The Ghost of Raelene
Andrew Slack (58)
No idea if they were involved? No mention in anything though.
Subbies 2023!
- Thread starter Pfitzy
- Start date
HogansHeros
Syd Malcolm (24)
Still in kahoots with Brothers?
Pfitzy
George Gregan (70)
That's Wakehurst
HogansHeros
Syd Malcolm (24)
Ahhhh getting confusing
The Ghost of Bernie
Stan Wickham (3)
Northern Saints not involved. Saints Planning for two teams but with reduced player numbers would suggest Div 5 is a possibility but geographically difficult based on the this season Div 5 team locations.
Ozzie Bob
Charlie Fox (21)
Certainly a bit of shock the merger but hopefully it works out for the new club.
Certainly tough times in rugby right now. I remember when covies had 4 teams in Div 3 in 2003/4 and Iggies were winning Kentwell premierships. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then.
It certainly makes me worry what is around the corner. I know my old club Old Barker are certainly not immune from this. Player numbers at the school have dropped which conversely has an effect on how many players come down to the club once they finish school. Knox have obviously dropped 2 divisions this year but also had some struggles with player numbers.
The North Shore is just a mess of rugby clubs. You have Gordon and Norths and to an extent Eastwood on your door hoovering up the smaller number of players. KWP and Terry Hills have disappeared in recent years Saints, Brothers, Old Barker, Knox etc struggling for player numbers. Lindfield's success really does show that unless you have a junior club you are going to struggle to get players on the park.
Really interested in how St Pats seem to do so well. The school itself doesnt have a large playing base and they have West Harbour and Parramatta right on their door not to mention Petersham, Briars and too an extent Drummoyne completing for players.
Certainly tough times in rugby right now. I remember when covies had 4 teams in Div 3 in 2003/4 and Iggies were winning Kentwell premierships. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then.
It certainly makes me worry what is around the corner. I know my old club Old Barker are certainly not immune from this. Player numbers at the school have dropped which conversely has an effect on how many players come down to the club once they finish school. Knox have obviously dropped 2 divisions this year but also had some struggles with player numbers.
The North Shore is just a mess of rugby clubs. You have Gordon and Norths and to an extent Eastwood on your door hoovering up the smaller number of players. KWP and Terry Hills have disappeared in recent years Saints, Brothers, Old Barker, Knox etc struggling for player numbers. Lindfield's success really does show that unless you have a junior club you are going to struggle to get players on the park.
Really interested in how St Pats seem to do so well. The school itself doesnt have a large playing base and they have West Harbour and Parramatta right on their door not to mention Petersham, Briars and too an extent Drummoyne completing for players.
TheBigArvo
Sydney Middleton (9)
Eastwood Juniors Rep program makes a leap forward
Eastwood Juniors is excited to announce a new structure for the District Rep Program
www.eastwoodrugby.com.au
This shows that Subbies club will never be able to compete with the Shute shield clubs as they become more professional.
Whilst great for the future of Eastwood it means these kids from an early age are told that the only direction after Juniors is a Shute Shield club.
Eastwood have regularly hoarded Colts, ran a 4th grade colts with no one to play and last year they ran an Opens barbarians side in the Juniors comp to ensure those guys are coming direct into there colts program.
i really wish NSW Rugby would step in and limit the numbers of Colts teams these clubs are running and ensure the structure just doesn’t benefit Shute. The thought is that these kids will get fed up not getting regular game time and will filter back to local clubs but that’s not the reality. We’ve seen clubs in Subbies across the board, even powerhouses like Mosman struggle while the Shute clubs continue to be bloated with numbers
TheBigArvo
Sydney Middleton (9)
Money is the reason St Pats are so successful. (Not the rubbish reason everyone whinges about, I don’t mean there paying players)
St Pats have a great run club with lots of support from Wests Ashfield that allowed them a few years ago to run free rego which would be massively enticing for players.
There a great run club that means they can offer a lot to there players similar to Hunters and Drummoyne which is why you’ve seen the resurgence of them over the last few years. Plus once the upgrade to the (already awesome clubhouse) facilities is finished even Eastcoast will enjoy a trip to Hudson.
Pfitzy
George Gregan (70)
It is also heavily populated with Rugby people. It is making sure the avenues exist and are well trodden.
DaSchmooze
Syd Malcolm (24)
I played for both the school and the club. Playing Old Boys was always a natural progression for us - particulaly for those of us that didnt harbour any kind of pathway aspiration.
Pfitzy
George Gregan (70)
Kids are now sold that aspiration in a lot of cases, and if they don't make it, some just up and quit.
DaSchmooze
Syd Malcolm (24)
So true. If you only ever view your sports participation through a lens of high performance, then you're going to have to face reality at some point.
That was one of the weird side benefits of playing for the school. None of us ever kidded ourselves we were on the way to Wallabies selection. We just wanted to continue to play Rugby and Oldies allowed us to do that and whilst I'm speaking of a time a long while back now, from what I can see, this is still very much the case at the school/club.
Pfitzy
George Gregan (70)
Gotta get me some of that. Have local schools but so little time, and then sustaining it? Jeez...
KentwellCup>ShuteShield
Jimmy Flynn (14)
except for mark nawqa
DaSchmooze
Syd Malcolm (24)
Of course. And given their recent structural changes with their Rugby program, there's going to be more like him coming. But producing Wallabies is not the sole motivating factor (but also ensuring that those who are capable of being that get the right training for that purpose too).
KentwellCup>ShuteShield
Jimmy Flynn (14)
oh really what have they done with the rugby program?
DaSchmooze
Syd Malcolm (24)
My very rough understanding is that there is now a head/director of Rugby (not an MIC) whose job it is to oversee the Rugby curriculum for all Rugby teams and ensure it's rolled out effectively. Previously, each coach was his/her own silo which meant different teams had diefferent a focus or spoke a diferent Rugby language depending who had coached them. The end goal being that by the time players reach the Opens, they'll have had same or similiar coaching and the Opens coaches can build upon that, knowing that they're all starting from roughly the same spot.
DaSchmooze
Syd Malcolm (24)
I dont know if we're seeing the fruits of that labour just yet, but having a look at the tables in each grade would tend to suggest that Pats is getting closer to the top of the ladder in each grade than what they would have been 10 years prior.
The school doesnt do Rugby scholarships so it is always going to be a case that some cohorts will be stronger than others regardless of the work that goes in to them. But I like the fact that the school has identified that there was an issue with Rugby and have taken positive steps to rectify it.