QLD GPS Rugby 2010

[rugbywhisperer]

Tis somewhat difficult to get the correct phraseology when biting ones lip bloody hard.
His name is listed in the program as F'Sautia so I spose it doesn't help with guidance as to the correct spelling.
Problem is that he is so good the selectors could actually pick both of him.

 

[chief]

I was a bit dissapointed I missed out on this clash, looks like the Nudgee v BSHS clash will be the biggest clash again providing everything goes right. I like to avoid talking about schoolboys and their talent until they've shown it at National level. Hoping to see if I can make it to the finals day of the National Champs. I expect a NSW v QLD final.

I did read Curtis Browings name in the Courier Mail today saying he scored a few tries and played well. I look forward to what the future holds for this young player. Surely he's signed for next year. Reds would be my guess with Dick Marks being his grandfather.

 

[TheTruth]

Nice turn of phrase whispers and one can almost hear the organ playing - I said "playing".

PS - Has Sautia, who changed his name to Feauai, changed it back again?

Seems to change frequently like a Hollywood actor - but the kid is the best back running around and by far

 

[Lee Grant]

I did read Curtis Browings name in the Courier Mail today saying he scored a few tries and played well. I look forward to what the future holds for this young player. Surely he's signed for next year. Reds would be my guess with Dick Marks being his grandfather.

He's quite young and may elect to return to school next year.

Feauai/Sautia doesn't turn 17 until next November so he'll surely be back at school. If he is he could be one of the only players to play in the Oz School's 1st XV for 3 years in a row. Anybody else remember a young bloke who was in the Oz 1st XV 3 years in a row? Beale may have done that but he was injured before the trial matches when he was in Year 10 and they decided not to use him for NSW, though he was head and shoulders above anybody else and on the mend when the team was picked. He appeared later in the year for the NSW U/16s and smashed them.



Truth (or anybody)

What's your assessment of Lindsay Crook? With all the good young wingers Queensland have and will have in the next couple of years, where are you going to fit them all in? How about sending a couple south of the Tweed? We'll take Crook of your hands in Sydney.

 

[TheTruth]

Apparently TSS had a lot of problems with their 9/10/12 play and the ball hardly ever got to their best player, winger Lindsay Crook. Then, when he got a chance to shine the fullback hogged the ball too much with Crook in support.

Big statment Lee that Crook is their best player

 

[Lee Grant]

Who is?

 

[Doc]

GPS selection meeting is being held next Tuesday night. Will be straightforward for the most part, including BBC and IGS pushing ALL of their players.

 

[TheTruth]

Who is?

Crook has huge potential if opportunity consistently knocks but for some reason those opportunities are not given, so probably Slipper week in and week out, a lad called Kleimeyer (plays 4/5 but more a 6) and S Cox (sean) the captain - plays 12

 

[Overseer]

I overheard a classic comment at the TSS v State High game last saturday,
" Sautia and Crook are the two most dangerous players in Qld schools this year. Sautia is dangerous because you never have an idea what he is about to do and Crook is dangerous because you know exactly what he is about to do but there is absolutely nothing you can do about it."

 

[Lee Grant]

That was a good comment about young Chris (whatever surname he is using) now. I sat next to his dad one day at the Oz Schools tournament last year and he giggled with delight at some of the things his son was doing. He was a big guy and but Chris is not the biggest though I didn't realise then he was just 15. What size is he at now? Still smallish? I asked his dad if Chris had any interest in league and he said no.

The comment on Crook squares with what I have heard about him and - TheTruth - I have heard good things about Kleimeyer and Slipper too. I saw Slipper play from the reserves last year as TH lock and no.8 and he looked OK. Had I known he was going to be back at school this year I would have rated him higher. An extra year in age can make a big difference to a boy's abilty to play - especially a forward.

The reports on Sean Cox are not so good as they say the players outside him have problems getting the ball but that could be bunk info. We see a lot of schools 12s suffer from poor work inside them.

 

[rugbywhisperer]

No Lee Chris is as big as now, a very solid and strong lad. Sliippery too.

 

[TheTruth]

That was a good comment about young Chris (whatever surname he is using) now. I sat next to his dad one day at the Oz Schools tournament last year and he giggled with delight at some of the things his son was doing. He was a big guy and but Chris is not the biggest though I didn't realise then he was just 15. What size is he at now? Still smallish? I asked his dad if Chris had any interest in league and he said no.

The comment on Crook squares with what I have heard about him and - TheTruth - I have heard good things about Kleimeyer and Slipper too. I saw Slipper play from the reserves last year as TH lock and no.8 and he looked OK. Had I known he was going to be back at school this year I would have rated him higher. An extra year in age can make a big difference to a boy's abilty to play - especially a forward.

