Quick update on the preseason form guide after eight rounds:
16A’s – Battle of today V tomorrow
TSS
GT
NCIGS TGS
NC & GT will benefit greatly without their immersion programs. IGS were good last year, but I still think at full strength NC and GT are the cream of the crop here. If they are not required to supply too many to the Firsts they should finish top 3 with TSS who usually sport a few new recruits.
BBC could be the surprises here. (ACGS are the surprises here)
Round 2 UpdateWow way off the mark on this one – ACGS looking good and already accounting for IGS and GT, NC looking out of sorts even with little Firsts impact, I’ll also put the watch on TGS rather than BBC.
Round 4 Update
ACGS still looking the goods after flying under (at least) my radar this preseason, GT handed TSS their first loss – A win to NC over AGCS could see a very interesting last round of fixtures. TGS away will test GT greatly, forget IGS and BBC will need to improve to upset any of the top 4.
Round 6 Update
After 6 rounds there are still 4 schools with 1 loss (GT, TGS, TSS & ACGS), GT V TGS this weekend will see one drop off, and ACGS v TSS in round 8 finishes another. Very good win by ACGS over NC and a great rebound after going down to TGS up on the range.
The top 5 (I still like NC) are pretty close and pretty good and that makes for a tough 2017 in the Firsts, something we can all look forward to.
Round 8 Update
This has been a great comp and bodes well for the 2017 1st XV. After beating TGS and killing off their hopes, GT were themselves ‘knocked out’ in an ambush at Toowong. TSS downing NC and ACGS have only to beat the lowly ranked BSHS to wrap up another 16A’s title.GT V NC for the St Joseph’s Cup point is about the only interesting game in week 9.
15As – Oh what might have been?
BSHS TSS
BBC
GT
NC
BSHS look bigger and faster than ever with amazing depth across the age group. BCC remain classy but I defiantly saw some defensive issues being hidden by speed over the last few years and I think BSHS catch them this year. GT are a very good team (IMO the best in the age group) but will miss players and be distracted throughout while NC face the same issues as Terrace but are not quite as good.
No surprise packages here the top 3 are all very good and well balanced – BBC V BSHS should decide the title and it is a shame we won’t see GT at its best.
Hard to change much here yet, other than to say missing a full strength BBC V GT battle is the tragedy of this seasons GPS Competition
GT suffered their first loss in over a year to a ‘near’ full strength TSS who might just be ‘the team’ in this age group now -very big, strong and if the weekend is any guide FIT –BSHS have not come on as I expected with TSS comfortably taking their spot in the top three, NC keep winning against the bottom half of the table, while BBC not as dominant as they once were, still have plenty of class and fight as well as an unbeaten record!
Well last year’s top three GT, BBC and BSHS have certainly come back to the field, with TSS and NC staking strong claims for top three rankings, BSHS have fallen away quite a bit while GT and BBC seem to be stuck in second gear – winning most but not looking like the performance vehicles they resembled last season. GT V BBC will see a sub strength GT line-up and there will be no GT V NC so we really only have TSS V NC to look truly forward to in 2016.
However I am already looking to 2017 and the 16A’s looks like a ripper comp next season if the teams remain substantially intact.
BGS have been big improvers and if a few of these (new) boys step up to the firsts next year to join a quality group of returnees, BGS might actually improve on the field and not just in people’s hearts in the top grade next season
Can’t say I saw an undefeated season for NC being on the cards in this age group – but they still need to get past GT to secure it. I am not sure I actually believe NC are the best team in the age group – although having beaten BBC and TSS this season it is timely to point out they have never lost to GT – in a real game - ever.
BBC V GT was a quality game and really reminded us of what a full strength battle might have provided. GT V NC (hopefully at full strength) is a cracking way to finish the season (could GT hand BBC a share of the title) and TSS V BSHS and BBC V IGS still holds some minor interest for those following the age group.
