Shute Shield 2013

[the coach]

I still reckon Eastwood will win the Premiership. They have been going gangbusters all year.

Perhaps 'the coach' could answer my query as to why The Wicks have dropped off?

How long have you got?
IMO there were many factors:
(1) the growth of Sydney Uni as "the place to play" if you want a rep career instead of Randwick
(2) decline in finances (licenced club mainly but this drew money from the rugby club) to attract and retain players
(3) failure to maintain playing style (ie running rugby) saw wrong type of players and coaches being selected
(4) not enough focus on juniors and colts for several years
(5) super 15 competition resulted in young players who may have come to Randwick going straight into Academies and S15 squads from school
(6) etc

Obviously all the other clubs faced most of these issues as well but some of them managed them much more professionally.

As Late Starter pointed out, the club still has depth (all 7 teams made the playoffs) and plenty of players (evidenced by 10+ sitting on the bench for 5th grade), but there's a big gap between 2nd grade and 1st grade, especially once the S15 players come back. Significantly, the Wicks who used to boast having rep players in 2nds only have 3 current S15 players: Kepu (0 games this year), Beale (1 game), Mitchell (1.5 games) and all were playing S15 before coming to Randwick.

Good signs for the future however with some very promising young players attracted to the club this year (eg David Horwitz) and some exciting talent in the colts.

 

[Iluvmyfooty]

and some exciting talent in the colts.

 

[the coach]

I assume you're confused due to the scoreline v Uni.
The players I'm referring to were all either playing grade on the weekend or out injured eg Norton, Holmes-Baer, etc.

 

[wamberal]

I still reckon Eastwood will win the Premiership. They have been going gangbusters all year.

Yes, Eastwood is a good team. However, at this stage of the season it is worth being in mind that their current XV has zero Super Rugby players in it. Next week they will play a side with several. If they do get to the final, they will be up against a team with 10 or 12, maybe more.

So it is extremely unlikely that any team can win, except for the golden (and blue) boys.

 

[the coach]

Yes, Eastwood is a good team. However, at this stage of the season it is worth being in mind that their current XV has zero Super Rugby players in it. Next week they will play a side with several. If they do get to the final, they will be up against a team with 10 or 12, maybe more.

So it is extremely unlikely that any team can win, except for the golden (and blue) boys.

Good team v team of good players !?!?

 

[Bruce Ross]

Tom Egan captained Easts after leaving Uni. I'm sure Bruce Ross has his bio on standby somewhere.

It's probably just a personal peculiarity but I think that sneering at young blokes who are still developing as players is poor form.

Could I just correct an apparent misunderstanding. My comment above was not directed at lily's comment, also above.
.

 

[FilthRugby]

I'm not going to go into it, like start a sh*tfight, but if Uni win again it will be disappointing. I really want Eastwood to win.

Why did Laurie Weeks play for Uni? I swear to God I've never heard of him having any alliance to the club!

Eastwood have some quality players, like Gareth Palamo and James Hilgendorf. So it's no over just yet.

 

[Bruce Ross]

Why did Laurie Weeks play for Uni? I swear to God I've never heard of him having any alliance to the club!

Laurie Weeks as a Sydney Uni ring in?

This looks suspiciously like a Sydney Uni jersey.

As near as I can remember he would have joined Sydney Uni in 2005 after representing Australian Schools the previous year while at Joeys. Since then he has been a dedicated Uni man, only ever playing for another club when forced to by his paymasters at Super franchises.

Unless of course you're thinking about this Laurie Weeks, FR:

author of Zipper Mouth, an endearing tale of "a junkie who lives in a total mess and pukes in public."

 

[Cat_A]

Laurie Weeks calls himself Buildcorp's finest because he followed the sponsor & club links to Queensland and played for Queensland Uni (as has Dave McDuling). So Bruce Ross you might say he's still a dedicated Uni man, he just played for a different Uni for a year (winning a premiership there too)

 

[FilthRugby]

Laurie Weeks as a Sydney Uni ring in?

This looks suspiciously like a Sydney Uni jersey.

