Sydney Colts - 2014

[wreckless]

Now my son is no Maths genius but he reckons St Andrews won by a point .
According to St Andrews, their side was depleted by injury! Jim Stewart and Henry Clunies-Ross were out but still plenty of capable players available.
Perhaps the scorer was drunk so we may have a disputed result in the Rawson Cup!

More likely I got it wrong! Cheers, Wreckless

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Now my son is no Maths genius but he reckons St Andrews won by a point .
According to St Andrews, their side was depleted by injury! Jim Stewart and Henry Clunies-Ross were out but still plenty of capable players available.
Perhaps the scorer was drunk so we may have a disputed result in the Rawson Cup!

Not all boys in the Uni Colleges play for Sydney Uni Colts. For a variety of reasons, some play for clubs they may have historic or emotional links with. Do these boys, such as the Clancy's, play Rawson Cup footy for their College?

 

[I like to watch]

Jeesuz,there are some mismatches,with some of the names quoted here.
Fringe 1st graders/national 20's players against Colts 2's players?

 

[Hugh Jarse]

I'd wager to suggest that there would be a few Nigel Nobodies from the equivalent of AAGPS Spaghetti Cup level, as well as former 1st and 2nd XV boys from lesser "known" rugby schools playing for some of the colleges.

 

[I like to watch]

Well,the Nigel nobodies is about colts 2 level isn't it?
It's amazing seeing the gap between many Schoolboy stars,and "the Nigel's" disappear,when the advantages of better facilities and more training sessions evaporate.
I saw a kid that never started in the 1's at School,turn a "former Schoolboy star" into road kill on the weekend.they were the same size.
Advantage over.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Well,the Nigel nobodies is about colts 2 level isn't it?

[edit HJ: ^^ too funny. worth a double ]

It's amazing seeing the gap between many Schoolboy stars,and "the Nigel's" disappear,when the advantages of better facilities and more training sessions evaporate.

[edit HJ: other factors contribute as well WRT levelling the playing field, but you are right.]

I saw a kid that never started in the 1's at School,turn a "former Schoolboy star" into road kill on the weekend.they were the same size.
Advantage over.

Statistically > 1/2 the rockstars don't make it, and plenty of the Nigels do make it.

The Corporation has a habit of success with Nigels in their Colts programme, as does the Marlins and the Hobbits. Other clubs are in the process of establishing programmes to do likewise with varying degrees of success. Yes many of the Students live in colleges on campus and they have some good facilities there as well that make it easy for them to focus on training. They are still full time students with a full time academic workload to do in conjunction with their rugby activities. Then there are the likes of the Cameron Skelton's playing for Uni, who undertake long commutes to progress their rugby. This Nigel was on the bench for CHS II's last year and is hardly a schoolboy rockstar, despite his obvious size and genetic link with Big Willie S.

Not all Colts 2's are Nigels. The 2014 variation of Player Points system forces some clubs to warehouse some rockstars in the Colts 2's, because Nigels developed organically, and in their second year of Colts 1's are now worth 3 player points.

 

[Cattledog]

Well,the Nigel nobodies is about colts 2 level isn't it?
It's amazing seeing the gap between many Schoolboy stars,and "the Nigel's" disappear,when the advantages of better facilities and more training sessions evaporate.
I saw a kid that never started in the 1's at School,turn a "former Schoolboy star" into road kill on the weekend.they were the same size.
Advantage over.

Couldn't agree more and a recent conversation I had with another club revolved around the concept of rock star players who reach their absolute rugby peak in year 12. Even when placed in the best program in the country they lack the physical potential to become more than what they were in year 12.

However, with the ARU pathway drawing from an ever shrinking number of elite rugby academies (sorry schools) with extreme financial & cultural expectations (who themselves draw from a narrow demographic) the situation does not look like improving any time soon.

Unfortunately due to the lack of investment in emerging Sydney communities and the ARU's over reliance on a tiny number of rugby schools to conduct recruitment & development (on its behalf) it is my humble opinion that hundreds of athletes with outstanding rugby X factor are simply just not being encouraged, captured, or identified.

For this our game is getting poorer at all levels.

BTW U12 Trial last night at The wills ground Penrith 50 def SUFC 17 and in the 11's SUFC 20 def Penrith 10.

 

[I like to watch]

They hit their peak in yr 12 because it's an unlevel playing field.
If a kid training twice weekly can compete with a rock star who is training 9 or 10 sessions a week,it's logical to expect that he will leapfrog the rock star when they compete on equal footing.

 

[Cattledog]

They hit their peak in yr 12 because it's an unlevel playing field.
If a kid training twice weekly can compete with a rock star who is training 9 or 10 sessions a week,it's logical to expect that he will leapfrog the rock star when they compete on equal footing.

True and Unfortunately some of the frogs leave the pond before they get the opportunity to leap or (even more unfortunately ) some don't even make it into the pond in the first place!

More frogs I say!!!!!

 

[wreckless]

Statistically > 1/2 the rockstars don't make it, and plenty of the Nigels do make it.

