NSW club rugby thread

[Scarfman]

I crawled past Pirates v Marlins at about 2kms / hour. Unfortunately, someone had just scored a try, so I got to see 29 wet rugby players stand around while 1 wet rugby player fiddled with the kicking tee.

 

[Pfitzy]

I crawled past Pirates v Marlins at about 2kms / hour.

What pub were you crawling out of? 2km/h is good for a man with a stuffed plantar tendon I might add!

naza - reckon Manly are missing Hewat?

 

[naza]

;D They could do with a S14 calibre guy to show them how its done. But Manly have been pretty ordinary for a while now. They're a bit like Southern Districts in that they try hard enough but they just don't have the dynamic athletes to make an impact. Odd when you remember the big Islander types they routinely produced for a while - Willie O, Palu, Meli Nakuta, Semi Taupeaufe et al.

 

[Pfitzy]

Islanders can't afford to live on the north shore now unless they have a S14 contract, in which case they probably only got noticed at another club.

 

[spectator]

How good is that Randwick winger ? The next Lomu. Deadset ! Sign him up.

I saw him on the TV in the Rd 2 game and he looked impressive didn't he?

I was on an errand in Manly on Saturday afternoon and I noticed that Manly were playing just before I saw this miracle parking spot; so I pulled over and walked to near the gate at the Oval and looked through the fence. (Not that I am cheap, but I wanted to get home to see the Crusaders at 3.30. Actually, I am cheap.)

There were the Galloping Greens and there was the big bloke - Ratu Nasiganiyavi , who is actually an Aussie being born here. They made a couple of plays to him in the corner near where I was before I had to leave, but he got ball and tacklers together, both times.

The 20 year old is a pretty impressive unit and on the TV looked pretty fast for his build (120 kgs, 195cms). His dad played for Qld IIRR but I've never heard anything about the kid before except one comment last year that a big Fijian lad in Randwick Colts was another Wendell Sailor and running over folks; so it must have been him. His arse and thighs are as big as Wendell's.

I wonder why the NSWRU haven't spotted him before this - and why he hasn't got any gigs in Schools or U/19 teams?

The TV commentators said that they were told that he wasn't fit yet - well geez, he looked OK 25 metres away from me. FFS get him in the Academy, or Sevens team - or something.

I was scratching my head when reading about this bloke. In 2005 and/or 2006 there was a massive Fijian by the name of Nemani Nasiganiyavi who played wing for Nudgee College in Brisbane. Had plenty of wraps on him and was devastating but may not have finished school. Only reason I can think of why you never saw him LG? The same name is popping up in the current Fiji U20 squad.

Same bloke?

 

[AussieDominance]

I was at Gordon v Eastwood.

Eastwood lost if after half time and Gordon played some enterprising rugby Dave Harvey is a decent club 5/8 and basically helped the gordon backs run rings around the inexperienced boys from eastwood.

Lee you will be pleased to know after Lachie Mcaffrey who was in 3rd grade last week after deciding to head back after playing trials with Sydney Uni played 2's and did well and then made an appearance in 1st grade 15-20 run and didn't make a big impression but didn't get dominated either good around the field etc.

 

[naza]

Easts managed to lose to Sydney Uni 38-16 after being ahead 16-5 at halftime.

Shocked by how poor the Easts defence was. Despite dominating possession and forcing the Students into making a gazillion tackles in the first half, they were weak and lethargic in the second half and Uni waltzed through their defence with ease. Credit to Uni for improving their scrum significantly. Their defence will give every team in the comp headaches. Easts have got the same problems as last year and have plenty of work to do. Without McGann at openside and Burgess running the show at 9, we lack class in key roles.

Can I just say how much I loathe, hate and despise the ELVs ? They are an abomination. The ELVs must go. Anybody who supports the ELVs must be rounded up into concentration camps and gassed. I'm still waiting for a Uni tackler in the first half to roll away. Sydney Uni are masters of manipulating the rules. Tackling players who are cleaning out ? Fine in the ELV era. Diving off your feet to kill the ball ? Fine in the ELV era. Anything goes. Using your clean out pillars as decoys ? Fine in the ELV era. And seriously, since the ELV have been brought in, has there been a single phase of play where players have been onside ?

The ELVs are a joke. I'm sick of watching tight forwards running out in the backline and seeing the maul turned into a joke. I'm sick of every team playing the same way. Let's stop the 'spin it wide' thrashwank brigade from destroying real rugby. They are just pretenders who secretly love league and yearn to watch league with a union crowd.

As for the other results this round - mostly predictable. I'm just happy Gordon beat those bastards from Warringah. God I hate the Rats. Gordon 3rd on the ladder now. I have no idea how. There is no Highlander renaissance, they don't have any quality talent emerging. They just work hard and take care of the bread and butter basics.

Back to the beers...

 

[Pfitzy]

There is no Highlander renaissance, they don't have any quality talent emerging. They just work hard and take care of the bread and butter basics.

