Australian Schoolboys & National Championships 2009

[Lee Grant]

IIRR they named the 1st XV last year; then the 23 for the As - who would play the visiting team. Then the 8 best players for the As in this game would join the 1st XV to play a schools test.

This year they have named 2 lots of 23 - with no indication of who is starting in either team.

At least we know who is in the top 23 and the 2nd 23

Top 23 with my jersey numbering.

1 Scott Sio Trinity Grammar School NSW
1 Jack Kimmince The Southport School QLD
2 Joe O’Regan Brisbane State High School QLD
2 Hugh Roach Newington College NSW
3 Paul Alo-Emile Brisbane State High School QLD
3/1 Marcus Heather Endeavour SHS NSW
4/5 Angus Hamilton Scotch College, VIC VIC
4/5 Greg Peterson The Scots College NSW
5/6/8 Luke Jones St Pius X College NSW
6 Jordan Tuapou Brisbane State High School QLD
7 Liam Gill St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace QLD
8 Matt Ika Brisbane State High School QLD
8 Waita Setu St Joseph’s Nudgee College QLD
9 Nick Stirzaker Knox Grammar School NSW
9 Ruka Hanlon The Southport School QLD
10 Kyle Godwin Aquinas College, WA WA
10 Rohan Saifoloi Brisbane State High School QLD
11 Kimamai Situata St Joseph’s Nudgee College QLD
12 Tyson Frizell Illawarra SHS NSW
13 Jake Holland St. Edmunds College ACT
14 Chris Sautia Brisbane State High School QLD
15 Simon Morahan The Southport School QLD
15 Jacob Woodhouse The Scots College NSW


Second 23

AUSTRALIA A SQUAD TO PLAY TONGAN SCHOOLS SAT 19 SEPT 2009 THE SHORE, NORTHBRIDGE SCHOOL 2PM

1 Richard Quigley The Scots College NSW
2 Ross Marais The Southport School QLD
2 Nick Turner Emmanuel College QLD
3 Joe Welch St Ignatius' College NSW
3 Tom Lamont St Joseph's College NSW
4/5 Curtis Browning Brisbane State High School QLD
4/5 Ted Postal St Joseph’s Nudgee College QLD
4/5 Nick Curtis Knox Grammar School NSW
4/5 Steve Cummins Hills SHS NSW
6 Usaia O'Sullivan Trinity Grammar School NSW
7 Jack De Guingand St Kevin’s College, VIC
7 Zach Fell St Edward's Gosford NSW
8 Nathan Paila Hallam Senior College, VIC
9 Jack Rowntree St Augustine's College NSW
9 Matt Lucas St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace QLD
10 Cayden Matehaere St Joseph’s Nudgee College QLD
11 Damien Cooke Illawarra SHS NSW
12 Rodney Esekia Chandler College, VIC VIC
12 Krisome Au’uva Ipswich Grammar School QLD
13 Matt Garland Brisbane State High School QLD
13 Tom Kingston St Aloysius' College NSW
14 Liam Law Ipswich Grammar School QLD
15 Mitchell Felsman Iona College QLD

 

[Lee Grant]

Notes on top 23.

1. Scott Sio - he was a reserve for NSW II and played both 8 and 1. He looks like a mobile league prop but if he can learn to scrummage he's going to be a good senior LHP. Thought he was being looked at more closely as he started as LHP in the crunch game against NSW I today.

4/5 Curtis Browning from BSHS unlucky not to make the Ones. Today he played one of the best games from anybody in any position on any day; so I changed my original team to put Browning in. But now I hear that he is only 16 years old - no wonder he was overlooked. Wow.

6 Usaia O'Sullivan who missed the tournament missed selection for the Ones but made it for the Twos. Jordan Tuapou was chosen instead which will make up for his disappointment last year when he broke his hand at the tournament.

 

[Lindommer]

1. Scott Sio - he was a reserve for NSW II and played both 8 and 1. He looks like a mobile league prop but if he can learn to scrummage he's going to be a good senior LHP. Thought he was being looked at more closely as he started as LHP in the crunch game against NSW I today.

4/5 Curtis Browning from BSHS unlucky not to make the Ones. Today he played one of the best games from anybody in any position on any day; so I changed my original team to put Browning in. But now I hear that he is only 16 years old - no wonder he was overlooked. Wow.

6 Usaia O'Sullivan who missed the tournament missed selection for the Ones but made it for the Twos. Jordan Tuapou was chosen instead which will make up for his disappointment last year when he broke his hand at the tournament.

