Southern Inland Rugby 2018

[paul bristow]

I think the Lollies were shattered by the GF loss in 2016 and felt hardly done by as far as infield decisions. They did Ok last year but have yet to regain spirit and momentum as a club. The better new players coming to Wagga will always gravitate to Waratahs and that scenario will probably only continue next season.

 

[Almost 2 old]

I think the Lollies were shattered by the GF loss in 2016 and felt hardly done by as far as infield decisions. They did Ok last year but have yet to regain spirit and momentum as a club. The better new players coming to Wagga will always gravitate to Waratahs and that scenario will probably only continue next season.

The Wagga rugby landscape is quite unusual compared to the rest of the zone and probably to all other cities & towns in rugby playing NSW regional areas. For starters there is 2 Uni based/named clubs which are no longer exclusive to enrolled students or ex students but generally get the base of their players from within enrollments. The other 2 town based clubs both work hard to attract players with one of these clubs having a greater level of success than the other. This can be put down to just sheer luck but also down to also having a large ex player base scattered throughout many rugby playing areas so that club has a profile that far exceeds just SIRU. As an example I know a club in the JIDent Cup (ACT) that has 6 current players that have all played for Waratahs in the past 5 seasons and if any players were to shift from that ACT club to Wagga they would probably all play for Waratahs. Love or hate them ,Waratahs, are very well known throughout rugby playing areas ,and as you stated , this is an enormous draw card for them and continually generates momentum for them.

 

[Lindommer]

I think the Lollies were shattered by the GF loss in 2016 and felt hardly done by as far as infield (onfield?) decisions.

Pray tell. I was there on the day and as a former referee, and player/spectator of many years' standing, I reckon the officials did a fine job. City played bloody well but came up a tickle short. That's sport.

 

[paul bristow]

Having watched the 2 uni teams this year they seem to be pretty much all students. The Wagga landscape is quite unusual. With one town team struggling to keep opposing teams to under 100 the other one is undefeated.

 

[Bandar]

If you're a half decent rugby player who turned up in Wagga looking to join a club there are 2 stand out choices depending on your age - if you are young and want to hang around with Uni students then you would go to WAC, if you're older then you would go to 'Tahs. Unfortunately CSU and City are not attractive prospects from a playing perspective if you have no affiliation with anyone and want to win.

It is a massive problem for SIRU and short of offering incentives to get players to the clubs i'm not sure what they can do... As a zone we can't afford to lose anymore teams from 1st grade so we really need these do make sure they are stronger.

It's easy to see but very hard to fix, 'Tahs and WAC aren't going to send good players away (and I wouldn't if I was them) but it would be better for the comp if half the 'Tahs 2nds were at City playing 1st grade, their women's team are the only ones not on top of the table, sitting 2nd with 1 loss, while both 1st & 2nd grade are looking certainties to have undefeated seasons.

Anyway enough highlight issues everyone can see without offering solutions and onto the matches this weekend.

Tumut to recover some form and keep the pressure on Aggies for third even with the big road trip to Griffith.
Albury will be too strong for City who are excited about the prospect of next Saturday being their last match in a long season.
With no rain forecast an under-strength Leeton team will be smashed by 'Tahs
Finally Aggies will stay ahead of the Bulls in the Uni derby.

I would not be surprised if every one of these games are won by 50+ (Tumut may be the ones to struggle to do so)

 

[Whistle Happy]

