NSW AAGPS 2025 (banter and commentary)

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Here's a thought, just maybe the selectors weren't to blame but the CAS boys this year are better players!

From all reports the ISA should have also beaten the GPS 1s.

Truth is, the difference between the associations is minimal amongst the top schools, full stop.
This is most apparent when the schools play each other prior to their respective comps.
You can call them "trials" but all games are very real, and no school wants to ever lose a 1st XV game, and most teams are generally made up of their best players, regardless of the excuses used after a loss. Let's hope we never revert to that pathetic term used by soccer called "friendlies", NO SUCH THING, unless you are trying to make excuses.

IMO it's a very good position to be in for the sports future development.

I will lead with my chin saying that this years Wallabies will really challenge the Lions, many players of which come from these associations and QLD schools.

Long live schoolboy Rugby!

I agree with a lot of what you say and it is good for the sport but the trials are very much trials in terms of intensity. Don’t know what it’s like from the other side but it’s a 6-7 out of 10 ramp up.

I know it’s arrogance but history tells us there are differences and I see the same thing said a couple times a decade when the “upset” happens.

At the top level it’s good but the drop off after the 1st XVs is a concern. Many of the top schools use to have competitive 2nds but now are turning out v 3s and lower. We don’t Rugby to be like American Football.

 

[Rugbynbeers]

Here's a thought, just maybe the selectors weren't to blame but the CAS boys this year are better players!

From all reports the ISA should have also beaten the GPS 1s.

Truth is, the difference between the associations is minimal amongst the top schools, full stop.
This is most apparent when the schools play each other prior to their respective comps.
You can call them "trials" but all games are very real, and no school wants to ever lose a 1st XV game, and most teams are generally made up of their best players, regardless of the excuses used after a loss. Let's hope we never revert to that pathetic term used by soccer called "friendlies", NO SUCH THING, unless you are trying to make excuses.

IMO it's a very good position to be in for the sports future development.

I will lead with my chin saying that this years Wallabies will really challenge the Lions, many players of which come from these associations and QLD schools.

Long live schoolboy Rugby!

I think it’s great, I also thing GPS should have lost to ISA and were saved by poor referee decisions.

but I also believe the selectors got it horribly wrong, the NSW hooker who has been in form all season put in the GPS2s? When the 1s hooker goes 0/8?

The view 3 vs Kings 3 could be different on any given day, I’d still take the Kings 3 like many others. The selection of the backline also strange.

how does a team coming 4th get the most players in by a country mile ? You look at the day kings and View played newo particular players outplayed them tenfold.

Now I would like to say fair play and respect to the CAS and ISA boys, it’s one of those years where the comps are close at the top end which is great for rugby! Let’s just hope the bottom end of these comps can catch up.

 

[Maul of Duty]

When are the NSW Schools teams announced? I was thinking they may have gone up late last night

 

[Maul of Duty]

Team lists just out

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

When do Gen Blue squads come out? I guess you can put the side together by the names not picked in Schools since Schools sit below Gen Blue

 

[Mule]

When do Gen Blue squads come out? I guess you can put the side together by the names not picked in Schools since Schools sit below Gen Blue

Gen Blue doesn’t exist any more I don’t think. There may have been a select few chosen into a players of national interest PONI squad.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

What’s going to be the main NSW v QLD games though. The one that will feature Grover, Fonua et al?

Same as the games in January this year

 

[WLF3]

I agree with a lot of what you say and it is good for the sport but the trials are very much trials in terms of intensity. Don’t know what it’s like from the other side but it’s a 6-7 out of 10 ramp up.

I know it’s arrogance but history tells us there are differences and I see the same thing said a couple times a decade when the “upset” happens.

At the top level it’s good but the drop off after the 1st XVs is a concern. Many of the top schools use to have competitive 2nds but now are turning out v 3s and lower. We don’t Rugby to be like American Football.

Agree GR, That in the main the GPS comp is stronger for obvious reasons, the number of competitive schools is higher than the CAS, and the Age groups in the CAS typically are not as strong in depth or ability. As a Waves man I would biasly suggest that the Waves can hold their own across this spectrum. It was almost pleasing to see Barker win the 16as, 2nds and 1sts comp this year, they appear to be definitely strengthening their overall program. Of concern is the Knox program at the moment but some are suggesting this is only temporary. Trinity and Cranbrook may also be looking to improve as they do offer rugby "incentives" these days.

Even so, that is typically only 3 schools vs the GPS 6, and so the Rep results are what they are.

The "Trials" are just that, as you say, but I think it's fair to say that most/all schools get better as the season progresses, so it is close to being apples v apples. These games saw a number of CAS wins v the Geeps, which has been the case now for a number of years, so the gap has closed quite a lot imo.

The ISA has a similar issue, with typically 2 predominant schools Auggies and Oakhill. Both of these schools do have good age depth, and it should be very interesting to see who dominates in the upcoming CAS/ISA tiered comps.

If this new concept works well, then it may be beneficial to have a GPS buy in to a larger tiered system. one day.
We all know that the GPS brethren currently find that hard to swallow, but as has said before, it doesn't have to come at the cost of each associations own competition. It's just an evolution that may provide more excitement, better matched teams, and ultimately a stronger schoolboy program for these 3 associations that flows on the very top level.

Imagine that!

 

[The Cleaner]

What’s going to be the main NSW v QLD games though. The one that will feature Grover, Fonua et al?

