Southern Inland Rugby 2015

[yourmatesam]

Drove past Connolly Park the other day, the work on the new ground looked fantastic. Does anyone know if it will be ready for 2015 and is it planned to become the main ground? What a potentially fantastic cauldron!!!

I'm not across the expected finish date, I know that the govt grants were issued for the 14/15 financial year so would expect the bulk of the groundwork to be done by then. The surface and underground infrastructure (drainage, conduits for lights, power, water etc) are the main aims at the moment.

It's going to be a great venue for park footy with a great amphitheatre.

 

[Brendan Hume]

Any news on the outcome of the National Insurance Levy and National Participant Registration fees in ACT & Southern NSW? Going in as proposed? Has there been any negotiation since the SIRU AGM?

 

[Whistle Happy]

Looking forward to this Saturday - Big Time - Does anyone know who got the Referee Appointments for the Rams v Redbacks (Mens) and the City v Country (Womens) curtain raisers on saturday
I hope the Brumbies play most of their best players on sat Night

 

[jb23]

I think the weekend should be a ripper & the dinner should be a fantastic warm up.
Whilst I'm having fun up here I'm sure going to miss it.
Keep the info coming so I can stay in touch with what's happening!

 

[yourmatesam]

Looking forward to this Saturday - Big Time - Does anyone know who got the Referee Appointments for the Rams v Redbacks (Mens) and the City v Country (Womens) curtain raisers on saturday
I hope the Brumbies play most of their best players on sat Night

The trial has been split into three appointments - one for each third. Dean, Donelan and Ryan are the three referees for the trial. Some might say that this is an interesting concept but in the spirit of the trial match it presents a good opportunity for referees to get a chance to be coached as well by Referee Coaches from ACT & ARU.

I'm looking forward to seeing Pocock go round. Hopefully his knee holds up!

 

[Independent]

Any news from the Waratahs on the head coach situation. For a club with such a proud history its bordering on a debacle.

This isnt a new situation the club is in. I specifically remeber them being coach less after a season where they were undefeated premiers (I think they were premiers?). Considering Palmer was not Watatahs first choice when originally appointed & Meggison sounding out other coaches before 2014, I guess you can bet on them settling for their second or third choice shortly.

 

[Almost 2 old]

@ maulalltheway I know a fella who played with them for 22 seasons and he will tell you that for plenty of those seasons the coach wasn't named until Feb/ March and yet they still managed to be playing when most Septembers came around. With my limited experience I would have thought that it is nice to have some things in place early ,but, it is probably more important to get fit as early as you can and be physically game ready specially with the current style of one round & split competition that SIRU has been using for the last 10+ seasons.

 

[Maulalltheway]

@ maulalltheway I know a fella who played with them for 22 seasons and he will tell you that for plenty of those seasons the coach wasn't named until Feb/ March and yet they still managed to be playing when most Septembers came around. With my limited experience I would have thought that it is nice to have some things in place early ,but, it is probably more important to get fit as early as you can and be physically game ready specially with the current style of one round & split competition that SIRU has been using for the last 10+ seasons.

Interesting comment in that Skellern coached uninterrupted for around 10 years. Also Hugh Palmer was signed in November 2012 for his first season in 2013. I can only assume that you are talking from 1978 through to 2000 as your mates 22 years. Perhaps touched a raw nerve???

 

[Almost 2 old]

Skellern was not the coach for 10 uninterrupted years. You may find that L Walker D Walker M Medway M Stewart were all coaches in the years from when P Milner & R Skellern first coached Tahs in 2001 till his last year in 2012.

 

[Maulalltheway]

Skellern was not the coach for 10 uninterrupted years. You may find that L Walker D Walker M Medway M Stewart were all coaches in the years from when P Milner & R Skellern first coached Tahs in 2001 till his last year in 2012.

Sounds like they had no issue from 2001 through to 2014. Why the issue appointing now???

 

[jb23]

Seth Stoltenberg has been appointed to the vacant brumbies / siru DO role.
Seth is young lad who has previously played his junior rugby in Young with the yabbies and was looking to push for senior rugby until re-locating to Canberra playing colts and a few premier games with UniNorths.
He will be a great acquisition to the role and the region with his high level of passion and excitement for the role.
Think he may be running out at Connolly with the blue and white stripes.
Wish him all the best if you see him, he will do well.