The reports on Sean Cox are not so good as they say the players outside him have problems getting the ball but that could be bunk info. We see a lot of schools 12s suffer from poor work inside them.

Lee,
Saw Sautia recently and he is very well built - quite solid and quite big - don't know weight but looks about the 90 kg mark. reckon that extra year for Slipper has made difference - thought he was always tough but now at a new level of mental control that is needed. Maybe right about Sean Cox delivering ball out wide to a player who can advance it further (than himself) - trys hard but just doesn't seem to break line often or at all - my comment about him in top 3 was more probably based on effort than ability.
Reds should have Sautia signed by now - if not they should do it tomorrow - IMO - head and shoulders above some young fellas signed into the Academy for 2010.

 

[Doc]

The GPS teams doing the rounds this arvo suggest tonight's meeting might be very interesting. Some big names on the outer.

 

[rugbywhisperer]

Early texts coming in confirm your prediction Doc

 

[Doc]

Early texts coming in confirm your prediction Doc

Some fell quite a bit.

Even Crook was a highly contentious selection for the team he 'might make'.

 

[Overseer]

I heard he made II's along with many of the TSS lads. Seems the new coach may have been a bit 'overshadowed' in his push for his players. Mind you, his personal cause wasn't helped in any way by the fact that the ball rarely if ever went that way due to the tactics of the TSS#10. He is one one of those players that if you give him the ball he can win a game bit if you don't pass it to him even if he goes looking for it he is wasted. Maybe Brockhoff was right, "all wingers should be drowned at birth."
The the problem with these selections. School teachers pushing their own players. There is always going to be some horse trading in these affairs.
Even last year the State II side had a smackering of nepostism around it.

I might also add that Ian Jones (Churchie) would have gone into that meeting hell bent on getting his players in over TSS players. He has not been the most gracious of opposition coaches towards TSS this year. He would have pushed mightily hard for Riley O'Connor and there would be NO way he would concede the new TSS coach a player without a right royal donnybrook.
The State High coach also would have been pressing very hard for Gareth Nowlan as well so yes, that position might well have had some serious and I might add questionable debate.

 

[rugbywhisperer]

As the teams aren't up yet I can't comment on the selections but it apears that Lindsay is the only TSS player in the GPS I's
Your remarks about Jones would be pretty well spot on. Aside from being a great schoolboy coach he is extremely influential in these things.
Word is that it was a real bun fight with a couple of lower graded schools being more than a bit dogmatic and pushed their players very hard. TSS have 11 in, State have 9 and NC 10 so its beginning to show a broard selelection. Not good for team strength but good for the individuals who get a win through this rather dubious selection process.

 

[Overseer]

That's a relief.
In reality the strength of the team is what is important and if Lindsay had been bumped for political reasons it would have been a gross miscarriage of justice.

 

[TheTruth]

As the teams aren't up yet I can't comment on the selections but it apears that Lindsay is the only TSS player in the GPS I's
Your remarks about Jones would be pretty well spot on. Aside from being a great schoolboy coach he is extremely influential in these things.
Word is that it was a real bun fight with a couple of lower graded schools being more than a bit dogmatic and pushed their players very hard. TSS have 11 in, State have 9 and NC 10 so its beginning to show a broard selelection. Not good for team strength but good for the individuals who get a win through this rather dubious selection process.

News from "deep throat" within selection room was that Wallace from TSS was overwhelmed by rivals. Obviously a novice and probably intimidated by Coach Jones and others. Trouble with that is that his school players (firsts and below) will have lost confidence in him in that he doesn't go in to bat for his players like other coaches do. I am told that previousl TSS Coaches ( and BSHS and NC) actively pushed their better players and did not just "accept" the position of others

Understand that TSS spend lots of $$$$ in their rugby program with head coach, forwards and backs coaches etc and if their coach can't back his boys or at least some of them (for GPS 1) then the rugby program is stuffed and will be put back some years.

It is not just being a coach but you obviously need to be a political animal as well. Probably an average coach but alike Peter Garrett in the political sphere a absolute novice. Wish TSS success in the future as has been a good rugby school in the past - unsure re the future

 

[Doc]

That's a relief.
In reality the strength of the team is what is important and if Lindsay had been bumped for political reasons it would have been a gross miscarriage of justice.

It wasn't political reasons that almost cost Crooks. Purely playing ability. Weaknesses discussed more that strengths.

As for Jones, I think TSS beat ACGS on every close call. In fact ACGS were the first to pull a player if they felt he wasn't completely up to it or there was a better option. They also supported alot of other schools players at the expense of their own.

I love that TSS gets the most in, fills 11 (if the numbers above are correct) out for 45 (1/4 players) and people still complain. Given some their form at times this year, they have done exceptionally well.