14A’s – The bigger they are the harder they fall
IGS
BSHS
BBC
GT
Same top 4 as last year – but not necessarily in the same order. BBC and GT will be stronger in personnel and on the field and just a little closer than they were last year. This year is probably too soon but I expect a changing of the guard in U15 with BBC rising to the top and GT closing the gap but cruelled by immersion.
TGS if anyone upsets the top 4.
The top two are away and heading towards a monumental clash, while GT threatened to spring an almighty upset in round one, BBC still flying under the radar with the bye (&BGS) and TGS are 2 for 2 against some handy competition.
Wow!!! GT so nearly get the double against BSHS and IGS but in the end come away with nothing, while TGS went one better and held BSHS to a draw only to be beaten by BBC who finally got to make a statement in 2016– main interest now lies in who wins BSHS V IGS, although GT V TGS and BBC V all the top teams should be great games and real guides to how this age group is shaping for future years. Just how good are BBC??
Well BSHS look to have taken IGS’s crown with a hard fought win at Ippy whilst also answering the big question about BBC, they are just off the top two and closing fast just like GT and potentially TGS.
The GT V TGS and GT V BBC games will be great – there is plenty of feeling in this battle for third and BBC will be primed for GT and then look to upset IGS – something that is not out of the question at all and they would not look out of place in the No 2 spot.
What a lot fun this group provided this year, with the bigger boys finding the going harder and team work starting to show up the individual skill. BBC saw off GT for third and GT accounted for TGS for fourth although NC could still equal them with a win on Saturday. We now get the added pleasure of BBC trying to ‘upset’ IGS for second in a final round barnstormer.
13A’s – Size really does matter
GT
IGS
BSHS ACGSNC
BBC
GT were easily the pick (and biggest) of the under 12s in 2015 and have some quality new boys arriving as do BBC. IGS and BSHS are always good in 13’s and were pretty good last year in the 12s - IGS field a couple of the hardest tacklers I have seen at this age. I know little of the BSHS new boys but I expect them to be good and big. BBC will probably lack the depth of the top 3 but have some real class, a few worthy workers and could (but probably won’t) beat any of the top three on their day. IGS V GT to decide the title.
ACGS the dark horse with an excellent forward pack but not much size out wide.
Interesting start to the season – GT not looking as dominant as many predicted, but still getting the job done – IGS have deservedly overtaken them for favouritism. BBC have yet to show any of their cards and ACGS have performed extremely well against the (preseason) top 2 – could they go undefeated from here on out.
Well GT stood up against IGS and were a trifle unlucky not to get the prize as were NC, IGS seem to be doing it tough but keep on winning, We all now wait for BBC to show their ‘form’ against the top 4 sides IGS, GT, NC and ACGS. BSHS have been disappointing and are really a mid-table team.
Really looking forward to how this age group matures over the next few seasons – a few teams are (over) relying on size and speed and the 14’s this year have shown how quickly that proves problematic. Must say I have been impressed by ACGS and think with a key addition or two (preferably in the backline) could be the real improvers over the next season or two.
Nothing much changing here – IGS keep on winning as do the three sides below them BBC, GT and NC. NC’s win over ACGS was very impressive one wonders if the constant battles against much larger teams are starting to tell on the Churchie lads much like last season’s GT team. Their game against BBC should be interesting. Great season by NC so far now just to finish off against BSHS and then GT.
GT V BBC and NC and BBC V IGS will decide the top three. I’ll tip GT to win both and BBC to lose to IGS leaving it IGS, GT, NC and BBC in that order, but all three could go either way.
This age group keeps on keeping on –IGS sit atop the table but will have a tough one against a BBC side that stuck it to GT on the weekend without really ever threatening to win the game – the battle of the 12’s was monumental and clearly overshadowed the match up at 13.
GT will need to see off a very good NC side and hope BBC can upset IGS if they want to share the spoils. ACGS get a well-earned weekend off, while BGS tries for its first win of the season against TGS.