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Shute Shield vs Hospital Cup

Wallaby Ways

Chris McKivat (8)
I sat down with a few of my mates from o north of the Tweed. We couldn’t determine which competition was stronger now, or at any stage in the last 25 years.
 

HooperPocockSmith

Bill Watson (15)
The top 4 Hospital Cup teams could compete in the SS and perhaps the best team would challenge for the premiership. Otherwise there’s a significant gulf in the competition.
Plenty of SS players have gone to QLD and dominated. Not much can be said the other way. Look at Stowers from Bond. Couldn’t make Eastwood 1st grade and last year wins the Alec Evans medal. There are plenty of other examples.
 
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SouthernX

Peter Johnson (47)
During Covid - QPR became the better competition.

The QLD teams constantly featured Melbourne Rebels and Fijian Drua mixed in throughout the lineups.

I do watch Shute shield - feels a little slower pace & tighter game plans on the eyes… but I do have rose shaded “QLDER” glasses on.
 

Pfitzy

George Gregan (70)
I am probably biased, but the Shute Shield games seem to be played on better grounds?

You are biased ;) but watching on TV, I'd believe you.

Some of the Hospital Cup pitches looked very short of a drink mid-season 2023. The same could be said of a few in Sydney during dry years as well.

I'll say for "Premier" clubs, the spend on facilities is probably the biggest surprise for me, every time I visit a Premier Ground. Notable exception being Concord, but that doesn't really "belong" to the Pirates. Tweedale similarly doesn't belong to the WSTB and lacks a few things IMHO.
 

The Ghost of Raelene

Andrew Slack (58)
Let the Australian Club Championships decide
I like the game and the concept but their very different teams that run out for both. Sydney Uni last year had a couple guys play who it was their debut for them and just finished school.
I am probably biased, but the Shute Shield games seem to be played on better grounds?
Not across the QLD grounds but reading some comments I may agree. A handful of cricket pitches in the SS though at Nth Syd, Chatswood, Coogee and the god awful synthetic at Easts.
 

Agent

Bill Watson (15)
You don't enjoy playing rugby on dirt and rocks (Wests) or some unholy combination of bacteria from a neighboring septic tank (Brothers)?

I had a short playing career for Wests in the early 2000's. Right at the start of the season a bloke said to me "you'll get a boil from the dirty ground". It wouldn't have been 2 weeks later and sure enough I had a massive infection in my arm that came up as a festy boil!
 
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CreepyJoe

Allen Oxlade (6)
I like the game and the concept but their very different teams that run out for both. Sydney Uni last year had a couple guys play who it was their debut for them and just finished school.

Not across the QLD grounds but reading some comments I may agree. A handful of cricket pitches in the SS though at Nth Syd, Chatswood, Coogee and the god awful synthetic at Easts.
You left off that debacle of a field the locals call the Village Green at Manly. When it's wet it's a mud pit.
 

The Ghost of Raelene

Andrew Slack (58)
You left off that debacle of a field the locals call the Village Green at Manly. When it's wet it's a mud pit.
True. Hopefully it gets a big upgrade with the developments down there.

Surprising since it is a premier grade cricket oval as well. Although, Chatswood gets pretty worn down and it is as well.
 
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