Sydney Colts 2011

[waves]

Been informed that Sydney University will be mixing up team lineups for the first trials against Hunter Valley in which William Skelton and Tolu Latu both Waratah Academy players are playing 2s Colts Elliot Messara and Hugh Frazer will fill the vioid in 1st colts , Guy Millar is injured and is rumoured out for 7 weeks with a neck injury also out is Byron Hodge and Ed Wylie with Stuart Dunbar starting at 10 for 1's. Tom Lamont will be starting as a fresh reserve for 1st Colts with Wallace starting at LHP for 2's Colts Ben Watt will start for 1st colts. Both backrow forwards for 1s and 2s are looking real competitive Melrose , Goodman , Frazer playing 1s and Tully , Carling , Skelton playing 2's dont forget ;

Colts playing grade this week:

David Hickey (1st Grade) - Backrow
Tom English (1st Grade) - Centre / Wing
Sam Talakai (1st Grade) - Prop
Jack De Guingand (1st Grade) - Backrow
Elih Ballie (1st Grade) - Centre
Kirwin Sanday (1st Grade) - Prop
Matthew Mafi (2nd Grade - Hooker

 

[Upright]

Sam has been really working on his strength and fitness this off-season, LG. Apparently he scrummaged very well for Uni against the Victorian state side last weekend. Our hooker Benny Roberts who is a hard marker has big wraps on him.

I thought he should have been playing 1st Colts through last season but I think it was a case of the squeaking wheel getting the most grease.

I had no idea he had great handling skills until people starting to talk about him in this thread. I passed on some details to the Uni coaches.

With regard to Will Skelton, he seems to be a joint project between Uni and the Waratahs. They are trying to dissuade him from doing much training at all with Uni. I suppose they think the fact they are paying him such big dollars, $2000 minus $1200 for health insurance, gives them the right to dictate what he does. I hope he invests the $800 wisely, e.g., on real estate rather than frittering it away. Unfortunately some kids are bedazzled by the sight of really big money.

I think Jack De Guingand is ready to step up and play some serious grade. He is a good prospect. And I don't think there is any doubt that Todd Louden will have Tom Kingston under consideration for the top grade, that is, if he doesn't get to bench for the 'Tahs.

Bruce i can't quite follow you re young Skelton - he is still at school and to my way of thinking we, Uni, should not be having anything to do with him - but that is another argument - what confuses me is your reference to the Tahs - we poach everyone we can (just look at that list set out for this weeks trials) and now you want to moan when another group (Tahs) want to over ride us - Bruce we can't have it both ways.

Simple to fix if you are not at Uni (Sydney that is) you can't play for us and we should not be poaching every kid under the sun or as someone mentioned earlier we will be playing ourselves - St Edmunds College in ACT found that out.

 

[Iluvmyfooty]

any news on how the uni trials went yesterday?

 

[Bruce Ross]

any news on how the uni trials went yesterday?

Unfortunately, ilmf, I wasn't able to get to the ground in time to watch the Colts trials, but apparently everything went well. There were no real injury concerns and in the first trial the Club gave a few of its juniors, 16 and 17-year-olds a taste of Colts level rugby.

In the main Grade trial against Collegians Sam Tatakai was switched to the loosehead side. His scrummaging was awesome. I have rarely seen anyone who could drive a scrum forward with such power as a loosehead. He also showed some of his offloading and passing skills. Sam is emerging as an outstanding prospect and I doubt he will play many games in Colts this season. Definitely one for the little black book.

 

[Bradley]

Which teams are going to be strong this year. Last season it was Uni, Wests, Eastwood. Same teams this year or have many of their players gone to grade?

 

[Iluvmyfooty]

ok i was wondering what the hunter rep side and the nelson bay sides were like as well

 

[deefence]

Unfortunately, ilmf, I wasn't able to get to the ground in time to watch the Colts trials, but apparently everything went well. There were no real injury concerns and in the first trial the Club gave a few of its juniors, 16 and 17-year-olds a taste of Colts level rugby.

In the main Grade trial against Collegians Sam Tatakai was switched to the loosehead side. His scrummaging was awesome. I have rarely seen anyone who could drive a scrum forward with such power as a loosehead. He also showed some of his offloading and passing skills. Sam is emerging as an outstanding prospect and I doubt he will play many games in Colts this season. Definitely one for the little black book.

