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Palmyra will be playing Coastal Cavaliers tomorrow at Lark Hill
Apparently, the Cavaliers beat or came close to beating, Cottesloe last weekend, Well, on the field anyway, because my sources tell me Cottesloe recruited the Cavaliers star player after the game, so technically that's a win for Cott.
Palmyra have been unbeaten so far this season, so it should be an entertaining couple of hours. I hope to catch up with Bunter and a few of the rest of the Rocky guys that I haven't seen for a few years. They'll remember, of course, that I bought all the rounds last time Pally played them.
It's been a slow start to the season, and players appear to have found it hard to get motivated, but the smell of liniment seems to have had the desired effect, and they're slowly coming out of the woodwork.
It's probably too late for Southern Lions though, and I predict it will be a 12 team competition to start with, and probably dwindle down to 10 or 11 after a couple of weeks into the season.
A lot of disruption for Sweet Fanny Adams, but there it is.
I'd be interested to know how other trial matches go, and invite you to post the outcomes, and perhaps a short report here, because we'd never read about anything to do with community rugby anywhere else.
So, no takers?
The cavaliers v Palmyra matches today were interesting.
The scores were much the same in each grade, with Pally coming out on top overall, but not by much.
The Cavaliers have a ginormous pack, and if they can get fit enough to last eighty minutes instead of 15, they will be unbeatable.
Chris Hellberg played loosehead for Pally, and had a big influence on the game.
Palmyra's colts, many of whom played up the grades, were impresssive.
I was told that Cavaliers were on top of Nedlands when they played them, although Nedlands didn't field their Force contingient, and that they matched Arks, who were apparently devastating in their backs, but rather ordinary in the forwards.
How did other games this weekend pan out?
Watched some of the neddies v soaks matches.Mostly ho hum with a lot of their probable starting first grade players not on the paddock.An interesting spectator was Kyle Godwin,who must have been underwhelmed by what he saw...he was over in Perth to visit family as the Brumbies had a bye this weekend.he seemed pretty enthusiastic about playing in Ireland next season
I've also heard that some referees are not impressed with the overall level of competition in the trial games so far.
It could be the first time in WA rugby history that the standard of refereeing exceeds the standard of play.
Only seen training sessions so far, checked out Joondalup the other week. Maybe it is preseason, but saw a lot of faffing around, whoever was coaching the backline seemed to have no control, folks just doing what they liked. Maybe they were just taking it easy, didn't like the lack of discipline.
Well - the Neddies/Wests trial a couple weeks ago was of underwhelming standard. I heard tell that officials at other grounds felt similarly. Made me wonder what coaching had been happening at training, as the coaching at the trials I saw left a bit to be desired.
Not that I'm saying I'm any sort of player coach, but why, for example, would a team coach countenance just passing it to the big centre and he'll break the line and we'll spin it from there? What about structures?
Are Lions not able to field the three teams, then? I thought their strategy last year for building numbers was admirable, and weren't they the team that kicked all this off?
When your only tool is a hammer, your solution is always a nail. The big centre is a useful nail, until he is bent in two.
The competition this year is a sorry shadow of what it was last year. Clubs that previously had no difficulty fielding 5 grades including colts, can barely put together a second grade made up of 3rd and 4th grade players.
How many players are registered so far over all clubs? Barely 200 I'd say, over all grades and all clubs, this less 2 weeks before the first game.
If it wasn't for the Mindaroonies I'd say the competition would have folded in WA for this season.. True there has been an exodus, of class first grade players to the East Coast, but more insidiously there has been an even bigger drain of lower grade players, who have retired, rediscovered work and family commitments, gone to League, are totally disgusted with the ARU/RugbyWA imbroglio, or just can't be bothered with the ongoing nonsense.
Look at this site. A year ago at this time there were dozen upon dozen of posts on Metropolitan Rugby; today there would be lucky to be 3 or 4 regular posters, and if I handn't put up a couple of threads on the subject over the last 3 or 4 weeks, there wouldn't have been any.
These are facts, guys, not just the rantings of a bitter old man past his use by date. Facts, biting our arse as we all deny reality and howl impotently at the moon.
I don't have the solution, I doubt anyone has, but we sure as hell won't find it following the current plan, which spreads the remaining player pool among too many clubs, destroys the strong and rewards the weak, the profligate, the ruthless, and the inept.
