Sydney Subbies 2025

[Pfitzy]

Spare thought for Merrylands who have sat behind the Irish powerhouse the last couple of years and missed out on silverware and now run into these two!

Agreed, but also: what happened to their playing numbers?

Very strong in terms of being finalists in 2 Grades, with enough depth to dispose of most teams comfortably through the last few years. Now back to one team, with good numbers on the bench as well.

 

[Odyssey_Park the 2nd]

They’ve run a Halligans games this year and always had a full bench so maybe just a small bump at the start of the season and numbers recovering into next year.
Very few clubs travelling regularly for Halligans games which may be stopping clubs from more games

 

[hogieslammer]

Thought I might toss a coin at some Div 3 predictions this weekend:

Blacktown v Hornsby
1st Grade: Hornsby looking the goods over recent weeks, expecting an easy +30 win against a struggling Blacktown outfit.
2nd Grade: Blacktown to take it +5, I’m expecting a close one.
Colts: Old Barker by a cricket score

Knox v Hills
1st Grade: Two strong sides looking for ladder leaping momentum towards the tippy point of the season. Close match, I think Hills take it +5.
2nd Grade: With Colleagues forfeiting colts, I’m going to tip the upset and say Knox +10 at home over the undefeated Hills 2s.

LCOI v Beecroft
1st Grade: LCOI will be down after two bad losses against Knox and Hornsby. Beecroft look the goods this season and it’ll be there match to lose. I’ll say Crofties +18 after a close first half.
2nd Grade: LCOI have the momentum and home ground advantage against a struggling 2s Crofties side, LCOI +19
Colts: LCOI looking better each week and would want a strong BP win here to keep them in the top 2. LCOI +30

 

[Cut One Wrap]

Expected Newport to be a bit stronger in Div 1… Flogged by Colleagues across all Grades at home

 

[hogieslammer]

5/8 picked this round. Better than my usual fantasy rounds. Knox v Hills was my achilles. Might be ideal to stick to the bookies next week

Bl v Ho (Picked 2/3)
1st: Hornsby looked good today for a +11pt win
2nd: Looked like a close one, both teams look to be pushing for finals, Hornsby +3pt
Colts: Old Barker looking to challenge LC and potentially Knox come finals, sweeped Hornsby for a +48 pt win

Kn v Hi (Picked 0/2)
1st: Looked like a classic game from the score sheet, close one goes to Knox +2pt
2nd: Hills look to be runaway premiers in this group, a clear step above everyone else for a +23 pt win

Lc v Be (Picked 3/3)
1st: Unexpectedly close, looks like down to the wire, Beecroft maybe lucky to walk away +2pt
2nd: LC 2s started the season 0-2, have since gone 5-1 to make it 5-3. +38 pt win today will do well for point difference
Colts: LC put a struggling Beecroft to the sword for a +32 pt win

 

[Odyssey_Park the 2nd]

Heartbreaking to get so close for LCOI today. Only side to really get close to Beecroft this year

 

[Pfitzy]

HVRU v Raptors
Canterbury v Harlequins
Redfield v Epping
Maccabi v Renegades

2 from 4.

Raptors look like they ran rampant in the back half of the game with what is 26 unanswered points according to the score sheets.

We had a very weird day at Burrows. After some significant disruptions we put together a decent team, but errors cruelled our attack. And TBH while I don't like to point at refereeing, a penalty count of 1 versus over a dozen never seems right in what was otherwise a competitive game.

 

[Heure]

Expected Newport to be a bit stronger in Div 1… Flogged by Colleagues across all Grades at home

I called it in the off season that both Newport and Lindfield were there to make up numbers and am adding Drummoyne to that basket too. Didn’t initially as we know they are immune to the rules. Question is will the subbies board locate a back bone come the end of the year? My guess is no. The only thing they seem to locate is funding for a trough at the kentwell lunch.