The Corporation has a habit of success with Nigels in their Colts programme, as does the Marlins and the Hobbits. Other clubs are in the process of establishing programmes to do likewise with varying degrees of success. Yes many of the Students live in colleges on campus and they have some good facilities there as well that make it easy for them to focus on training. They are still full time students with a full time academic workload to do in conjunction with their rugby activities. Then there are the likes of the Cameron Skelton's playing for Uni, who undertake long commutes to progress their rugby. This Nigel was on the bench for CHS II's last year and is hardly a schoolboy rockstar, despite his obvious size and genetic link with Big Willie S.

Not all Colts 2's are Nigels. The 2014 variation of Player Points system forces some clubs to warehouse some rockstars in the Colts 2's, because Nigels developed organically, and in their second year of Colts 1's are now worth a 3 player points.

Would I be correct in taking from this and other comments that "Nigel Nobodies" is a perjorative term and somehow reflects that the Colts 2's are somewhat inferior to those "stars" playing in the 1st's? I hope not - there are a lot of good young men going around in the 2's ( for very good reasons )! As HJ says - there are points to be managed but I would recoil from telling my lad that he's a "Nigel Nobody" because he's in the 2nds!!!!

My own "Nigel Nobody" - GPSrow - is having a great time enjoying the GAME - in Gordon 2nd's with an occasional run on in the 1st's. Good for him - don't tell him he's a nobody!!!

Get over the "stars" and get on with the game I say!

Cheers, Wreckless

 

[I like to watch]

Settle down,in the context they were discussed,they would be players without a huge scrapbook,that are not rock stars and do not have a manager.
A mismatch of a player of Colts 2 standard against highly rated,well known players who have 1st grade experience and National selection in the 20's squad.

 

[wreckless]

Settle down,in the context they were discussed,they would be players without a huge scrapbook,that are not rock stars and do not have a manager.
A mismatch of a player of Colts 2 standard against highly rated,well known players who have 1st grade experience and National selection in the 20's squad.

Edit - argumentative

I simply asked if the term was a put down! If that's your criteria then it covers about 99% of the players! That is NO :

• huge scrapbook
• rock stars
• no manager

Players Colts 2 standard regularly take the field as subs or replacements in Colts 1's matches and do well, and are often interchangeable week to week with their team mates in grades above and below.

So - the vast majority are "Nigel Nobodies" - accepted! ( by your criteria ). Good luck to 'em I say! I hope that the "Nigels" show up the glitterati every week! Wreckless

 

[wreckless]

A mismatch of a player of Colts 2 standard against highly rated,well known players who have 1st grade experience and National selection in the 20's squad.

Is this comment about Rawson Cup? This is a valued part of college life I believe. A great equalizer - an all age, all in comp! Regardless of experience or your "pedigree" college members putting it out there for their college! OK - St Johns have Sandell & MaCalman ( meet your criteria vis-a-vis scrapbook & rock star (?) status from a Colts point of view - can't comment re manager! ). Any others?

GPSrow :

• MASSIVE scrapbook! Unfortunately no GPS or Australian Schoolboys honours!
• Can play a reasonable bass but vocals leave a lot to be desired
• No manager ( either for professional rugby OR rock star status ) - Mum is continuing in this role!

Keep loving the game GPSrow and enjoy your Gordon 2's Nigelhood!

Wreckless

 

[I like to watch]

Well there are two mentioned earlier in the thread, Stewart & Clunies Ross that have 1st grade experience.
That's a mismatch against opponents that are at Colts 2 & below.
It's got nothing to do with anything else.
Despite your desire to turn it into something that it's not.

 

[Cattledog]

Finding the term "Nigel Nobody" a bit culturally exclusive can we please also include his well known cousins "Sione Sumbodi" & "Anuva Pilaya" in our conversations as they are colts regulars out Penrith way!

 

[the baz]

Some interesting games again this weekend- Predictions
Souths to beat wests (close)
Randwick to beat parra (close)
Eastwood to beat easts (closer than what people will think)
Uni to beat penrith (by lots)
Manly to beat gordon (by lots)
Norths to beat warringah (close)

I would predict similar results in the 2's and 3's as well, but expect closer scorelines in those grades as the competition seems more open.
Will Norths 2's though continue their unbeaten run?

 

[Tah and feathered]

I spoke to the souths 1st colts coach as i was at coogee on saturday.
Coogee is one of the top grounds to watch rugby but parking is a nightmare
The coach thought the 1sts colts game was a good standard and both sides came to play. Both sides had missed opportunities and randwick could say they were unlucky to lose but they only had the lead for about 2 minutes and had a 10 minute period against 14 players.
The Randwick scrum was under constant pressure except for 1 scrum where they got a tight head but there line out was good.
In the end he thought his team got the win it deserved and looking forward to the weekend against Wests who they played in trial and knows it will be a tough day in all 3 grades.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Predictions
Souths to beat wests (not close)
Randwick to beat parra (v close)
Eastwood to beat easts (closer than what people will think)
Uni to beat penrith (by lots)
Manly to beat gordon (by lots)
Norths to beat warringah (by a fair bit)

 

[I like to watch]

Your predictions will be Pretty close big arse, except I am more bullish about Wests,and I think Parra have the game to frustrate Wicks,which appears to be the match of the round IMO.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

I was giving Wicks the benefit of the doubt as the home team. It is almost too close to call and Coogee Oval will be worth a few points to the Wicks. It deserves the "game of the round" title from behind this keyboard.