Sydney Colts 2012

[Torn Hammy]

The brawl was very ugly and at the time I was thinking that the Eastwood players didn't need to think about any consequences as the season was over for them. I think HJ's idea of carry over penalty player points is an excellent one but a bit unfair to the colts joining the team for their first year. Maybe individual player demerit points (eg. add 3 player points to a player for a red card), similar to drivers licenses, combined with a team penalty would make these guys think about the consequences of their unwanted behaviour.

The main game was a showcase for the physical preparation that Uni put into their game. Take a bow Bruce. The early forward clashes were brutal but 15 minutes into the game it was apparent that Uni forwards were too strong, too skilled and too determined. What impressed me most was their speed and game lasting explosive power that had them charging through a defensively tough Randwick pack. Their speed also turned over lots of ruck ball which prevented Randwick getting any momentum. Latu, Goodman and Quinn were standouts. Merriman was very good and continually directed the attack at the 10/12 channel with great reward and Dunbar used the wind to perfection with his strong boot.

For Randwick the effort was there. Baldwin, Connor, Munro and Harris, in particular, charged hard and defended tough. Bannon was everywhere, Roye was strong in attack and defence and Anderson impressed with some powerful runs and 2 tries.

In the end Uni scored sixty points. If Hodge played a full game it would have been seventy. As I saw it only one Randwick player dominated his opponent. This really was a miserable denouement for this team and the club.

Well done Uni.

 

[Bruce Ross]

The main game was a showcase for the physical preparation that Uni put into their game. Take a bow Bruce. The early forward clashes were brutal but 15 minutes into the game it was apparent that Uni forwards were too strong, too skilled and too determined. What impressed me most was their speed and game lasting explosive power that had them charging through a defensively tough Randwick pack. Their speed also turned over lots of ruck ball which prevented Randwick getting any momentum. Latu, Goodman and Quinn were standouts. Merriman was very good and continually directed the attack at the 10/12 channel with great reward and Dunbar used the wind to perfection with his strong boot.

For Randwick the effort was there. Baldwin, Connor, Munro and Harris, in particular, charged hard and defended tough. Bannon was everywhere, Roye was strong in attack and defence and Anderson impressed with some powerful runs and 2 tries.

In the end Uni scored sixty points. If Hodge played a full game it would have been seventy. As I saw it only one Randwick player dominated his opponent. This really was a miserable denouement for this team and the club.

Well done Uni.

Thanks, Torn, but I will not be taking a bow. I very clearly don't deserve it. I am a mere enthusiast who goes along to all of Uni Colts' games and enjoys seeing the young blokes from all clubs working to achieve their potential.

23 years ago I coached Uni First Colts back in the days when pre-season training started about a month before the first round; when training was two nights per week if you didn't have anything more important to do; and when it was still possible to see the odd Uni Colts player turn up at the ground on match day in dinner suit from the night before.

In the 23 years I have been observing Uni Colts I have never seen a First Colts team so physically powerful as this year's, nor have I previously seen Uni Colts so dominant at the breakdown. The credit for this basically belongs to their strength and conditioning coach, Dr Tristan Sharp. He has had his players continuing to do heavy gym work right through the playing season including Grand Final week. They are yet to collapse from the work load. Perhaps there is a lesson there for some of the Australian professional teams.
.

 

[Tahboy]

What does denouement mean?

 

[Informer]

What does denouement mean?

