CAS Rugby 2023

[smokinjoe]

Its a shame there is such a disconnect in skill within the CAS competition.

Waverley and Cranbrook will however be a very close fixture this weekend. If Cranbrook manages a win, they may be strong contenders for a good placing this year. However, with the sudden death nature of the CAS competition with a limited amount of rounds, who knows what might happen.

Bring back home and away. 10 games. GPS has it and it’s both fair and exciting.

 

[pocockenthusiast1973]

Bring back home and away. 10 games. GPS has it and it’s both fair and exciting.

Shame the CAS can't focus on improving their competition structure.

 

[Running_rugby_1954]

Bring back home and away. 10 games. GPS has it and it’s both fair and exciting.

Does Aloysius want 6 games against Barker Knox and Waverley? I can’t imagine they do.

 

[Union on Top]

Does Aloysius want 6 games against Barker Knox and Waverley? I can’t imagine they do.

This is true. It’s honestly a massive predicament that CAS Rugby has found themselves in. Alloys aren’t competitive in rugby and won’t be until they’re able to provide scholarships to players. The GPS had this problem with Shore being uncompetitive but their structure changed and now they are very competitive. It would suit having a 10 round CAS competition, but you can’t just get rid of team for the values their school uphold. Maybe there does need to be a change in the structure of schoolboy footy, and a structure of a competition with tiers of the teams from the GPS, CAS and ISA could make footy more competitive. However, I don’t see this as a viable solution, as it ruins the culture and profound history of the 3 competitions

 

[pocockenthusiast1973]

This is true. It’s honestly a massive predicament that CAS Rugby has found themselves in. Alloys aren’t competitive in rugby and won’t be until they’re able to provide scholarships to players. The GPS had this problem with Shore being uncompetitive but their structure changed and now they are very competitive. It would suit having a 10 round CAS competition, but you can’t just get rid of team for the values their school uphold. Maybe there does need to be a change in the structure of schoolboy footy, and a structure of a competition with tiers of the teams from the GPS, CAS and ISA could make footy more competitive. However, I don’t see this as a viable solution, as it ruins the culture and profound history of the 3 competitions

I agree with you 100%.

The history of these competitions is what holds back a different competition structure across the GPS, CAS and ISA.

At least we have the trial rounds to see these schools go up against each other. Always a delight when a CAS team beats a GPS side.

 

[Goosestep]

G,

I will step in here before a number of people take your bait as being sincere with your comment.
I actually agree with probably 99% of your comments, you get Rugby!

BUT you are 1 of those who only wants 6 schools to play out for rulers of the universe, ie the AAGPS!.
Bugger a better and bigger 1sts comp, and that is your view.

Like many I disagree with your insular view but everyone has their opinion.

The reality is other non-GPS people also have strong feelings about their schools and associations, believe it or not, but can get over their own little world.
There are solutions to the difficulties of team match ups etc, it's just that some schools and people have no interest in making things better, ie a bigger and better matched up comp, it's called progress, and we know that some have NO interest in progress!

I actually agree with a lot of what you say .. I’m just pointing out the blatant hypocrisy with some posters here when the shoes suddenly on the other foot

 

[Ziggy]

All players will be back for next week. Will finally be at full strength. Except for Poitaha who will not be back.

The biggest in is Morshead Fidel. The best back for Waverley returning after an injury on the Japan tour. Handy bringing in a third year 1sts player into the backline.

There is also a forward playing in 3rds at Waverley who should be playing up. Was a standout in yesterdays game and scored a try.
How he didn't get a run in the 2nds was a joke and what was even funnier was 3 other 3rds forwards having a run in firsts.

 

[baked beans]

My Predicted 1st xv CAS Lineup

1. Pule (waves)
2. Meagher (trinity)
3. Hill (barker)
4. Ericson (knox)
5. Van Wyk (barker)
6. Tofeano (waverley)
7. Aboud (waverley)
8. Talaileva (barker)
9. Hatten-Ward (trinity)
10. Patea (waverly)
11. Allen (cranbrook)
12. Wheals (barker)
13. Enasio (knox)
14. Chandler-Sullivan (barker)
15. Poynton (barker)

 

[RedOrDead]

I actually agree with a lot of what you say .. I’m just pointing out the blatant hypocrisy with some posters here when the shoes suddenly on the other foot

I haven't seen a single person on the CAS forum say they would refuse to merge our competition with the ISA.

 

[RedOrDead]

My Predicted 1st xv CAS Lineup

1. Pule (waves)
2. Meagher (trinity)
3. Hill (barker)
4. Ericson (knox)
5. Van Wyk (barker)
6. Tofeano (waverley)
7. Aboud (waverley)
8. Talaileva (barker)
9. Hatten-Ward (trinity)
10. Patea (waverly)
11. Allen (cranbrook)
12. Wheals (barker)
13. Enasio (knox)
14. Chandler-Sullivan (barker)
15. Poynton (barker)

I think if healthy McDonald (Barker) will be picked at 13 and Enasio (Knox) will play 12 for CAS 1's.

Additionally I'm sure you would find more than 2 Knox boys make the cut. They are arguably the best team in the CAS.

 

[baked beans]

I think if healthy McDonald (Barker) will be picked at 13 and Enasio (Knox) will play 12 for CAS 1's.

I personally thought that Wheals was on of Barkers strongest players, Enasio has not got strong enough ball skills to be playing 12 passing is quite poor, more of a ball carrier.