Div 1 needs to turn into a 5 team super comp - Waverley / Mosman / HH / Mountains / Colleagues.

5 grades + colts. Keep the standard high and add some depth to a completely decimated Barraclough competition.

 

[Odyssey_Park the 2nd]

Heard some crazy ideas in my time. I wonder what the difference is for Drummoyne this year. Is it low numbers or a turn over of players without colts coming through? They only made finals in 3s and Colts last year but finishes highly on the club champs and have had good few years after a tough run out of Covid in 22.

 

[Odyssey_Park the 2nd]

Div 1 needs to turn into a 5 team super comp - Waverley / Mosman / HH / Mountains / Colleagues.

The question is what happens when one of this Big 5 fall over? How do you replace them? No one wants to go up and play Mountains 3 times.

None of the big clubs that like to give it to the smaller battling clubs will admit that it’s all cyclical and eventually they will drop and go through a rebuild which some don’t come back from.

 

[Pfitzy]

The question is whether those cycles get longer now - even to the point of ceasing.

The success of First Division clubs has roots in a more sustainable approach, better resources, and attractiveness to players due to success. It is one every club would like to emulate, and finding the right people to get it started is the most difficult part. A lot of clubs are just treading water as it is.

Post-COVID we're looking at a lot of fatigue in volunteer land. This isn't being helped by a cost-of-living crisis and a volatile geopolitical situation; people have less time to spare, and look to their own needs as a priority, which IMHO is perfectly understandable.

We're seeing an erosion from the bottom, and nobody is immune.

 

[Oak_Wood]

Heartbreaking to get so close for LCOI today. Only side to really get close to Beecroft this year

Whilst LCOI did put in an improved performance, Beecroft bombed 5 tries, not their best attacking performance. LCOI aided by some interesting rule interpretations at the back end of the game. Got to say, good teams can win ugly!

 

[Footyhead67]

I was keen to watch the game after hearing the result yesterday.

I wouldn’t say LCOI were the only ones aided by some interesting rule interpretations. Just watched the end of the game and Beecroft conceded 7 or 8 penalties in the last 7 minutes in their own 22, and not 1 yellow card. Also a few knockdowns which only 1 was a penalty and the others counted as knock ons, which imho were probably deserved of a bit more.

 

[hogieslammer]

I also watched the end of the game and heard the ref warn Beecroft that the next penalty would be a card. Which did not eventuate when the next penalty was called shortly thereafter.

 

[Pfitzy]

I also watched the end of the game and heard the ref warn beecroft that the next penalty would be a card. Which did not eventuate when the next penalty was called shortly thereafter

Like Jonathan Kaplan warning the All Blacks?

 

[Here To Do]

Like Jonathan Kaplan warning the All Blacks?

Was the game at Headen? I think the crowd can be a bit overwhelming sometimes especially with having to walk back to the car park right behind the home sideline. Can't blame a ref wanting to get home vehicle and health intact to be honest.

 

[HogansHeros]

Was the game at Headen? I think the crowd can be a bit overwhelming sometimes especially with having to walk back to the car park right behind the home sideline. Can't blame a ref wanting to get home vehicle and health intact to be honest.

I dont think I ever saw a ref attacked post game at headen in the time i played there.

And it was a LCOI home game...

 

[Oak_Wood]

Was the game at Headen? I think the crowd can be a bit overwhelming sometimes especially with having to walk back to the car park right behind the home sideline. Can't blame a ref wanting to get home vehicle and health intact to be honest.

Game at Tantallon, LCOI home game.

 

[Here To Do]

I dont think I ever saw a ref attacked post game at headen in the time i played there.

And it was a LCOI home game...

Not saying they would actually be attacked but it is certainly an intimidating atmosphere. Should have clarified a referee *might* feel threatened even if there was not necessarily a real threat. Apologies

 

[Here To Do]

Game at Tantallon, LCOI home game.

Well, no home ground advantage obviously