In this context the "end game" is close enough

 

[Keithy]

They must be good if the 2012 group is better than the '08/09 team that was won 50 matches in a row.
Unless their is a star in the east and 3 wiremen, uni will again have cleaned up the colts comp. well done

 

[bella]

Edwin Maka, the massive human who played 1 first colts game and 9 second colts games this year for West Harbour, debuted for Toulouse in the top14 off the bench, setting up the winning try. Just in the last few days he made his starting debut, playing with the likes of McCallister and Burgess. Quite an amazing rise, pity the coaches at Wests didn't really know how to play him.

yea I heard he could only last 10 minutes a game so all his West Harbour bro's had to work harder to cover him ... My mate at Wests said the coach wasn't interested in a backrower who was unfit n slow n let the team down. They had pretty awesom backrowers in game v Norths

 

[Matty]

Wests lost to norths 36 ~ 33 after leading 27 ~ 0. Week off maybe a factor as they didn't train to hard

I saw the game..Wests were def the better side until they got 2 players sent off. So for 20mins they played with only 14 players...thats when Norths took adv. + WH lost their 6 and 8 to injury in the 2nd half - these two smashed it in defense in the first half ...I would have put $$ on West vs Uni if they had gone thru after watching them smash Norths in the 1st half... hooker for West solid as.

 

[It is what it is]

I saw the game..Wests were def the better side until they got 2 players sent off. So for 20mins they played with only 14 players.thats when Norths took adv. + WH lost their 6 and 8 to injury in the 2nd half - these two smashed it in defense in the first half .I would have put $$ on West vs Uni if they had gone thru after watching them smash Norths in the 1st half. hooker for West solid as.

Uni's relentless pressure and discipline would have destroyed West Harbour.
Uni Colts remind me of an outstanding 3yr old horse who has been racing well against older more seasoned horses in open weight for age races.
When that young horse gets back to racing against horses its own age it kills them.
Uni is now again bringing the boys back to colts who have been playing against the men in grade.

 

[Matty]

Uni's relentless pressure and discipline would have destroyed West Harbour.
Uni Colts remind me of an outstanding 3yr old horse who has been racing well against older more seasoned horses in open weight for age races.
When that young horse gets back to racing against horses its own age it kills them.
Uni is now again bringing the boys back to colts who have been playing against the men in grade.

Is that the same relentless pressure Uni put on West Harbour in the first round....It was a draw with minutes to go before Uni just scraped in with a last minute try... I think if west had depth like Uni do then half of their first grade players would be playing grade as well....good result that they got 6 of their boys in the NSW train on squad.... So with the boys dropping back from grade to Colts does that mean the boys that played all season aren't good enough to win it???

 

[Keithy]

I saw the game..Wests were def the better side until they got 2 players sent off. So for 20mins they played with only 14 players.thats when Norths took adv. + WH lost their 6 and 8 to injury in the 2nd half - these two smashed it in defense in the first half .I would have put $$ on West vs Uni if they had gone thru after watching them smash Norths in the 1st half. hooker for West solid as.

Jack Debreczeni played with a broken hand last Saturday and would have been ruled out if Wests had of made the GF. Nobody would put cash on Wests with out Debreczeni.

 

[It is what it is]

Is that the same relentless pressure Uni put on West Harbour in the first round..It was a draw with minutes to go before Uni just scraped in with a last minute try. I think if west had depth like Uni do then half of their first grade players would be playing grade as well..good result that they got 6 of their boys in the NSW train on squad.. So with the boys dropping back from grade to Colts does that mean the boys that played all season aren't good enough to win it???

Here's another horse racing saying that's relevant....."the Melbourne Cup isn't run or won in April".
I have no involvement with Uni, it's just an observation Matty.

 

[Matty]

yea I heard he could only last 10 minutes a game so all his West Harbour bro's had to work harder to cover him . My mate at Wests said the coach wasn't interested in a backrower who was unfit n slow n let the team down. They had pretty awesom backrowers in game v Norths

He was massive and powered through players, but he was a 10 minute wonder where he played hard for 10 mins then walked the rest of the game... The guy that Wests had start at no8 against Norths played 2's most of the year ...good strong defender... he got selected on the NSW u/19 train on squad. Heard Edwin Maka still lazy and unfit..yeah I prob would have used him as an impact player in 1s but heard that this wasn't good nuff for him so he left....guess you'll see his back on the field alright...but will he have your back...nah!