I agree with Bandar's Comments above Re; Wagga City etc but the difficult thing I find to understand is that this was a Club that was Runner Up in 2016 and came 3rd last year - talk about taking the Elevator from the Penthouse to the Basement - things don't usually go that sour so Quickly !!
City and Reddies are both in control of their solutions for the Future that'sa definite.
I agree with all your selections tomorrow
Tumut have too much to play for when they travel to Griffith to take on the Blacks
The Bulls have lost their last 3 matches and if they want to make the Qualifying Final in Week 1 against Leeton of the Finals on Aug 28 they have to beat both Griffith & City and hope that Aggies have a slip up against either CSU or Leeton in the final Round tomorrow week
Waratahs should have the measure over Leeton who are proving to be pretty Hot & Cold at this stage of the Season
Wagga Ag have a lot to play for against CSU but need to be careful in this big local derby (CSU are celebrating a 40 year premiership in both 1st & 2nd Grade Tomorrow and over the years it never really matters what positions the 2 Uni sides occupy on the Ladder because either the team not expected to win comes away with the Competition Points or gives their opposition a hhell of a fright)
Albury will be too classy for City and continue City's wretched run of consecutive losses in 2018- Albury have some handy players and will be a tough nut to crack in the Elimination Final in Week 1 against either Tumut or Aggies

 

[paul bristow]

Maybe the university should step in and work something out to make things more balanced between Reddies and Aggies. The uni is where the majority of funding for both clubs comes from. As far as the 2 town teams are concerned City has appeared to always have been a poor relation of Waratahs. Maybe this situation is in the domain of SIRU.

 

[Whistle Happy]

The Facts are that CSU is really struggling to have Students play Rugby Union for them - I believe it may be due to a change of subjects offered etc but one reason also coluld be that CSU had too many Old Boys playing for their teams 5 or 6 yeras ago and ignored the Students to a Degree . There is no way Paul that CSU Wagga will step in and intervene but the UNI may say that only 1 Team can represent the Campus ? and that could create more issues down the line.
SIRU can't help Clubs find or attract players to their Clubs full stop.
I believe that City's problems are more Off Field issues than On Field issues - Clubs that are well run in the Front Office usually perform well on the playing Fields = let's hope City work really hard in the Off Season to improve things for 2019 and that work needs tio be in the shape of plenty of Action and not plenty of Words
I was going to ask you Paul in your opinion how have the Blacks performed this year under their new Coach - Would they be disappointed to miss out on the Finals again and are they heading in the right direction for Future Seasons because that have always got strong Juniors , particularly in the 14s & 15s

 

[Maulalltheway]

Maybe the university should step in and work something out to make things more balanced between Reddies and Aggies. The uni is where the majority of funding for both clubs comes from. As far as the 2 town teams are concerned City has appeared to always have been a poor relation of Waratahs. Maybe this situation is in the domain of SIRU.

WAC raise significantly more money than they receive in funding from the Uni. Even when you take the essentially free field into account they raise more $$ through sponsorship than they receive from the UNI.
The lack of players at CSU is in no way shape of form the problem of WAC. The issue lies firmly at the feet of CSU and is theirs to fix.

Asking the zone to be involved in Equalisation policy when the vast majority of players align where their contacts/mates/colleagues are is simply going to push people away from the game.

This isn’t up to the zone to fix. It’s harsh but it lies with the clubs that are struggling to think out of the box

 

[paul bristow]

Last year Whistle Griffith had basically a skeleton group training in both grades and the culture at the club was not very good. This year both those things have turned around. The coach is well liked and respected and longer rather than shorter term. We’ve added a 3rd grade. We haven’t had much at all doubling up of players when traveling. Our results have improved only marginally but the groundwork is there for at least another steady improvement next season. Our girls team has never been beset with the issues our male teams have.

 

[Maulalltheway]

Last year Whistle Griffith had basically a skeleton group training in both grades and the culture at the club was not very good. This year both those things have turned around. The coach is well liked and respected and longer rather than shorter term. We’ve added a 3rd grade. We haven’t had much at all doubling up of players when traveling. Our results have improved only marginally but the groundwork is there for at least another steady improvement next season. Our girls team has never been beset with the issues our male teams have.

I’m impressed with the turn around at Griffith. Seems a far better culture is being built. Results don’t always appear in the first year but the groundwork is being built to see long term success for the club.

