Rams versus Brisvegas @ Parramatta, Fri 3rd Oct

[Pfitzy]

Great night out - perfect temps at this time of year.

Alcock fucking destroyed Brisbane on the ground, and with Sigg dominating in the air, the only thing the visitors had was scrum, and even that creaked until they were a man up.

Ref fell into the old trap of only handing out cards late, when he should have probably given Mafi one in the first half.

I was surprised to hear Browning's name called as he left the field - I hadn't even realised he was on because the Brissie forwards were getting smacked so hard at the breakdown.

The Henrys smashed it in midfield and what about Jarome Mackenzie?

Jarome "Muthafucka" Mackenzie. Jeez that kid is good. I shook his hand on the way out (he was on the phone) and he's lean like a fucking greyhound. I just hope whoever picks him up - and someone surely will - they don't ruin him with gym work.

That try of Kurdrani's showed what Quade could do with front-foot ball, but he still looked a little hesitant in contact coming off injury. Understandable.

Hidden talent in the west of Sydney no longer. I know he played with Penrith this year but does anyone know his background before 2014? League?

Second half of this blog post:

http://ramsrugby.com.au/news/rams-p...-the-west-where-nothing-is-taken-for-granted/

Flying the flag for exactly the kind of talent that Beale speaks of is young Penrith fullback, Jarome Mackenzie, who has been tearing up the right wing in the RAMS’ past three matches, crossing for tries in all three games.

Like Beale, Mackenzie comes into the RAMS squad from a tough introduction in life, where he still lives in a housing commission home in Wentworthville with his parents, three brothers, and a sister, and with the extended family all coming and going.

Typically Mackenzie works as a labourer a few days a week, and spends most of his spare time playing touch footy with his mates. The increased NRC training schedule has meant he’s had to put the labouring on hold while he chases the opportunities rugby is providing him. And coming from a purely club rugby background, it’s certainly not a massive NRC contract. The touch footy might be a harder habit to break.

A typical training day will mean leaving home in the late morning, catching the train for anywhere up to two hours on its way into the City, and then the walk uphill to Moore Park. If training doesn’t wrap up until 8:00 or 8:30pm, it’s often pushing 10:30 or 11:00pm when he arrives home.

Whereas his brothers Cecil and KJ were representative rugby league stars growing up, Jarome never was. After playing Shute Shield rugby for Penrith this year, the Greater Sydney RAMS represents the highest level he’s played on.

Still only learning the game in the first full year of rugby after playing NSW Cup rugby league for Wentworthville last year, Mackenzie has been one of the surprise packets in the RAMS side.

“It was hard to start with, I wasn’t sure if I’d get a turn [to play], but then I got an opportunity after a couple of games,” Mackenzie told us.

“It’s good, it’s a big step up from Shute Shield to the NRC, and everything is just so much faster. Positional play and stuff like that I’m still learning long the way, but it’s a massive step up for me to be playing.”

Still a relative shy young guy, Mackenzie says being part of a back three unit alongside big Taqele Naiyaravoro and Dane Chisholm – both recent league converts themselves – has really helped him, and they’re all building their confidence in a new game together.

“We’re all trying to help each other out as much as we can, especially with what to do on counter attack, and things like that. We all used to play against each other last year in the NSW Cup, so we used to bump into each other and we knew each other coming into the RAMS, so we’ve been helping each other out.

“I’ve been pretty happy with my game. I didn’t think going in that I’d get much game time, I would’ve been happy to get one or two games at the back end of the season. The boys have been helping me, and I feel comfortable in the team, so I guess that’s why I playing pretty good.

“The boys are encouraging me to get involved, where at the start I just stood back a bit. Especially at training – half of the boys have played Super Rugby and they know the game inside out, but I’m still picking up the game. At the start I wasn’t sure, and kind of ‘what are you doing here?’ you ask yourself. But I’m getting more comfortable in the team, and I guess that’s showing performance wise,” Mackenzie said.

What Mackenzie has already discovered via the RAMS is just where rugby can take him, even if he’s not quite sure playing overseas is something he wants to do just yet – “I’m pretty happy being at home,” he said. Even just this NRC season, the RAMS have seen him playing in Adelaide and Brisbane, and he’s well aware of the significant global pull of rugby as opposed to the more local focus of rugby league.

Though they’ve not yet met – and Beale hopes to get around the RAMS on his return from Argentina (“I might even be able to sneak a game,” he said, quite excitedly) – Mackenzie already looks to Beale as an inspiration, and as motivation to make the most of the opportunities rugby is providing him.

“Yeah, definitely. To see how he’s gone through it all and made it, it really helps to know that if he can do it, if you do the work, it just goes to show what you can do,” Mackenzie says.

And that very point is something the excites the Greater Sydney RAMS. Whether it’s Jarome Mackenzie or someone else, who is the next Kurtley Beale from the west, ready to let rugby change his life?

 

[drewprint]

The above blog post is a great example of how powerful the NRC can be for our code. Getting some of these bloody talented young guys out of the league system and into union earlier.

 

[Pfitzy]

Not even getting them OUT of league - just giving them the opportunity for rugby as a first choice.