As opposed to Easts who rely on two players to do everything - and when one of them is GdB you know you're in trouble. That Taumoepeau (sp?) guy looks good tho.

 

[naza]

There is no Highlander renaissance, they don't have any quality talent emerging. They just work hard and take care of the bread and butter basics.

As opposed to Easts who rely on two players to do everything - and when one of them is GdB you know you're in trouble. That Taumoepeau (sp?) guy looks good tho.

That's Zipper - the Joeys & Australian schoolboy back Lee has been raving about.

I have no idea what your stir is about. We'll be there semi-final time. Unless you are a closet Sydney Uni fan and want to see them win it again ?

 

[Pfitzy]

Not really - but the reason you'll be in the semis has nothing to do with the fact that Easts are somehow good - its to do with the fact that club rugby is in such dire straits that only about 4 teams are competitive to begin with.

 

[naza]

Pos. Team P W D L PTS
1 Sydney University 5 5 0 0 24
2 Randwick 5 4 0 1 20
3 Gordon 5 4 0 1 18
4 Northern Suburbs 5 3 0 2 16
5 Warringah 5 3 0 2 16
6 West Harbour 5 3 0 2 16
7 Eastern Suburbs 5 3 0 2 15
8 Parramatta 5 2 0 3 10
9 Eastwood 5 2 0 3 10
10 Southern Districts 5 1 0 4 7
11 Manly 5 0 0 5 2
12 Penrith 5 0 0 5 2




Wrong yet again. What's that - 500 times in a row. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

 

[Pfitzy]

So tell me you're surprised to see Uni and Randwick leading, while Penrith, Parramatta and Souths are in the bottom 5? Wherever you go, there you are :

 

[naza]

So tell me you're surprised to see Uni and Randwick leading, while Penrith, Parramatta and Souths are in the bottom 5? Wherever you go, there you are :

By that logic, the Super 14 is in dire straits because the Crusaders keep winning all the time. So too the Bledisloe, the Tri-Nations...

 

[Pfitzy]

Yes I do think the Trinations is in dire straits, but not just because the Kiwis win it more often than not - its stale.

About as stale of a competition to pick who is going to be in the finals of the Shute Shield. One dominant team is not necessarily bad - at least others have the chance to knock them off. When your team has no hope of even getting to the finals, then upsets are less likely on the day to get you into the big show. This is the situation we have in club rugby now in Sydney.

When its one team, the others have to adapt to catch up. When its effectively a two-tier competition there is little hope.

 

[naza]

Having a great time watching Randwick demolishing Lee's Rats. Somebody throw in the white towel !

 

[Pfitzy]

As I reclined in the warmth of the fire I built in my Kangaroo Valley hideaway, Mrs TA slept and the kids were, for once, quiet and companionable. I flicked on ABC1 to watch Parramatta take on Easts and cheered them on as they chalked up a great win for rugby on behalf of Western Sydney - despite the best efforts of the officials to hand the match to Easts, that is. Warms the cockles of my heart to see a side playing rugby the way it should be played actually getting the win. That will show those toff power brokers the mistake they made in trashing the ARC.

And Gavin de Bartolo lived right up to his reputation I might add. Shocking.

 

[naza]

Easts have turned into a rabble. What a turnaround. They haven't been the same since the Sydney Uni game.

 

[formeropenside]

As I reclined in the warmth of the fire I built in my Kangaroo Valley hideaway, Mrs TA slept and the kids were, for once, quiet and companionable. I flicked on ABC1 to watch Parramatta take on Easts and cheered them on as they chalked up a great win for rugby on behalf of Western Sydney - despite the best efforts of the officials to hand the match to Easts, that is. Warms the cockles of my heart to see a side playing rugby the way it should be played actually getting the win. That will show those toff power brokers the mistake they made in trashing the ARC.

And Gavin de Bartolo lived right up to his reputation I might add. Shocking.

He's been named in the US national squad, apparently.

 

[AussieDominance]

Due to the tahs extended Super 14 run it has helped the Gordon boys . Only Beau Robinson was scheduled to come back which he can't now so .... all good up chatswood way!

 

[naza]

Great game today on the ABC.

Is 'Neo' Halangahu a better goalkicker than his brother ?
Were Leo Afeaki and Stephen Hoiles injured because Sydney club rugby is harder than the Brumbies ?
Will Waratah Jeremy Tilse ever play 1st grade again ?
Were the 2 times players were rucked the most exciting moments in the game ?
Was it weird cheering the evildoers from Randwick ? Yes, yes, it was but suck shit Sydney Uni.
Is Ratu 1000 times more dangerous than Francis Fanifo ?
Is Brett Sheehan going to join Randwick to fill in at inside centre ?
Does my pathological hatred for Uni openside Jonno Jenkins mean he's a talented flanker or just another Uni wanker ?
Are Sydney Uni's coaches fans of Logan's Run ?
Is there anything better than a post-match stink ?

Sydney club rugby - it has it all.