Pirates the pair of them. Scott's been a West Junior for about 10 years, let's hope we can keep him.

 

[spectator]

As per usual Lee, great reports on this years crop of elite schoolboys.

Surprising how easily Qld 1 did it in the end really. Amazing to see given how young some of the team are. Apart from Browning I understand Sautia and A'auva are young guys as well. Augurs well for Qld next year I guess. Have to say I wasn't overly confident of a Qld win after watching some of the trials, but was impressed with the wingers.

 

[RugbyReg]

Lee, agree with Speccy's comments above. I love this time of year, predominately for your reports. Pleasingly, there are a few others who had an input this year, which was great.

 

[Lee Grant]

There were more cameras at Knox yesterday and the ground announcer kept saying that a replay of the final will be televised on FoxSports on 3 different days. I forget the dates but it was something like Aug 5, 6 and 9 - around that time. Give it a watch and refer back to my notes on the Queensland lads. We'll be seeing a few of them in Super 14 down the track.

In particular watch 11 Kimami Situata, and 5 Curtis Browning who was MOTM IMO though he is supposed to be just 16. 7 Liam Gill had a great tournament and 3 PAE was never bettered in the scrum unless the hit was missed.

PS: top marks to Knox and the way they handled the comp and just as well that it wasn't held at Riverview, where it is normally held when it's in Sydney. They do a top job too but with the rain we had on 3 days, the pitch would have been a quagmire at 'View'.

And top work at the BBQ - lads those bacon and egg sandwiches for breakfast and steak sandwiches for lunch were tops as was the coffee brewed by the pleasant South African lady. Thumbs up.

 

[naza]

The old codger who was screaming: "Don't give it to the backs!" when NSW I was near the CS goal line just before the final whistle was me.

First time for everything eh old boy ?

 

[brokendown gunfighter]

10 or 11 western Australian boys were in the squad that finished 2nd in the comp
only ONE player was picked in the top 46
about time the selectors looked a little further west of the great divide perhaps?

 

[barbarian]

Great reports, Lee, make for great reading. The one thing that no-one is pointed out yet is the lack of NSW GPS boys in both teams. I could only count 6- 3 from Scots, and one each from Newington, Joeys and Iggies. That has to be the least for many years, obviously a weaker comp in 2009.

Also, when was the last time Kings didn't get a boy in either side? Probably the early to mid 1990s when they weren't much chop, and hadn't discovered the wonders of sporting scholarships.

 

[Pierre]

10 or 11 western Australian boys were in the squad that finished 2nd in the comp
only ONE player was picked in the top 46
about time the selectors looked a little further west of the great divide perhaps?

I absolutely agree, and it is pretty obvious from many who write on these portals that the east coast monopoly needs to be investigated. Out of sight - out of mind is an attitude that needs to be changed on both sides of the divide.

 

[Lee Grant]

10 or 11 western Australian boys were in the squad that finished 2nd in the comp
only ONE player was picked in the top 46
about time the selectors looked a little further west of the great divide perhaps?

I absolutely agree, and it is pretty obvious from many who write on these portals that the east coast monopoly needs to be investigated. Out of sight - out of mind is an attitude that needs to be changed on both sides of the divide.

Welcome aboard Pierre.

Agree in the principle gunfighter and Pierre, but as I wrote about the 1st XV I picked:

- There will probably be more CS boys picked than I have nominated, but I thought that their success in qualifying for the final was due more to good teamwork than superlative individual play.

In truth, because CS had made the final, I was scratching my head about who from CS to put in the 1st XV, let alone from WA. Afterwards when the final was over I moved Godwin into the XV as he outplayed the Qld lad I had originally picked.

So, I stand by my quote above as to the 1st XV, but it doesn't answer why only 1 WA lad made it in the 1st 46. In particular I thought that 3 Oliver Hoskins, Scotch College and 12 Heremaia Te Aute, CJC, both from WA, would have made the Twos.

One thing you know for sure: when it comes to selection of Schools teams at any level, or junior District teams for that matter: there are going to be controversies.

For example: NSW people were questioning why CHS boys were not represented better in the NSW Ones team - and rugbywhisperer went the other way and said the Qld teams would have had even higher quality if two GPS teams were selected. He wasn't saying they should have been, just indicating that some of the non-GPS lads were not of the same quality as those GPS boys who missed out on their 46.

What we need, probably, is some national selectors from Combined States, who have also picked the CS team earlier after the Division II tournament.