 

[Matty]

Jack Debreczeni played with a broken hand last Saturday and would have been ruled out if Wests had of made the GF. Nobody would put cash on Wests with out Debreczeni.

yeh good player...he had shocker against Manly though. The rest of the team won it without him ...yeh they don't have too many to replace him or there no.9 - Max Page who got injured in the semi final to. Guess that was another thing that went against Wests winning was that they also had their 10 and 9 out there injured....reck they disappointed cause had 4 of their starting players not get injured and players get sent off they prob would have smashed Norths.

 

[Matty]

Here's another horse racing saying that's relevant..."the Melbourne Cup isn't run or won in April".
I have no involvement with Uni, it's just an observation Matty.

yeah same same. Just an observation back at ya. Forums...they're a great avenue for a good debate!!

 

[Done that]

Is that the same relentless pressure Uni put on West Harbour in the first round..It was a draw with minutes to go before Uni just scraped in with a last minute try. I think if west had depth like Uni do then half of their first grade players would be playing grade as well..good result that they got 6 of their boys in the NSW train on squad.. So with the boys dropping back from grade to Colts does that mean the boys that played all season aren't good enough to win it???

I think that Uni have always rightly been the competition favourites & have the advantage of the greatest depth of all the teams.
I don't know if Wests could have beaten them , but they would have had the best chance of all the non Uni teams.
In the first round , Wests were beaten on the bell , but had their fullback yellow carded & off the field at the time Uni scored their winning try.
Nevertheless , the game finished up at 4 tries all.
I have been looking forward to these 2 teams playing in the grand final ever since , I think it would have been a cracker.

 

[Casnovian]

I saw the game..Wests were def the better side until they got 2 players sent off. So for 20mins they played with only 14 players.thats when Norths took adv. + WH lost their 6 and 8 to injury in the 2nd half - these two smashed it in defense in the first half .I would have put $$ on West vs Uni if they had gone thru after watching them smash Norths in the 1st half. hooker for West solid as.

Have to agree with you - spoke with one of Wests players on the day (also referee) - he said his colleague appeared to have made a mistake in the carding of a north's player and it was catch up and his attempt to balance things after that spun out of control. The wind at Forshaw on the day had a significant effect - both of the games I watched - playing into it seemed to be the better way to go.
Good luck to Norths and Uni - not as cut and dry as one may suggest - particularly if it is windy as today!

 

[Torn Hammy]

Have to agree with you - spoke with one of Wests players on the day (also referee) - he said his colleague appeared to have made a mistake in the carding of a north's player and it was catch up and his attempt to balance things after that spun out of control. The wind at Forshaw on the day had a significant effect - both of the games I watched - playing into it seemed to be the better way to go.
Good luck to Norths and Uni - not as cut and dry as one may suggest - particularly if it is windy as today!

Yellow cards can be a bit of a lottery sometimes. I noticed Wests were unlucky to get 14 of them during the season.

 

[Keithy]

I think I read Sydney Uni lost Colts 3. Love to hear a match report.

 

[Done that]

I think I read Sydney Uni lost Colts 3. Love to hear a match report.

3rds Randwick 17 Uni 5
2nds Uni 41 Eastwood 7

 

[MACCA]

I think I read Sydney Uni lost Colts 3. Love to hear a match report.

Randwick had a relentless defensive game, Uni belted it up through the forwards and just kept being put on their bums. 5 - 0 Uni at half time, Randwick scored a few minutes after half time then ground away. The half back Cam Terry did a kick and chase which everyone thought was madness until he got the bounce and SCORED!. Try converted 12-5 the Wicks 15 mins to go. The wicks played it down the Uni end with the cross wind aiding their right foot kicker. The Wicks kept winning line out possession and through a slick back line move, scored another try. Uni rallied and charged at them on the back of many penalties. The Uni pack was much bigger however were being pushed around and out tackled by their smaller opponents.
Best for Uni were their prop (#3) Ezrah?, whilst the wicks half Terry, their second rower, their flanker (Tooth) and just about everyone else had strong games. A real gutsy effort.