What a difference Joe Ratu has made at Leeton. Must have been a ripper of a game yesterday.

Was great to see the Reddies pull a big reunion crowd yesterday. Discipline issues on the field didn’t help them. Ag College were willing to attack from everywhere, and did regularly. In form heading into finals.

I thought Tumut would get one over Griffith out there. Reports that Glamuzina was due back, if true obviously made a big difference to their performance.

Albury did what everyone expected and put City to the sword. The off-season can’t come quick enough for city. I’ve said it before, they’ll be back. Disappointing season but don’t write them off long term.
Albury are a dangerous prospect heading into the finals. Boyle, Visser, Manion, Allen, Devlin and Le Cornu are quality footballers and will rip teams apart if they get enough footy.

This weeks game between WAC and Leeton should be a belter and ia a really important game as far as the final standings are concerned.

 

[Whistle Happy]

I’m impressed with the turn around at Griffith. Seems a far better culture is being built. Results don’t always appear in the first year but the groundwork is being built to see long term success for the club.

What a difference Joe Ratu has made at Leeton. Must have been a ripper of a game yesterday.

Was great to see the Reddies pull a big reunion crowd yesterday. Discipline issues on the field didn’t help them. Ag College were willing to attack from everywhere, and did regularly. In form heading into finals.

I thought Tumut would get one over Griffith out there. Reports that Glamuzina was due back, if true obviously made a big difference to their performance.

Albury did what everyone expected and put City to the sword. The off-season can’t come quick enough for city. I’ve said it before, they’ll be back. Disappointing season but don’t write them off long term.
Albury are a dangerous prospect heading into the finals. Boyle, Visser, Manion, Allen, Devlin and Le Cornu are quality footballers and will rip teams apart if they get enough footy.

This weeks game between WAC and Leeton should be a belter and ia a really important game as far as the final standings are concerned.

Agree with neraly all of your thoughts & comments
The problem for Albury if they make it thru to the GF is that they will have to play Elimination Finals in Wagga then Wagga then Tumut & more than likely Wagga Again (GF Day)- that is a hard ask and although City did that in 2016 they were a Wagga Club who enjoyed two of those Finals in Wagga I seem to recall
Albury do have some pretty handy players in their ranks but I'm not sure that Manion has played the required number of games so far (I think its 7) to be eligible to play in the Finals - no doubt Waratahs will be checking that out with SIRU - also I wonder if Albury have the depth to cover any injuries if they happen during the Finals
From the games being played so far this year between Waratahs & Leeton they both seem the likely Grand Finalists to me - Tumut just haven't got the X Factor especially if Glamuzina (their fullback) doesn't play and Aggies just don't have the Physical nature in their game to go a full 80 minutes against either Waratahs or Leeton
I still have a Gut Feeling that Waratahs will win all 4 Premierships on Grand Final day which would be a great way to finish celebrating their 60th Anniversary - if that occurs I don't think we'll see an enormous Crowd at Conolly on GF Day because the presence of several Clubs on GF day always brings togetrher a bigger crowd

 

[paul bristow]

I reckon outside the bottom 3 the other 5 teams are pretty high quality outfits. Waratahs should make the GF. If Aggies or Albury are their opponents a shock result could be in the offing.

 

[Highland Buddah]

Last year Whistle Griffith had basically a skeleton group training in both grades and the culture at the club was not very good. This year both those things have turned around. The coach is well liked and respected and longer rather than shorter term. We’ve added a 3rd grade. We haven’t had much at all doubling up of players when traveling. Our results have improved only marginally but the groundwork is there for at least another steady improvement next season. Our girls team has never been beset with the issues our male teams have.

I think Griffith should be happy with the efforts so far this season. I was out there with Tumut on the weekend and cannot speak highly enough of the club. The culture is a polar opposite to the previous year and i would think that it is a massive positive step for them long term to maintain the group steering the club.