 

[rugbywhisperer]

I agree Lee that there is a perceived problem if not a real problem. I know it's schools but whenever school teachers get together to select teams there is always going to be a problem, either real or imaginery.
We do have here is Australia a great and all pervading NTS and talent identification system and these people actually are aware of all the emerging talent. There are not too many players, ever in the 'other' states who escape their gaze.
I see no reason why in the selection of the schools teams that the ARU/NTS people cannot have a more direct maybe definitive input into the teams - they are the ones after all who have been working with the kids all year.
I know in the selection of the Qld team the QRU/NTS had a representatives present to add comment but they are not relied on and in the end teachers who only get an occasional glimpse of a player at trials are asked to make these judgements and calls.
While I and many are reasonably happy with the selections (many of us have followed these players for years) there is as we see some who are not happy and maybe for justifyable reasons, and having the selection process more in the hands of the 'experts' may allay their concerns.
But in the end, you are NEVER going to please 100% of the people 100% of the time.

 

[Lee Grant]

Excellent idea whispers, but then you would get the objection that this player or that had no chance because he wasn't in the state NTS programme - and he should have been - or he was a late bloomer after the NTS group had been chosen, yarda, yarda.

 

[rugbywhisperer]

From personal observation, there are not too many that escape the NTS net - if they are any good. Felsman is one I think - but his performance was so outstanding last week he was able to stamp his mark quite distinctly. Also Ruka Hanlon is another, but the NTS guys in Qld were fully aware of their talents as they get around to the various school games and generally get to see more players in action than the school teachers do.
My point is that the NTS coaches in each state have a very good idea as to who is capable of doing what and their input to the selection process should probably be utilised to a higher degree than it currently is, which at National Level is zero and at state level only as a source of backup information.

 

[oxe7]

NTS is a good program but there are alot of boys in the aus schools teams who are not in NTS. Also there is alot of boys in NTS who dont make anything.

But as rugbywhisper you pointed out the NTS selectors should pick the teams, wouldnt that give the NTS boys an unfair advantage before the tournament even starts. i think selections should be based solely on the four match days.

 

[rugbywhisperer]

I don't think they should be the sole selectors however their advice should be not only taken but they should have a far more active role than they currently have, which as I said i think is Nill, Zippo.
I think the trials - although I wasn't there this year do bring out the talented players who are currently playing well and we have seen this in the selections.
I was only putting forward the proposition of additional selectors to maybe cover some options that were not to the knowledge of the usual school selectors ( I do have a problem though with just the teachers selecting the teams on their own) and also it takes the selection process to a more transparent level where people could not have the grounds to complain about selections (based on state or school bias) as they do now.
By the way - I wasn't complaining per se about the selections, I am mostly quite happy with them. I was only responding a couple of posts that were fervently objecting to the bias as they see it.
Cheers

 

[nts.selector]

I thought Joel Faulkner from Qld1 was hard done by not being selected, he was the captain of the winning side, is a member of nts Queensland and on the last day he didnt get much ball and didn't really get a chance to show his skills, i have heard reports that he is a great player in the GPS competition and surely deserved a spot in at least Aus A.

 

[rugbywhisperer]

Sounds like a bit of a self indulgent fishing trp to me here;
I thought Jordan was captain and Joel was a co - vice captain,

 

[Lee Grant]

nts.selector

Welcome aboard.

whispers is right - Jordan Tuapou of BSHS was captain, or at least he always led them out onto the park, excepting for the non-competition game when he played from the bench. It's a decent clue.

O'Sullivan was clearly the best 13 in the comp, as you would know if you saw all the games. Faulkner had every chance in a good backline to strut his stuff but, whereas most of the Qld I 1st XV made one Oz team or the other, he missed out. He could have made the Twos but he didn't impress me and I was looking to be impressed.

The old codger who was screaming: "Don't give it to the backs!" when NSW I was near the CS goal line just before the final whistle was me.

First time for everything eh old boy ?

Not the first time naz, by any means. Actually I felt guilty in saying those words as the spectators are close to the players ät Knox and no doubt they heard what I said. It's not the kind of thing that I admire in other people and I gave myself a slap on the wrist. I said as much to an ACT parent sitting next to me and he looked at me and said: "They should have listened to you."

 

[Lee Grant]

It's not the kind of thing that I admire in other people and I gave myself a slap on the wrist.

I meant in schools matches - I tend to be noisy at senior matches.

"Concentrate ref - you can do better," is one of my favourites.

One of my best, to an opposition hooker at Rat Park, only a few metres away and after he made a series of gaffes was:

"You can't pass, you can't kick, you can't run, you can't throw the ball in straight ......... and I hear your missus isn't real happy either."