Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
If I may I would like to give out the "Most Dumb Award To A Coach".. Without saying his name but the Rugby Union Coach of Auggies Top Side, who Stupidly played His Top NSW Fast Winger and Manly Sea Eagles Holden Cup Winger in a TRIAL against Waverley and has Broken his Jaw ( out for 6 weeks ) by an Opposition Player who looked to have not a lot of Experience under his belt. Which is fine to play All these Boys, that's what trials are about and Accidents do happen ! But WHY would you Risk your Best Back in a Stupid Trial ! A lot of people are asking the same Question, including Manly Sea Eagles who are not happy !
I won't comment on this specific match or incident as I don't know specific information.
What I would say is that you usually play all your players in trials as trials have 2 functions: 1) to work out who the best players are and 2) to have your best players getting combinations together before the season starts.
In theory, any time a player takes the field, there is some risk of injury. Playing a player carrying an injury in a trial for that player to aggravate that injury would be silly, but a broken jaw can't really be foreseen by a coach. I assume that he would also have played trial games for the Sea Eagles at some stage this year and could just have easily been injured in those.
It's tragic for the boy concerned and he has my sympathy regardless of whether or not it affects his rugby league career.