships" as a result.
What position did he play in the 1sts and who was the 12 in those firsts for some at least of this season? he was the Presidents XV 12 - he actually played at Turramurra. But let's just leave him out of it: what about all the other 12s who played up there? How is picking this boy on reputation justifiable? He as has been a 15 since he was spotted playing in the NSWPSSA for Northern Zone and then mysteriously appeared at Knox in 6th class.
The point is one made by HJ. About kids being plucked without playing and picked out of position.
The selection process across the board is a farce, irrespective of how the kid plays.

 

[Man on the hill]

The person who owned the idea and brought it to fruition is well known to anyone assocaited with western zone...he's rugby through and through and has no son in the team. It was a brilliant idea which apart from the obvious schadenfreude benefits also gave a bunch of lads who should have made city a chance to show the selectors how wrong they got it.

& somehow he needs to be recognised & applauded in the broader rugby community - especially if he doesn't have a child involved - fairly rare & remarkable.

 

[GAME_DAY]

Injuries for NSW schools with Hardie and Dainton being ruled out after the 1st game.

 

[g&grugby]

No matter who his father is, simonsson was without a doubt one of the players at the competition.

 

[Azzuri]

& somehow he needs to be recognised & applauded in the broader rugby community - especially if he doesn't have a child involved - fairly rare & remarkable.

My only reticence in not mentioning his name on a public forum is that he doesn't strike me as a glory seeker.... He is a rare individual and does it for the love of the code and the lads who play rugby in the west

 

[Newbie]

I tell ya - junior rugby never fails to disappoint where it concerns controversy! I could take you through 2011, 2012 and 2013 and point out a bucket of 'em!

I do know however that when it comes to making a choice I would probably lean toward the schools selection pathway over club in terms of fairness.

I know a lot of members don't like this man, but Manu Sutherland brought some equity to the schools selection process IMO. He was not just committed to the schools process, he did support club; in fact I used to regularly see uncle Manu at SJRU games and even at NSWJRU Regionals!

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Injuries for NSW schools with Hardie and Dainton being ruled out after the 1st game.

after Dainton came on with 10 to go - having played through all the selection hoops of both schools and SJRU at U16 level.

No matter who his father is, simonsson was without a doubt one of the players at the competition.

This is about the lack of transparency in the process.
A transparent process is less likely to turn kids off the game and the last thing this code needs right now is anyone walking away from it.
The same things happened in the selection of the Oz Schools side: if there's a tournament from which the best are supposed to be picked the selectors should not go picking their personal favourites from outside that comp.
Getting injured is one of the reasons you don't get picked for stuff: ask Rod Kafer!

 

[F McGrath]

He did trial: for GPS, at 15.
That was how he got injured. he did not play in the "championships" as a result.
What position did he play in the 1sts and who was the 12 in those firsts for some at least of this season? he was the Presidents XV 12 - he actually played at Turramurra. But let's just leave him out of it: what about all the other 12s who played up there? How is picking this boy on reputation justifiable? He as has been a 15 since he was spotted playing in the NSWPSSA for Northern Zone and then mysteriously appeared at Knox in 6th class.
The point is one made by HJ. About kids being plucked without playing and picked out of position.
The selection process across the board is a farce, irrespective of how the kid plays.

Luke Lough, Charlie Smith and Goddard were in the original 16 NSW school team but were ruled out due to injury and senior duties.
The 12 for Newington also plays in the firsts but he was overseas on a family holiday when he got the late call

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Luke Lough, Charlie Smith and Goddard were in the original 16 NSW school team but were ruled out due to injury and senior duties.
The 12 for Newington also plays in the firsts but he was overseas on a family holiday when he got the late call

And what of the other 7 or so #12s who actually played in the selection tournament

 

[Man on the hill]

My only reticence in not mentioning his name on a public forum is that he doesn't strike me as a glory seeker.. He is a rare individual and does it for the love of the code and the lads who play rugby I'm the west

All well & good - please make an effort to let him know that his efforts are appreciated and applauded by a wider audience than just the boys who benefited directly. MOTH

 

[Hugh Jarse]

@Inside Shoulder, You are "relatively" new to the politics of Schoolboy, and Junior Club rugby, but are a quick learner as you become more aware of how it works in all its Machiavellian vaingloriousness. You have no doubt noticed how it is practiced at the highest levels of Aust Schoolboy rugby this year, and most likely concluded that there is not a lot of difference between how it is practiced there and within the realms of U16 and U15's.