As near as I can remember he would have joined Sydney Uni in 2005 after representing Australian Schools the previous year while at Joeys. Since then he has been a dedicated Uni man, only ever playing for another club when forced to by his paymasters at Super franchises.

Unless of course you're thinking about this Laurie Weeks, FR:

author of Zipper Mouth, an endearing tale of "a junkie who lives in a total mess and pukes in public."

You must admit that it isn't fair on Sydney University player who have played the whole season, to be thrown out by some ring ins in the finals?

 

[Zander]

I'm not going to go into it, like start a sh*tfight, but if Uni win again it will be disappointing. I really want Eastwood to win.

Why did Laurie Weeks play for Uni? I swear to God I've never heard of him having any alliance to the club!

Eastwood have some quality players, like Gareth Palamo and James Hilgendorf. So it's no over just yet.

Gareth Palamo to Uni's opposite of Dave Dennis, Trent Dyer, Ben McCalman, Tom Boidin, Tim Davidson? No contest.
Jimmy Hilgendorf to Bernard Foley No contest.

Let's be realist it, no one will get close to Uni. It's okay to dream though.

 

[FilthRugby]

2011, Eastwood won over Sydney Uni.

There is a player from Sydney University by the name of Greg Jeloudev, why he isn't in the Tahs when the majority of Uni players are is ridiculous. He is a great player.

 

[Zander]

You want to have a look at that Eastwood team and the form they were in?

Chris Alcock, Nic White, Lachie Turner, John Grant, Sioni Piukala,Fitzpatrick, Hand, McCaffrey. They were putting 70+ on everyone else in the comp.

Pierre Hola was the best 10 in Australia that year.

 

[Bruce Ross]

You must admit that it isn't fair on Sydney University player who have played the whole season, to be thrown out by some ring ins in the finals?

I doubt that any Sydney University player would regard a player like Laurie Weeks as a ring-in, FR.

Dropping back for more experienced players has been an element of the club culture for quite a few years now. My guess is that each of Laurie, Nick Phipps, Bernard Foley, Dave Dennis, Ben McCalman, Tom Carter, etc., would have experienced it earlier in their careers. And they all served an apprenticeship at the Club learning their craft so they're universally regarded as being anything but ring-ins.

 

[I like to watch]

You must admit that it isn't fair on Sydney University player who have played the whole season, to be thrown out by some ring ins in the finals?

That is not a Uni specific issue.
Every club with returning Super players,plays them without criticism.
Unfortunately for the players who played all year in and got them into the semi's,getting dropped for the returning pro's,is the way of the world.

 

[Dave Beat]

Gee, Uni must be feeling unbeatable now, they have all these world beaters returning - keep talking them up.

They are beatable.
Games aren't won on paper.
Manly v Uni games are usually brutal games.
I still think the GF will be out of Uni, Manly, Souths, and.
It will be won in the last 20 (maybe off the bench).
This Sunday - Manly v Uni
http://www.seabreeze.com.au/graphs/nsw.asp
all makes for a;

Relaxing Sunday in the sun down at Manly having a BBQ lunch, watching some great rugby, kids having a ball, and for all you Uni (game day) haters throw on a Blue Shirt and join the crowd on the hill.

 

[the coach]

For the record, I don't hate Uni, in fact I admire them.

My concern is that any competition which has such a huge yawning gap between top and bottom (ie Uni v Penrith) is unsustainable and has become the laughing stock of other codes.

The NSWRU is fiddling while the SS is burning.

 

[Dave Beat]

For the record, I don't hate Uni, in fact I admire them.
The NSWRU is fiddling while the SS is burning.

Coach so do I, so I amended the post - I hate them game day or game time.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Isn't it faceless men at SRU that are running the Shute Shield rather than the NSWRU?

At least the latter has a web site and a degree of openness.

 

[the coach]

Isn't it faceless men at SRU that are running the Shute Shield rather than the NSWRU?

At least the latter has a web site and a degree of openness.

The only sign of the SRU since it was reformed is the logo on the Rugby News. What else do they do / have they done?