The Galah
Darby Loudon (17)
Not at the expense of a good gate .
Shute Shield 2013
- Thread starter Hugh Jarse
- Start date
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Not at the expense of a good gate .
Late Starter
Allen Oxlade (6)
I've seen plenty of players come through colts at Uni and then leave to other clubs as they arent happy about being in 3rd or 4th grade. James Helliwell and Callum Fryer turned out in 1st grade for Randwick on Saturday were both Uni colts. Easts is the most common destination.
It is what it is
John Solomon (38)
Any good ones?
Interested party
Frank Nicholson (4)
All clubs are invited to tender for the finals and decisions obviously made for ease of televising and closeness of venues as well as the state of the ground.
Any club having multiple teams in would want them playing at the same venue or at least nearby for the convenience of getting reserves from one team to the other eg 4th grade backs up for 3rd. This coming weekends schedule of games looks fair to the vast majority of clubs participating.
lily
Vay Wilson (31)
Tom Egan captained Easts after leaving Uni. I'm sure Bruce Ross has his bio on standby somewhere.
Bruce Ross
Ken Catchpole (46)
It's probably just a personal peculiarity but I think that sneering at young blokes who are still developing as players is poor form.
I know each of the players mentioned quite well - one of them still uses me as a mentor - and frustration obviously was a definite issue in them choosing to go to other clubs. But the real issue is why do so many others choose to stay. I remember there was considerable speculation about this during the fifteen or so years when Randwick was arguably the best rugby club in the world. My view from over the fence is that it came down to two things. The first was reflected glory. At that time if you said you played for Randwick people assumed you were a good footballer, whereas if you said you played for Uni a similar conclusion wasn't necessarily drawn.
The more important reason was that players were drawn to a particular playing culture. Playing for Randwick was fun and probably much more so because of their dominance. And there was the pursuit of excellence, although I don't think that extended to their training.
I think that too little emphasis is put on a club's culture; the need for it to be coherent and ongoing; and for players to have a real feeling of belonging. That's where more-or-less amateur clubs have a great advantage over professional teams. The franchises tend to chew people up and spit them out. When your time is up you're not really part of anything any more. And most contracted players don't find the lifestyle particularly enjoyable or rewarding.
Now to Sydney Uni. I coached First Colts - not very well - back in 1989. At that time, as at most clubs, the general approach was that players turned up at training twice a week if they had nothing better to do. But Uni was hampered by an outmoded and anachronistic game plan based on forward dominance put into practice by what were rightfully regarded as soft private schoolboys.
Transforming the Uni culture without renouncing it has been the work of two decades. But what I think has been perhaps the major catalyst for change has been a revolution in the approach to training. What you now have are players who train for 11 months of the year, with about one hundred players involved in either the Elite Development Squad or the Wider Training Group. And the emphasis is on training heavy with occasional instances of players doing PB lifts in the week of a Grand Final. Most of these players train like professionals and this training in itself can become addictive. Couple that with an appropriate playing style, what I have termed Physical Imposition, and you have an environment which enables players to explore just how good they can be. And it has to be acknowledged that Uni are in the fortunate position of being able to afford to employ top level coaches and sport scientists to assist players to do this.
I know that many people ridicule the idea that a large part of Uni's success can be put down to working harder and smarter, and it doesn't concern me that such attitudes persist. One of the principal rules of combat is to know your enemy.
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Informer
Ward Prentice (10)
^^^^^^^
As the parent of a young man who has progressed through uni colts and is now playing grade I totally endorse Bruce's sentiments. My son and his mates grind it out for 11 months of the year while other kids are out having a good time. He thrives in this environment and had said to me he could not and would not play with another club that that did not adopt this professional approach.
He will probably never go any further than running on occasionally for uni firsts but what he does get out of the club is a true sense of being part of a community where hard work is rewarded and he is among friends who enjoy each others company.
It is up to the other clubs to get serious and there are good signs in clubs like Manly. South, Parramatta and Eastwood where they have made excellent progress. It is not about money, it is about structure, discipline and hard work at all levels, including coaches and players.
To be honest I am sick and tired of sitting on the side line each week and hearing other club's supporters bagging Uni. The game on Saturday against Randwick was no exception with a bunch of foul mouthed morons who were constantly shouting abuse,cheering when a uni player was injured and haranguing the ref. Whilst you have that culture you will never rise to the level of Uni because all you are doing is finding excuses rather than finding solutions. The scoreboard on Saturday reflected the difference in culture in the two clubs more than anything else.
As the parent of a young man who has progressed through uni colts and is now playing grade I totally endorse Bruce's sentiments. My son and his mates grind it out for 11 months of the year while other kids are out having a good time. He thrives in this environment and had said to me he could not and would not play with another club that that did not adopt this professional approach.
He will probably never go any further than running on occasionally for uni firsts but what he does get out of the club is a true sense of being part of a community where hard work is rewarded and he is among friends who enjoy each others company.
It is up to the other clubs to get serious and there are good signs in clubs like Manly. South, Parramatta and Eastwood where they have made excellent progress. It is not about money, it is about structure, discipline and hard work at all levels, including coaches and players.
To be honest I am sick and tired of sitting on the side line each week and hearing other club's supporters bagging Uni. The game on Saturday against Randwick was no exception with a bunch of foul mouthed morons who were constantly shouting abuse,cheering when a uni player was injured and haranguing the ref. Whilst you have that culture you will never rise to the level of Uni because all you are doing is finding excuses rather than finding solutions. The scoreboard on Saturday reflected the difference in culture in the two clubs more than anything else.
the coach
Bob Davidson (42)
Informer, I wasn't at the game on Saturday and I'm disappointed that there were (I assume) Randwick supporters behaving in the fashion you've described.
