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Sydney Subbies 2019

Pfitzy

George Gregan (70)
2019. the year of WTF
Balmain - WTF?
HAC - WTF?

"Where's The Funding"?


Merrylands - WTF?


That was always going to be.... interesting. Basically they went up believing they could field 2 Grades in a 3-Grade comp and do well.


Travel is always going to be an issue in that Division for a Western Sydney club - Mac Uni is fairly easy, but the rest are in older suburbs with shitty driving times or Oatley who are hardly doing well themselves.

Combined that with a fairly strong division in terms of First Grade, and they were always going to struggle once the victories weren't flowing. Doubling up some weeks takes its toll and then nobody could be bothered in Rounds 13 & 14.

Conversely, they could have gone to 6th Division to make 8 clubs instead of 7, given us another club in Western Sydney, and been finals contenders.

As per the Renegades: players on the books doesn't translate to players on the field. I had about 60 in the database at this point, and with half a dozen season-ending injuries early in the year, and some guys who just decided to go to music festivals, snowboarding, or just sit home and smoke drugs. Whatever.
 

HeavyB

Alfred Walker (16)
serious restructure needed for 2020 that might require some out of the box thinking from subbies.

Safe to say it won't happen and we will see more clubs die.
 

Pfitzy

George Gregan (70)
serious restructure needed for 2020 that might require some out of the box thinking from subbies.

Safe to say it won't happen and we will see more clubs die.


I told John Morrison at the Div 5/6 meeting that his assessment of Subbies as a strong competition was inaccurate. Unfortunately the clubs that are having issues planted the seeds of those problems years ago, and everyone knows what they are, so they're treated as outliers.

We're starting the planning now for promotion of the club in the community and attracting some new blood that is under the age of 30. Not going to be easy, but nothing good ever is.
 

Nath

Bill Watson (15)
I don't buy the idea that this magical re structured comp is going to have rugby players magically fall out of the sky.

Since 2015, in div 5/6 just about everything has been tried, merged north and south, split north and south.

The same problem is rife in league also.
 

Oldsoldier19

Frank Row (1)
Div 2 predictions
Based on very little knowledge of the clubs involved.
1st Grade - Forest vs HH - Hunters Hill have improved into and during the finals and will win a tight one.
2nds - HH - UNSW - Uni to win this one. Having all grades in the finals means HH can't play silly buggers with the roster.
colts - Forest vs Pats - the rain will even this up but concord has a pretty good deck so Forest to win this one.
3rds - Lindfield - dunno why
4ths - Lindfield - as per my point in 2nds.

Hi guys, long time reader first time poster.

Tend to agree here:

1sts: HH in a tight one but I wouldn't write Forest off if they can shut down the Hunters Hill outside backs.
2nds: Have this going both ways, one of the hunters hill props is as soft as butter but the other one is a bohemoth- if they take him off to rest for 1s the HH scrum will be in trouble.
Colts: Agree
3rds: Lindfield to win and maintain their untainted season record - however, im worried about Hunters Hill's classy performance in the prelim against Hills.
4ths: Similar to 3rd grade, Hunters hill put on a 50-0 clinic in the 4th Grade prelim. If Lindfield are smart they will try and shift the ball - Hunters have some slow outside backs. Looks like it might be a tight game. Hunters hill by 30+
 

Pfitzy

George Gregan (70)
The same problem is rife in league also.


Firstly: fuck league. They may share a few problems with us, but theirs are starkly of their own making at club level i.e. pissing away sponsor money trying to win competitions.

I don't buy the idea that this magical re structured comp is going to have rugby players magically fall out of the sky.

Since 2015, in div 5/6 just about everything has been tried, merged north and south, split north and south.


I'm not thinking just of Div 5/6 - and some of those ideas were shit BTW. Fact is you can't solve the structural problems of Subbies using 1-Grade clubs as an example.

In any case, it isn't really a question of player numbers, but the structure in which they can play, and the level of rugby that suits those who pull the boots on year in, year out.

Fact: not everyone can or should play First Grade.

I certainly shouldn't, but like a lot of guys at the club I'm forced to because we don't have other Grades or are running short on props some weeks etc. Yeah I still love the set piece, but pretty much everything else about playing against guys half your age sucks balls.