And your solution is???
Hansie; to be fair Fulvio says in his post he doesn't have the solution. I infer that he does indicate he feels there are too many teams for so few players, though.
Cleanse the board would be a start
- Essentially the same board that signed off on the loss of its major asset is now in charge of rebuilding rugby in WA.????? Kind of like giving Steve Smith and James Hird a role on an ethics committee
- Twiggy is seen as the saviour however has chosen not to join the board and has essentially kept the New WF separate (the Minderoos)
- the new comp structure should be applauded for trying something different, however one of its selling points was to provide a pathway to Premier grade and beyond . Is colts rugby not part ofthe pathway ? Only 7 colts teams from a 13 team comp.??????
- numbers in community rugby are down due the force debacle, and a total dissatisfaction in RugbyWA through the force years
Yes yes the ARU screwed us over, Pulver and Clyne are evil . This was the end result of a RugbyWA board that lost its way, being a board member on your resume looks great I’m sure but they forgot about where they came from- Community rugby got the force and were pushed aside very quickly and now we have community rugby problem.
The fish rots from the head
WJM - your chance tomorrow evening at 6:00am - there is an AGM there, board positions are being contested - lobby your club to vote in the new people.
Actually I am interested how you know that Andrew has chosen not to join our board? Why should he? Minderoo and RugbyWA are two totally separate entities. Minderoo own and operate the Western Force, they have professional players and are selling tickets to their matches. RugbyWA manages the Community comp. Not sure Andrew would want to be involved in Community to be quite honest. However, rest assured, both Minderoo and RugbyWA have an excellent working arrangement.
Colts is a real issue and if you can help us with suggestions, ideas or any initiative that can grow this age group, I can assure you, you will have our absolute undivided attention.
I agree there was a disconnect between Community and Force in the early years - Force players heading back to play Shute shield, Force players encouraged NOT to play community Rugby and so on... I do think though that in 2016 and 2017, things began to change. Dave Wessels engaged more with community, the Future Force Programme engaged with clubs, more local home grown players in the Force squad, so I think we should agree we were getting things right.
Happy for you to advise us where we lost our way... So many people use these generalities just to throw barbs and brickbats. I don't think there is one board member who has forgotten where they came from. I head to Neddies on many occasions, Cookie heads to Kalla, Folkard to Wests, Charlie and Johnny flit between Cott and Soaks, Deano goes to Soaks, Alison is putting an awesome proposal to all clubs to get non-aligned fans to help clubs where it's needed most.
So, please accept my invitation to come along tomorrow night, explain to community where the RUGBYWA board has lost it's way and get the new people in to help RugbyWA find it's way. Please be specific, if we have indeed had our head in the sand, you must - if you care about community - expose these mistakes and clean us out.
Finally on your first point - wait patiently as we look forward to ASIC's determinations.
SANZAAR/Rats Arae had a solution - Cut sides.
Perhaps if there had not been the expansion in the past decade or so in our comp there might not be such thinly spread numbers - just saying something that was brought up years ago and seems to be coming home to roost.
Yes the loss of WF has a lot to do with it but have player numbers really been sustainable recently?
I did hear Lions struggled to get numbers for three sides for the trial against Wanneroo who seem to be stronger than last year, number wise at least. I think they also beat Uni and Baysie but not sure of the scores. Of course it's only trial time and who knows what sides may be keeping up their sleeves and the true test is yet to come.
The solution is a lot of hard work and rebuilding of relationships that this current regime has destroyed over its time with numerous good Rugby people leaving the game
The reasons behind the demise
The blinkers of this group to see junior numbers dwindling over the last 10 years
The fact that colts Rugby was reduced to a comic book situation
The fact the board failed to for see this and implement a plan to try and grow the game and retain good people on and off the field
The focus of the force and not the local comp has left a sink hole that can’t be filled
The so-called major clubs relying on the force and outer clubs to fill there books and showing such contempt living in there false economy has now come to roost
The fact Rugby wa kept saying the game was growing and producing figures to prove it but we could all see senior numbers decling I think the growth was in under 6-11
The selection of Alison to the board could be compared to Prince Phillip getting his Knight hood from Abbott
There are plenty more reason but must keep going but you must take your tunnel vision and move on as it is not your time