However, I'd suggest you are being unfair if you are assessing a club's culture based on the behaviour of a group of their supporters. Every club (even Uni I expect) has supporters they would rather went somewhere else on a Saturday afternoon. However, we live in a democracy so we're stuck with them.
I have no doubt that Uni's success is the result of hard work and dedication, but to suggest that the scoreboard on Saturday was due mainly to differences in the two teams' culture is baloney.
The Uni team was full of full time professional rugby players, all the Randwick players are part timers who have full time jobs outside of rugby and obviously cannot afford the time (and the club doesn't have the paid staff and resources) to train 11 months of the year.
Good luck to Uni for their success, but please be realistic when comparing your club with the others and suggesting we can all copy Uni's example.
Late Starter
Allen Oxlade (6)
I get a bit sick of the abuse dished out to Tom Carter every other week at opposition grounds. Although I don't think it bothers him at all and some of it is because he antagonises the opposition himself; but the guy has played more matches for the Waratahs than any other centre in the history of the state, he's also found the time to play more than 100 first grade games for the most successful club side of the decade and won half a dozen premierships while he's at it. So I think it's a bit ridiculous that a bunch of boozed up 4th graders who have just been on the wrong side of a 70-0 scoreline, get their highlight of the day from shouting abuse at they guy.
the coach
Bob Davidson (42)
LS, I agree with you.
I've always thought that Tom adds a bit of personality to the game, but I guess it's the same as asking NZ crowds to stop bagging Quade Cooper. Once something like this starts it's very hard to stop.
PS: It's not just "boozed up 4th graders" who bag him every week.
Late Starter
Allen Oxlade (6)
My guess is that they're sharing the coverage around given that at least one of West Harbour and Randwick aren't going to be around next week. Though I think 2 top 4 matches are going to be crackers.
Unless it's a ploy to make sure more people go to TG Milner.
I like to watch
David Codey (61)
I reckon that club rugby tv will cover the semi's that the ABC doesn't.
Done that
Ron Walden (29)
Perhaps they are assuming that the top 4 clubs will be featured in upcoming games in the weeks to follow.
GunnerDownUnder
Jim Clark (26)
I think people get carried away with the Uni thing to easily.
Its only a game, but a game we all love and probably have put to much time and importance into during our lives.
Since I arrived here Uni have won the comp almost every year - they have the best squad and seem to have the best training and coaching regimes also.
There will always be a team we love to hate and one of the first things I was told when i arrived was I should support a team other than Uni and then cheer on any team that was playing against Uni that week also.
Its probably such feelings as this that help keep the comp going.
Tall poppy syndrome or cheering on the underdog - whatever it is it doesnt seem to harm Uni or their players.
Did anyone watch the half time performance on Saturday at Homebush? If so what kind of reaction do you think it got from non-Uni supporters?
Its only a game, but a game we all love and probably have put to much time and importance into during our lives.
Since I arrived here Uni have won the comp almost every year - they have the best squad and seem to have the best training and coaching regimes also.
There will always be a team we love to hate and one of the first things I was told when i arrived was I should support a team other than Uni and then cheer on any team that was playing against Uni that week also.
Its probably such feelings as this that help keep the comp going.
Tall poppy syndrome or cheering on the underdog - whatever it is it doesnt seem to harm Uni or their players.
Did anyone watch the half time performance on Saturday at Homebush? If so what kind of reaction do you think it got from non-Uni supporters?
Stag XV
Frank Nicholson (4)
I for one wouldn't have minded seeing Newington win that one...
GunnerDownUnder
Jim Clark (26)
I for one wouldn't have minded seeing Newington win that one.
Ref was definitely on the take, as was the guy that took the kick for Newington
FilthRugby
Nicholas Shehadie (39)
I still reckon Eastwood will win the Premiership. They have been going gangbusters all year.
Perhaps 'the coach' could answer my query as to why The Wicks have dropped off?
Perhaps 'the coach' could answer my query as to why The Wicks have dropped off?
Late Starter
Allen Oxlade (6)
Randwick have only dropped off in 1st grade which is a little puzzling. They have plenty of depth and are still very strong through the grades with their 2nds 3rds and 4ths all finishing in the top 4. Plus there was a 5th grade fixture against Uni on Saturday so the numbers are still there.
Drew
Bob Davidson (42)
Agree with coach, a bunch of loudmouths are at every game, yes its poor form to bag carter, but as said it was a minority. And I doubt it would bother him. Which would you prefer; 10 pissed lower graders heckling you? Or playing in SA with thousands wanting blood?
I think the on field efforts of the 3 games I saw showed randwick has a great culture. The 3s held out uni at the death with 5 minutes of uni attacking inside their quarter to win by 7. The 2nds lost by 9 points to essentially the uni 1st xv, which is top 4, before the super rugby guys came back. And the firsts, although flogged, never stopped trying when obviously out gunned.
I think the on field efforts of the 3 games I saw showed randwick has a great culture. The 3s held out uni at the death with 5 minutes of uni attacking inside their quarter to win by 7. The 2nds lost by 9 points to essentially the uni 1st xv, which is top 4, before the super rugby guys came back. And the firsts, although flogged, never stopped trying when obviously out gunned.
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