Across our team we've got guys who would play First Grade at quite a lot of clubs, but we've also got a roughly equal number of guys who would be lucky to bench Thirds at those clubs large enough to have one. Our for/against of over 300 for 11 games shows this - and some of those games we were right in until the benches came on, admittedly, but the numbers are what everyone sees.

So, why not give clubs an opportunity to grow by putting them somewhere they can compete both physically and on the scoreboard? Stick our club in a reserves competition while outfits with a bit more youth and talent can play First Grade and win that prestige. Have promotion and relegation each year. Maybe even have a mid-season regrade in order to ensure nobody is foxing and that everyone gets to turn up to work on Monday.

I'm not saying this should be some sort of everyone-wins-a-prize lark and that victory is the only way to grow. However, particularly for 1- or 2-team clubs, you lose a few blokes to apathy, injury, or other life events, and you're fucked - no matter how hard your volunteers work, or how strong your recruitment sell is.

It isn't all Subbies' fault of course. Kings OB shot themselves through the head a few years back, with monumental error in deciding to stay in Div 3 a few years back, KNOWING they'd lost 4th Grade and maybe a few others. Now they're just getting back to 2 grades so hopefully that sticks.

Of course, it would be much easier to get Juniors going and get people back to playing park footy if the Wallabies would win a few fucking games in a row, or at least be competitive more than 1 week at a time.
 

Rumour Ronald

Herbert Moran (7)
Maybe Hills or Beecroft could tie it in with their festivals of rugby, though I'd far prefer a Mosman/Lindfield/Waverley ladies day
 

NeckThing

Banned
Predictions for div three tomorrow

Thirds - Newport will try to use their big bodies through the centres to get through however I think a strong Beecroft side will be too good tomorrow. Croft by 5 but could go either way

Colts - match of the day!! Surf Bogans against the Ralph Lauren wearing Concrete Cowboys. Breakers a big physical side however Iggies have the edge in the set piece. After watching both sides several times through the year I think the key for tomorrow's match lies through the Iggies halfback. Think his name is Nimkey (spelling?). Has the tendency to kick the ball much to the chagrin of his bench which Newport will pounce on. However, Iggies by 10. Battle between the crowds to be interesting too.

2s - Beecroft probably the strongest side all year however HAC will definitely have a big crack. Crofties are probably favourites however if HAC can dominant the physical battle especially with a bit of niggle I can see them getting the chocolates. Hac by 3

Firsts - Redfield are hard to tip against and I feel whoever won the preliminary final would win the premiership - however with the rain around it could negate the ROBR backline. Full credit to Blacktown for jumping up a division and making the big one. Redfield are a strong pilfering side and are reminiscent of the All Blacks in the way the way they can bend the rules and get away with it. If Redfield can match up physically they will go the long way - but if the Blacktown scrum is dominant they can definitely win tomorrow - look at Woods vs Easts a couple weeks ago. Blacktown by 5-10.

Evidently a slew of close games to hit tomorrow with some exceptional players who would not be out of place playing Shute Shiell. Rugby to be the winner - however still can't believe subbies charge $15 for punters to watch footy - how are we going to grow the game when a casual fan has to pay to get in! All the best to all sides tomorrow.
 

Johnny Drama

Sydney Middleton (9)
Pfitzy - " but pretty much everything else about playing against guys half your age sucks balls."


To Pfiitzy and others can I please ask you to stop using 'sucks balls' as an example of something terrible. Since 1988 I have been pleading with my wife to suck balls. I've explained to her a 1000 times that sucking balls is completely natural and everyone does it. I'd almost convinced her when she read this damaging post and now I'm back where I started.
 

Pfitzy

George Gregan (70)
Pfitzy - " but pretty much everything else about playing against guys half your age sucks balls."


To Pfiitzy and others can I please ask you to stop using 'sucks balls' as an example of something terrible. Since 1988 I have been pleading with my wife to suck balls. I've explained to her a 1000 times that sucking balls is completely natural and everyone does it. I'd almost convinced her when she read this damaging post and now I'm back where I started.



Its overrated
 
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