Bruce - Collegians you will find are a rugby league club based in Wollongong etc - Woollahra Colleagues Rugby Football Club otherwise known as Colleagues (or the Blue Giants) would be dismayed that someone as well versed as yourself could make such a mistake.... particularly given the flow of players and coaches between Sydney Uni and Colleagues over the last 70 years or so......

 

[Bruce Ross]

Bruce - Collegians you will find are a rugby league club based in Wollongong etc - Woollahra Colleagues Rugby Football Club otherwise known as Colleagues (or the Blue Giants) would be dismayed that someone as well versed as yourself could make such a mistake.... particularly given the flow of players and coaches between Sydney Uni and Colleagues over the last 70 years or so......

Thanks for picking me up on a major blunder, deefence. My apologies to the Colleagues Club who had some ex-Sydney Uni players turning out for them on Saturday. And having grown up in Wollongong I am very familiar with the Collegians Rugby League Club there.

No excuses.

 

[Drew]

Any idea if Penrith is fielding a team in 1st colts this year?

 

[The Chosen]

Will let you know after this coming Saturday.
Central West are visiting Penrith to play both their first grade & also a Colts team. Central West Colts look a handy side and have beaten both Canberra Royals & Tuggeranong Vikings over past 2 weeks.

 

[deefence]

Thanks for picking me up on a major blunder, deefence. My apologies to the Colleagues Club who had some ex-Sydney Uni players turning out for them on Saturday. And having grown up in Wollongong I am very familiar with the Collegians Rugby League Club there.

No excuses.

Dont sweat it Bruce, as an avid reader but infrequent contributor on GAGR I was surprised to see you make an error! Keep posting though particularly like your running of the Sydney Uni defence as all and sundry attempt to prosecute their success, many wouldn't remember when Uni were not the force they are today and certainly would be surprised that they spent some time in what was then the Sydney 2nd Division competition in the early 80's and in the early 90's many a rugby scribe was questioning the future of Sydney Uni in the top flight. What Uni have done should be applauded and if kids playing there are unhappy they will leave, the concept of UNi fees etc being paid for is laughable and many of the residential colleges at Sydney Uni have offered promising rugby players assistance for a very long time - Scott Gourley as resident at St Pauls but played his rugby for Eastwood and also St Pauls as they chased Rawson Cup glory..

Sermon over!

 

[waves]

Trial matches this weekend in the colts ?

 

[ned]

Does anyone know what has happened to Byron Hodge? What team is he playing for this season?

 

[waves]

Does anyone know what has happened to Byron Hodge? What team is he playing for this season?

Byron Hodge is currently battling a shoulder injury was in the Australian Under 20's Squad dont know if his still in or not but I think his back soon, Many boys at Randwick were saying he'll be back in 1-2 weeks.

 

[ned]

Byron Hodge is currently battling a shoulder injury was in the Australian Under 20's Squad dont know if his still in or not but I think his back soon, Many boys at Randwick were saying he'll be back in 1-2 weeks.

Hope the shoulder repairs soon. Is he playing for Randwick?

 

[Bradley]

From Growden's column this morning - any clues?

❏ A Sydney club is paying good money to their Colts players, especially if they make first grade. The big problem is their coach is set to leave mid-season to go to Japan.

 

[Parra GM]

From Growden's column this morning - any clues?

❏ A Sydney club is paying good money to their Colts players, especially if they make first grade. The big problem is their coach is set to leave mid-season to go to Japan.

think it'll be wherever Rod Cutler ended up

 

[lily]

think it'll be wherever Rod Cutler ended up

From 1st grade at the Marlins, to Scots College, to Colts and then Japan via selling raffle tickets outside Bendigo Bank in Harbord for a junior Marlins tour of NZ. Is this the way he thought it would all go 6 years ago ?

 

[Parra GM]

From 1st grade at the Marlins, to Scots College, to Colts and then Japan via selling raffle tickets outside Bendigo Bank in Harbord for a junior Marlins tour of NZ. Is this the way he thought it would all go 6 years ago ?

Is he back at Marlins colts this year?

 

[lily]

Stu Wilson is the coach at Manly.