 

[Whistle Happy]

Article in Today's DA
I wonder if the Coach will remain next year - on my calculations City have conceded an Average of 69 pts a match this year which is completely unacceptable despite the Injuries & Retirements this year
I wonder what sort of Tackle / Defence work they do at Training because whatever it is it isn't working Fellas
Alarm Bells ringing for CSU & City


It’s been a tough year for the Wagga City faithful but first grade coach Scott Callaghan is refusing to pull up stumps ahead of their final game of the season.
After finishing in the top three two years running, the Boiled Lollies have plummeted down the Southern Inland table and are yet to win a first grade encounter in 2018.
Near misses against cross-town rivals CSU Reddies and a brave loss 53-33 to Albury in round six headline a season of ‘what if’s’ for Wagga City.
However, Callaghan remains fiercely proud of his young charges, whom he believes have stepped up in the face of adversity.
“We had a lot of players leave last year and that was tough, but what’s really hurt us are the injuries this season,” Callaghan said.
“We’ve got eight regular first-graders who are now no longer playing in the side due to injury and that leads to inconsistencies and an inability to put the same team on the paddock each week.”
James Maloney, John Blackmore, Jarrod Shaw, Damian Dodds, and Oscar Bischard are just a handful of Wagga City regulars who’ve been sidelined with injury this season and it’s rare to find a player pencilled into first grade each week
“We’ve had 34 different guys who’ve had a run in first grade this year and the majority of them are young blokes, mostly in their early 20s,” Callaghan said.
“Size comes into it as well and a few of those blokes missing are our bigger players.
Nevertheless, Callaghan is refusing to point the finger at his troops and believes there’s a final effort to be made against Tumut this weekend.
“We still have an opportunity to break through and get our first win on Saturday,” he said.
“We’d love to get up over in Tumut and there’s plenty on the line for our other teams as well.
“The seconds are playing for a second bite at the cherry come finals, our thirds are out for a win and our women’s team need a big game to make it through to finals, so the season’s not over for us as a club.”
A bonus-point win could see the Boiled Lollies leapfrog CSU Reddies into seventh and there’s hope yet for a young side with plenty of promise.
“Every week we play, we give another young player an opportunity to play in first grade and we get another opportunity this weekend,” Callaghan said.
“We’re seeing the standards set by teams like Waratahs and that’s the standard we’re trying to get to as a club.”

 

[Maulalltheway]

Article in Today's DA
I wonder if the Coach will remain next year - on my calculations City have conceded an Average of 69 pts a match this year which is completely unacceptable despite the Injuries & Retirements this year
I wonder what sort of Tackle / Defence work they do at Training because whatever it is it isn't working Fellas
Alarm Bells ringing for CSU & City


It’s been a tough year for the Wagga City faithful but first grade coach Scott Callaghan is refusing to pull up stumps ahead of their final game of the season.
After finishing in the top three two years running, the Boiled Lollies have plummeted down the Southern Inland table and are yet to win a first grade encounter in 2018.
Near misses against cross-town rivals CSU Reddies and a brave loss 53-33 to Albury in round six headline a season of ‘what if’s’ for Wagga City.
However, Callaghan remains fiercely proud of his young charges, whom he believes have stepped up in the face of adversity.
“We had a lot of players leave last year and that was tough, but what’s really hurt us are the injuries this season,” Callaghan said.
“We’ve got eight regular first-graders who are now no longer playing in the side due to injury and that leads to inconsistencies and an inability to put the same team on the paddock each week.”
James Maloney, John Blackmore, Jarrod Shaw, Damian Dodds, and Oscar Bischard are just a handful of Wagga City regulars who’ve been sidelined with injury this season and it’s rare to find a player pencilled into first grade each week
“We’ve had 34 different guys who’ve had a run in first grade this year and the majority of them are young blokes, mostly in their early 20s,” Callaghan said.
“Size comes into it as well and a few of those blokes missing are our bigger players.
Nevertheless, Callaghan is refusing to point the finger at his troops and believes there’s a final effort to be made against Tumut this weekend.
“We still have an opportunity to break through and get our first win on Saturday,” he said.
“We’d love to get up over in Tumut and there’s plenty on the line for our other teams as well.
“The seconds are playing for a second bite at the cherry come finals, our thirds are out for a win and our women’s team need a big game to make it through to finals, so the season’s not over for us as a club.”
A bonus-point win could see the Boiled Lollies leapfrog CSU Reddies into seventh and there’s hope yet for a young side with plenty of promise.
“Every week we play, we give another young player an opportunity to play in first grade and we get another opportunity this weekend,” Callaghan said.
“We’re seeing the standards set by teams like Waratahs and that’s the standard we’re trying to get to as a club.”