 

[Whistle Happy]

What's the latest with the SIRU Comp this year- still strong rumours around that Temora, Leeton & Coota will only field 1 Grade in 2015- this could make the Comp a bit of a laugh. I don't envy McTaggart's job in trying to keep everyone Happy !! and put out a new Draw
I also heard that the 3rd Grade Comp is under pressure to continue because of the knew ARU Costs and Fees

 

[Independent]

What's the latest with the SIRU Comp this year- still strong rumours around that Temora, Leeton & Coota will only field 1 Grade in 2015- this could make the Comp a bit of a laugh. I don't envy McTaggart's job in trying to keep everyone Happy !! and put out a new Draw
I also heard that the 3rd Grade Comp is under pressure to continue because of the knew ARU Costs and Fees

Although I haven't heard the same rumors around those clubs, Im not surprised. Small towns would face challenges each year in fielding competitive teams. Mainly due to employment opportunities in the towns, other sports and teenagers moving to bigger centers for study/employment.
Perhaps to alleviate pressure on these clubs, the SIRU should look at implementing a "Village Comp"which the central west and Canberrra (Div 2) do extremely well, this way obligations to the smaller town clubs are only minimal and rugby is continued to be played in the town. A premier comp with the clubs who are able to field 2 or 3 grades, would also still allow the social thirsty thirds an opportunity to play. Traditional top 4 finals system & play each other twice would still allow the season to be about the same length. Just a thought.
Premier Comp
Albury
Waratahs
City
CSU
Ag College
Griffith
Tumut
Young
Riv Army (Get off their ass and put three grades on paddock like the old days!)

Village Comp
Deni
Temora
Coota
Leeton
Junee
Hay
Hilston
West Wyalong (perhaps rejoin if this was the case?)

 

[Almost 2 old]

Your idea has merit & With my pragmatists hat on I would say you're just about right on the money, but, this zones' greatest problem is its predictable unpredictability. So far as player bases are concerned the only "almost certainties" are Tahs CSU & Aggies will have 3 grades that won't forfeit and are capable of and will split & travel to play different clubs on the same day. This is because they are big clubs with large player bases that have the added luxury of playing 3 "away" games in Wagga.

Over the years none of the other clubs have had this continual player base luxury due to many reasons that mainly centre around drought & economic conditions of the agricultural sector which in turn has disastrous implications on their player bases. About the only other centre that is partially exempt from agricultural woes is Albury but it's "Demond" is the 25+ AFL clubs within 65Kms of them.

This problem has forever plagued SIRU and was one of the catalysts that caused the collapse of South West with Cowra Forbes & Parkes leaving because of the need of the certainty of 3 grades each week.

My association with the zone started in 1983 and finished in 2013 and I honestly believe that the current system is not far off the mark and it allows nearly all teams a shot at the top prize & allows all clubs to expand if they can/desire.

 

[Sicnarf]

I ldon't mind Village Comp idea but stop at Hay because Hillston & West Wyalong are dead (Hillston) and a Basket Case (Wyalong) - so that's 6 clubs in that comp and they can all play each other 3 times during the season or twice during the season and have plenty of byes like 3rd Grade have in the past
RARC are also dead in the water so that leaves u with an 8 Club Premeir Comp - the word out in the MIA is that the defending premiers are also pretty wobbly as well for this year - a Big Fallout between the coach & president hasn't helped things . Also, If Coota are struggling for a Reserve Grade side invite the Junee Rams to be there seconds and likewise Hay can be Griiffith 2nds if the Blacks are struggling - Some Clubs need to think outside the square before it's two late or they make poor decisions
When was the last time a club / Town outside of Wagga, Albury or Griffith won the Premier Division Comp ?

 

[Maulalltheway]

When was the last time a club / Town outside of Wagga, Albury or Griffith won the Premier Division Comp ?

I Believe that Coota defeated Tumut by a point in 2006 premier final

 

[Sicnarf]

I Believe that Coota defeated Tumut by a point in 2006 premier final

OK so that is getting towards 10 years ago since a Club like Coota or Tumut or Leeton have won the Premier Competition - it seems to add weight to a Premier Competition and a Village Competition starting to emege in the Zone from even possibly this year - I don't think it would be the end of the World if this Happened

 

[Maulalltheway]

Mid February now. Any news from the clubs without a confirmed coach? I'm assuming that unless an announcement is imminent there would be some nervous clubs around.
Also very interested to see how many of the lads from Griffith who played in the curtain raiser last weekend will run out for Griffith this season. If that group are still playing regularly at the Coro club oval they will push for the business end again I'd assume

 

[Whistle Happy]

The Vibes out at Griffith are pretty poor - lost lots of plyers , haven't had good numbers to Pre Season so far & haven't got a coach yet - Looks like its back to the Basement for the Blacks in 2015- not a club in crisis but heading in that direction - Gee it seems they paid a high price for that Premiership last year

 

[yourmatesam]

Gee it seems they paid a high price for that Premiership last year

Most clubs go through some sort of post-Premiership hangover and the reality of their situation is that 2014 was a once in a generation opportunity for the club to have access to the calibre of players that they had and they were probably always going to come back to the pack to some degree.

Hopefully they can recover quickly because a strong MIA (Leeton and Hay included) is crucial to the competition as a whole.