Same as the games in January this year

Fonua, Grover, Talaeva, Lavercombe, Taumoepeau will not be participating at the Sunshine Coast. You will have to wait for ACT..

 

[Rugbynbeers]

What’s going to be the main NSW v QLD games though. The one that will feature Grover, Fonua et al?

Same as the games in January this year

that game happens start of the year, don’t think it happens anymore how it did in 23 ect

 

[Rugbynbeers]

Would be interesting to see the PONI squad, some players like sawyer who was apart of Tahs this year not in the schools list. You’d assume he would have to be apart of PONI due to his performance yesterday.

 

[tight5]

Good points Cleaner. Although I was having a laugh about his high tackles like league tackles, has he played much junior league? HM’s etc? Obviously he has stayed in the union code with keen interest in France.

Also, something surprisingly common with outstanding players in early grades(seen in some interviews), is they get confident & comfortable in the game. Maybe he is in a way forgetting to put the effort into tackles in some of these instances, just being careless because of how comfortable & relaxed he is finding himself. Just a thought.

Easy fix I feel, coach just needs to mention not every tackle has to be dominant. E.g. Fonuas tackles are hardly ever dominant more of pull to ground

 

[shaquille_oatmeal]

On reflection with last night's performance I do feel some frustration as the actions/mindsets of many players who already have some guarantee of a pathway selection end up messing with the ability of the GPS 1's to play as a team. From a selector standpoint you want to see who plays well but also who are the better teams to then find those good players (not ideal but how it is), and it's disappointing how GPS 1's looked given their strength at a player level.

It's disappointing then that whilst selfish choices and poor decision making won't really harm many of those boys with prior reputations, for new prospects it does have a detrimental effect for their selection and/or ability to showcase their skills given the team's poor performance. I feel that going forward they should be looking to select those who are eligible to play for NSW, and prioritising those over ineligible players who don't really have an incentive to perform as team players. It was clear CAS was the better team, not through ability alone but through synergy and the ability to make choices that benefitted the team rather than themselves, and GPS could absolutely learn a thing or two from that result.

 

[Backintheolddays]

Would be interesting to see the PONI squad, some players like sawyer who was apart of Tahs this year not in the schools list. You’d assume he would have to be apart of PONI due to his performance yesterday.

Wish they would run PONI as a seperate exercise and still have a common pathway where schools/club combine to make best u/18 state team

 

[Jakeburner65]

Coaching and selection.

GPS 1 front row sacrificed for GPS 2 front row in NSW selection, but the poor blokes in GPS 1 had nobody pushing behind them with a scrum full of bloody star loosies. The constant and predictable pick off 8 was also frankly embarrassing. When you pick three 6s who can’t jump or scrummage you are always going to hurt. I put that down to selections and reputation.

In the forwards with the notable exception of Dempsey the work rate was also incredibly low. Again the lazy star player effect of guys who only have to do a couple of power runs a week for their respective sides while everyone else does the actual work.

Outside of Grover the backline looked a shambles. Again a bunch of big blokes who offer exactly the same power running game getting in the way of themselves and the backline. The Newington stars completely looked lost out there.

 

[keenas]

with the gps side losing you have to consider that 3 key players out with Sheck (N) bassingthwaite (E) and Callaghan (E) all being unavailable due to injury which would have made this squad considerably stronger as some strength in the scrum and spark in the back line where missing . also this gps had many players Who had little to prove out their following their previous rep selections.

Pie in the sky stuff they were beaten by a better team

 

[fortheloveofthegame]

Gen Blue doesn’t exist any more I don’t think. There may have been a select few chosen into a players of national interest PONI squad.

there is still a PONI / Waratahs gravy train. it is a categorical blight on the development of this great game

 

[fortheloveofthegame]

Coaching and selection.

GPS 1 front row sacrificed for GPS 2 front row in NSW selection, but the poor blokes in GPS 1 had nobody pushing behind them with a scrum full of bloody star loosies. The constant and predictable pick off 8 was also frankly embarrassing. When you pick three 6s who can’t jump or scrummage you are always going to hurt. I put that down to selections and reputation.

In the forwards with the notable exception of Dempsey the work rate was also incredibly low. Again the lazy star player effect of guys who only have to do a couple of power runs a week for their respective sides while everyone else does the actual work.

Outside of Grover the backline looked a shambles. Again a bunch of big blokes who offer exactly the same power running game getting in the way of themselves and the backline. The Newington stars completely looked lost out there.

could not have put it better, too many of the GPS players picked on what they did once upon a time. PONI syndrome =player development deficit. if you don’t need to compete then you won’t .

 

[shaquille_oatmeal]

could not have put it better, too many of the GPS players picked on what they did once upon a time. PONI syndrome =player development deficit. if you don’t need to compete then you won’t .

Being there you could see the disappointment on a lot of the GPS boy's faces after the game, but I was surprised by some of them (from GPS) who seemed completely unbothered by the poor game they put forth, this felt wrong especially since there are boys from other teams who would take their spot's in a heartbeat and play their heart's out. Really need to fix this for the benefit of developing our best players.

 

[fortheloveofthegame]

Being there you could see the disappointment on a lot of the GPS boy's faces after the game, but I was surprised by some of them (from GPS) who seemed completely unbothered by the poor game they put forth, this felt wrong especially since there are boys from other teams who would take their spot's in a heartbeat and play their heart's out. Really need to fix this for the benefit of developing our best players.

fixing it is easy. kill the incumbency / PONI pathways, compete for you spot every week.