 

[RedOrDead]

I personally thought that Wheals was on of Barkers strongest players, Enasio has not got strong enough ball skills to be playing 12 passing is quite poor, more of a ball carrier.

Fair enough mate

 

[Halfbackenthusiast]

I personally thought that Wheals was on of Barkers strongest players, Enasio has not got strong enough ball skills to be playing 12 passing is quite poor, more of a ball carrier.

Enasio has a great short passing game. Which is arguably one of the most important features in a centre for a rep team where combinations aren’t strong, combine that with a strong ball runner and defender you have a high level 12. Enasio played 12 for gen blue in their games at the end of last year

 

[JohnnyOhns]

My Predicted 1st xv CAS Lineup

1. Pule (waves)
2. Meagher (trinity)
3. Hill (barker)
4. Ericson (knox)
5. Van Wyk (barker)
6. Tofeano (waverley)
7. Aboud (waverley)
8. Talaileva (barker)
9. Hatten-Ward (trinity)
10. Patea (waverly)
11. Allen (cranbrook)
12. Wheals (barker)
13. Enasio (knox)
14. Chandler-Sullivan (barker)
15. Poynton (barker)

I think Tom Girle deserves a spot in this team, he has been unbelievable for Cranbrook throughout this pre-season. I've noticed his running game has significantly improved from last year and his tackling has become far more dominant. Would be a tough decision to leave such a good player out of the team.

 

[baked beans]

I think Tom Girle deserves a spot in this team, he has been unbelievable for Cranbrook throughout this pre-season. I've noticed his running game has significantly improved from last year and his tackling has become far more dominant. Would be a tough decision to leave such a good player out of the team.

well you could argue that Nathaniel Thomas (Barker) has been robbed not being in the CAS 1st team seeing as he is one of barkers go to forwards. there is so many good no.6 however cranbrook havent really played any strong competion this year so hard to tell how there players are actually tracking.

 

[pocockenthusiast1973]

well you could argue that Nathaniel Thomas (Barker) has been robbed not being in the CAS 1st team seeing as he is one of barkers go to forwards. there is so many good no.6 however cranbrook havent really played any strong competion this year so hard to tell how there players are actually tracking.

Cheers for your insight on this discussion baked beans.

 

[frount lowers]

I've heard whispers that Samuel Fingleton (3) is returning to Waverley for the Cranbrook match. May be Huge for Waverley as he has had much experience in 1,2 XV and it could be a big test for Cranbrook Scrum to contain him. Could see him coming off the bench for 1s and 2s to ease him back into playing.

 

[RUCKS R US]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5shiY0bjYc&ab_channel=StStanislaus%27CollegeBathurst
Watching the Barker vs Stannies game noticed in the first 5 minutes very undisciplined giving away 2 stupid penalties leading to a Stannies try. Also at 15:40 in the video clear lack of cohesion within the team with a skill issue within 10 metres of the try line. I really think they need to tighten up their game heading into the first round of CAS.
Thoughts? Ruchko out.

 

[Snort]

This is true. It’s honestly a massive predicament that CAS Rugby has found themselves in. Alloys aren’t competitive in rugby and won’t be until they’re able to provide scholarships to players. The GPS had this problem with Shore being uncompetitive but their structure changed and now they are very competitive. It would suit having a 10 round CAS competition, but you can’t just get rid of team for the values their school uphold. Maybe there does need to be a change in the structure of schoolboy footy, and a structure of a competition with tiers of the teams from the GPS, CAS and ISA could make footy more competitive. However, I don’t see this as a viable solution, as it ruins the culture and profound history of the 3 competitions

I fear that your knowledge of history is pretty shallow. What "culture and profound history" do you mean? is it the proud tradition of Sydney Grammar and Sydney High playing in the GPS 3rd XV competition?

Here's how the history of GPS, CAS and ISA works: exclusion. A bunch of schools asked if they could join the GPS. They were told "no", so they formed the CAS. Then a bunch of schools asked if they could join the CAS. They were told "no" and so they formed the ISA. That's the "culture" - you're not one of us, go away. It's not something worth defending. What holds back the idea of a sensible, tiered Sydney schools Rugby competition is that the GPS schools persist in believing that they have something special that needs to be preserved to the exclusion of other schools.

But the traditional systems are no longer fit for purpose.

GPS wasn't designed so that 25% of its schools couldn't field teams in the 1st XV competition. CAS wasn't designed so that St Aloysius could leak 97 points to Barker. But that's the reality we need to face, not some weirdly romanticised idea about the way things were in 1896.

The reality is that a 10-round CAS competition is unsustainable because, when it did exist, the schools with less depth in any given year were usually so badly impacted by injuries that the games at the end of the season were horrible mismatches, which produced both unedifying football and an unacceptable risk of injury. Usually the schools impacted were Cranbrook, Trinity and St Aloysius, but not always - one year, let's not forget, Trinity beat an injury-depleted Knox 1st XV 73-10.

A tiered structure is the only sensible solution.

 

[Eyes and Ears]

It is so frustrating that there isn't more desire to fix this issue. I am sure that there could be a way to have a Tier 1 combined competition and still have a GPS and CAS champion declared through that competition. Frankly Australian rugby would be better off for it but "tradition" or "self-interest" rule the way. Schools rugby is not the only competition where we need transformation to help fix a struggling game.