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Went to observe training at Pally again tonight.
Not too much to see, reasonable numbers, well over 50 over all grades. Lots of nippers running around and getting underfoot. Still, that's the price you pay when you are successful in the juniors.
Firsts not looking too shabby, passable front row, and getting there in the second row, though line outs are still rubbish. Back row is useful, without being spectacular. Still going to miss Joe Savage though.
New half back looks the goods, and some solid centres. Two good wings. One looks and plays like a tank with a Maserati engine, although I didn't see him there tonight. I'm told he's the Force Academy player who played no.8 for us last season.
The scratchie against Soaks this weekend should give me a better idea of where we're at, although I've got no idea what the Soaks standard will be like this year, after all the poachin' and a stealin' they have apparently been subject to at the hands of Uni. Still, Soaks are one of those clubs with the happy knack of always being able to pull some thing out of ... the air.
By all reports Cott was a surprise packet last weekend and accounted for Wests. Hard to believe, after their pretty ordinary performance against a depleted Palmyra the week before.
Heard nothing about the other clubs, except that Joondalup have acquired a mess of English players and half a dozen players of South Sea Island origins. Hats off to them if it pays off, but can't work out why they raided Wanneroo and Perth if they have that many quality overseas players.
Maybe this weekend will draw out some more info about how the other clubs are travelling before the first game of the season on April 2.
sounds like awesome numbers down there Fulv
Not too bad for St Patricks day.
I expect Uni had even less turn up.
was it just me, or was St Paddy's day really quiet this year?
I must say pretty pissed about they Joondalup brothers have gone about it with all poaching and importing players , the first time I went there a couple of years ago I was impressed and was a fan of there promotion wtf changed or was I miss lead , where are you guys Panda , Ben Hur , Yeah Baby ??? Fill us in!
Such is the nature of Cott, when I say nature I mean the long lasting realization of the nature of existence, and that realisation that Neddies will continue to beat them for most of that existence. Faced with this future the coaching staff now preach satori, 物の哀れ, and tell tales of hungry ghosts fluttering around looking down upon Broome Street, and seeing nothing but a bearded idiot singing "we're blue because we're blue because".
A recent club meeting crafted a single word vision statement to guide them into the future - Weldtsmersh - simply - What I think will always beat the real thing. If this fails to work, they'll just buy a shitload of players.
Went to watch Wanneroo v Joondalup today
Very sad to see Wanneroo struggle so bad - just hope they faking
U20s numbers good but standard very poor
They had no third grade - brothers colts played their 3rds
Wanneroo 2nds and 1sts were the same side. Missed most of the seconds game as had to go to local shops to get a coffee as canteen not open
In the firsts pretty one sided - brothers in double figures without reply from the Dogs
Didn't hear the number of English accents I was expecting from the brothers players ( plenty amongst supporters though) and didn't recognise many ex Wanneroo or Baysie players amongst the Joondalup team. There were some noticeable absentees from Joondalup - the big ex Baysie prop, the blond fast centre and the ex uni player they are supposed to have acquired, so maybe they are not as strong this season as some fear
Wish Gibbo and KK the best of luck for the season ahead as today suggests they will need it
Arfur, my old darling! Drinking coffee? What happened to the good old VAt?😄🍸
May the FORCE be with you!
Well, Associates proved they've got the goods, and they mean business this season.
Palmyra did well in the earlier trial segments, but when it came to the crunch and Soaks put their best team on, they showed some real skills and class, and over ran a tiring Palmyra outfit in the last 30 minutes.
Soaks appeared to have settled their top team selection while Pally were still experimenting, and it showed.
These prem clubs struggling ie wanneroo / bayside need to merge to form a competitive team and so be it if the purple circle has a bye this would give there prem sides time to spend with there juniors
A healthy comp is more important than the history or past dreams of these clubs this will only lead to expidiate the decline in numbers
Rockingham wanneroo Joondalup 4 years ago would have 1800 players between them it would be interesting to see numbers now and why they haven't produced competitive prem sides
The prem clubs need to restructure now get over there bigheads and selfpresivation as its not fun playing by yourself but most of the crac and serial wankers so wouldn't understand any difference
Watched Kala v baysie , baysie were ok but no match in backs with Daley Harper cutting them to ribbons baysie look slightly better than last year. I have also heard wanneroo in serious trouble and hav taken a backward step. Get ready rocky-mandurah the window might be about to open for Premier grade rugby for 2017.
Some of the clubs still believe they are little sheikdoms, with less and less assets every year. CRAC (or whoever), needs to analyse where the market/buyers are, and which clubs are located to best serve that market. Then make a decision as to who is going, who is staying/merging/coming up etc. All the little sheiks will say say we'll start our own comp etc, but in the end if they want to stay they'll have to stump up all the fees/charges themselves. We all want to talk economic rationalism, but when it turns to paying our way, we turn in to some sort of charity group. Kudos sevenmile there is an option - merges.
I find it interesting that before a ball has been kicked in anger we are talking doom and gloom for some clubs. If there is doom and gloom then the question has to be asked. Who is at fault and why did this happen? Let's look back a few years when everything looked rosy and the powers that be saw expansion as the best way to go without much investigation. Stick another Premier club up north while ignoring the problems - and untapped talent - in the south. And guess what. The whole northern thing comes back to bite them if the soothsayers are right about the Dogs. I do know the Dogs are now one of the best financially situated clubs in the comp and are steadfastly refusing to throw money at mercenaries. Good on them and hopefully they will bring more locals through - unless they get poached of course. And on that note it should be pointed out that two of their best juniors are now shining in NRL Waqa Blake and Curtis Rona both of whom were ignored by you know who!
To keep the pathway for a club to be a prem alive let alone a pathway to play prem rugby open the clubs need to be told to merge
So many clubs across the Tasman have merged to the better for themselves but also for the better of the comp
This has also preserved the history of these clubs instead of becoming a forgotten dream
RWA see this as a problem because of a few indentured old soles who will be dead soon and on the wall of a club that won't exist in a few years and would find it more financial for them and these clubs to sort out a solid prem comp
What is needed is assistance from RWA in selling the rezoning and implementing constitutions to be abided by the two clubs
The clubs should be told and comp implemented ASAP
RWA should have members representatives at these clubs to sort out issues until the systems are in place and running under there own steam