Some kids get plucked from nowhere, unwanted by others, but they perform with credit at the top level as if they should have been there in the first place.
Others are selected at the expense of others because they do a couple of flashy things at trials, but ultimately get found out when up against quality opponents.
Good Kids are played out of position and predictably flounder and get promoted to the pine. Others ride the pine and don't get chances to show their worth to the higher level clipboards.

Some skilled players have an off day at a trial, perhaps one or two bad lineout throws, or a knock on or dropped catch, and consequently have their dance card marked for life. Others have the same or make even worse howlers, and either the selectors weren't watching, or the performance is excused away. Their dance card isn't thrown away.
Some real battlers have a absolute blinder on trial day with everything going their way, and their (for example) well known weakness under the high ball is never exposed as their opponents don't kick during the trial.

Players that are no-shows at trials (for whatever (ofter legitimate) reason) often get selected on reputation only over kids who trial and risk having their weaknesses identified.

Players who have awesome performances at one level are often not able to replicate that same form at the next higher level, when they are selected (by trial or reputation).

The same issues present themselves from the Wallabies, and Wallaroos right down to the Allambie Jets Under 6's.

Some truisms (but you already know these).
Life isn't fair. Cream will always rise to the top. Turds full of hot air float as well. Sooner or later the smell of floating turds are identified. Colts is a great leveller, but politics still remain to a lesser degree.
Giving up will guarantee non selection. Karma is a bitch.

 

[Shane Smeltz]

@IS, I am a simple person and like many in rugby, am confused by all the various factions, and trials and championships that exist at Under 16 level, particularly when the names are often used interchangeably to refer to different events.

While I suspect you have posed slightly rhetorical questions to illustrate inconsistencies in "the process", please correct me if my interpretation of the above is incorrect but does the above seek answers to these questions?
1. Did the NSW Schools Coach (Tom Hart) know how the NSW Schools #10 (Angus-Corke from Joeys, according to the team list posted above) went at Schools U16s (the Knox Tournament?)/Trials (AAGPS trials for the Presidents XV?)
2. How could Coach Hart choose Angus-Corke at starting 10 over Dainton from Aloys, when the former wasn't nominated by Joeys for the Presidents XV trials, nor did they attend the Schools U16 Championships at Knox?

Gets a little confusing from here on but here goes (I might have got it wrong based on what I think the reference to "that comp" is.)
3. Which team the NSW Schools #12 (Simmonsson from New) play for at the NSW Schools U16's championships at Knox College, and what position does he play in his Newington school team?
4. Does his father (Simmonsson's) have a development role in rugby?

5. Why did the #12 from the Newington College team that Simmonsson plays in, who was selected for Presidents A XV at NSW Schools U16 championships (don't have a programme from Knox to get the name) not get selected for NSW Schools?

Riley Angles-Corke is an U15 I believe, playing in the 16s as he is obviously in Yr 10.
He is the one and only u15 in the NSW 16s team - even Tyrone was placed in the U15 SJRU team.

 

[F McGrath]

after Dainton came on with 10 to go - having played through all the selection hoops of both schools and SJRU at U16 level.
This is about the lack of transparency in the process.
A transparent process is less likely to turn kids off the game and the last thing this code needs right now is anyone walking away from it.
The same things happened in the selection of the Oz Schools side: if there's a tournament from which the best are supposed to be picked the selectors should not go picking their personal favourites from outside that comp.
Getting injured is one of the reasons you don't get picked for stuff: ask Rod Kafer!

Just ask the NSW School boys 1 & 2 forwards packs. There were plenty of boys in those teams that should have been in NZ if life was fair.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

HJ,
I knew all of that - having learnt at your feet.
The thing is the CCC, AICES, CHS, AIS (to a lesser degree) kids are just assumed to be not as good as a fullback who never played against them.
And then the CAS 10 gets shafted for a kid he didn't play against.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Just ask the NSW School boys 1 & 2 forwards packs. There were plenty of boys in those teams that should have been in NZ if life was fair.

Let me understand that: because U18 selection is hopeless we should accept U16 selection being hopeless.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Riley Angles-Corke is an U15 I believe, playing in the 16s as he is obviously in Yr 10.

Year 9
Tyrone is in year 10.

 

[Shane Smeltz]

Right. So a Yr 9 U15 boy makes it into the exclusive U16s NSW Schools team.
Que?

Tyrone is exceptional and in Yr 10. Methinks Tyrone should have been the one U15 boy in the NSW Schools 16 team.

Just saying.