How would you fix it Whistle? plenty of comments re the state of affairs of City and CSU so aim assuming that you have a potential solution too?

 

[Whistle Happy]

Solutions to increasing Player Numbers (CSU) and performing better on the Paddock (City & CSU) will only happen after the respective Executive Club Committees meet in the off season

CSU are struggling to attract Students to play for them - maybe 2 alternatives then - change the name and become CSU Reddies Old Boys and become a self sufficient Club - if you only have numbers for 1 Grade then do as Hay & Deni do and play in the McMullen Cup Comp or if they have 2 Grades just carry on as usual - even a 3rd alternative could be the Central West 1 Grade Comp which Temora & Coota joined a few years ago but that would involve too much travel in my humble opinion.
City may need to import a few players into their Club to get better performaces from their 1st Grade side, are they training hard enough this year, do they review their performances each week, have they sought assistance from the SIRU Development Officer and Brumbies Rugby Staff to come to their Trainings and Matches so as to provide a strategy for the Future - I thought that was one of the reasons we are affiliated with Brumbies Rugby
Maybe City should just stick to 2 Grades so there can be more Competition between the Players - if City want to have a 3rd Grade they can be the "Old Boys Boiled Lollies' side that really doesn't train at all and just wants to play Social Rugby on a Saturday
I wouldn't want to be involved with a Club where a number of players aren't prepared to make 1st Grade the main focus of their Club and never make themselves available to help out the Higher Grades - We apparently had Griifith 2nd Grade players last year showering straight after their match and heading home as 1st Grade was being played
The Club Culture, Environment, atmosphere or whatever you call it comes from the Top and in Rugby Clubs in our Zone the Top is usually represented by the Club President and the 1st Grade coach
I want to see Reddies & City both playing Competitive Rugby in the Future - if they sit on their Bums for 2 long after this season I'm afraid we are going to see the same old, same old in 2019 which doesn't help any of the Clubs in our Competition

 

[always rugby]

Word is that Young may be leaving Monaro and heading to the Central West one team competition.
I just hope the Brumbies and SIRU are being proactive and considering running a one team comp (not third grade) and bringing the likes of Young, Coota, Temora etc back into the fold.
If they are supported and nurtured in the future they may be back to two teams and could consider rejoining SIRU first grade.
I just hope SIRU aren’t sitting back and watching further teams head to Central West.
Yes SIRU juniors is a different structure, but 11 clubs all work together generally fine.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[paul bristow]

I didn’t believe him at the time Mauler but Whistle did predict this situation that City now finds itself in right back at the start of the season. This is a forum and he has a right to be critical of City’s performances this year. They haven’t won a game and have rarely been competitive. Whistle was accurate in his predictions at the start of the season so maybe CSU and City should take his advice at the end of the season.

 

[Maulalltheway]

Vale Andy Stanham.
Terribly sad week for the Ag College and Southern Inland communities. Which pales in comparison to what Andy's family are dealing with.

I'm sure the students will play in the style of Andy this weekend and for the remainder of their season, High intensity with great enthusiasm.

Condolences to Will, Andy's Family and the Ag College Community.