Ramblings of a Rugby Nut -Club Season 2009

[fulvio sammut]

So the Sevens are over for another year and the weeks pass inexorably towards the start of the local Club season. Next weekend many clubs will be having their first scratch matches. What can we expect this year?

Maybe the Sevens gave us a small window to see some of the talent available and measure the clubs against each other.

Nedlands showed they had some depth, fielding two sides of almost equal strength. The word is that they are getting very good numbers at training now. For a Sevens team they play good fifteen man rugby, and little can be taken away from their fairly ordinary results at the Sevens. It was apparent that they had little or no 7's training and the teams were just put together.
They had some solid performers, but fitness appeared a little underdone at this stage. I predict they will have an average start to the season but will pick up a lot of momentum about three weeks in.

Perth were a little disappointing. For a club that usually shows a lot of backline flair, they had little on display. However, again numbers are good at the club and they still have a few players to return to the fold. Like Nedlands, I think they will start slowly but quickly build up momentum.

Palmyra's first team looked impressive, although the second string were very pedestrian and reflected the lack of depth at the club. Their first team was bolstered by a few "guest" players including Force Academy no.8 Filipo Manu? and three Fijian Brisbane competition first graders over for a wedding. Standouts for them were Taj Mailati and Semi, a former Australian sevens player (about the time Mitch Hardy played for the Wallabies!). Palmyra should have a slight improvement this year over last, but are still lacking a few quality forwards which will prevent them jumping more than a position or two up the ladder.

Uni looked passable and their first team had the drills and the skills, but were a little on the light side to match the likes of Kalamunda (to whom they lost 12 to 42 in the final), or even Palmyra (who they didn't play) with the team Pally had on the day. I'm told Uni too have had good numbers turning up at training, and that they have picked up a top quality prop who, with their other new recruits (and occasional Academy players) will make them a lot harder up front. I'd say fifth or sixth position, up from second last last year.

Kalamunda. What can you say. Gave everyone a bath at the sevens except Palmyra with it's ring ins (who they beat 3 trys to two in the semi final anyway) and looked very solid and disciplined. I hear that numbers and quality recruits are so good this year that several of last year's premiership players are looking over their shoulders and wondering where they will fit in. 2009 Premiers.

Cottesloe looked like they were trying too hard, thinking that a Sevens tournament can be won by playing a team of forwards and relying on the steam roller effect. Doesn't work, boys. They did reveal however that they they will have an awesome forward pack and a few large, useful, if not spectacular, backs. Cott are in final four contention, for mine.

West look to have a lot of work to do, both in recruiting and retaining players. I think they have left it a bit too late, but with a top quality coach in Wayne Gibson, some money behind them, and reasonable player depth, they could still finish up mid table.

Soaks are a mystery to me. My spy has been able to come up with Jack squat intelligence, and their Sevens performance was like the curate's egg, good in parts.I'll know more when they trial against Palmyra next weekend. They have lost the services of a good assistant coach in Gary Dreyer, and I have heard rumours that young Matty Dreyer their class fullback is off to Queensland again. Don't trust the source though.They should do well enough this year, they have a good juniors base to draw on.

Wanneroo and Rockingham were no shows at the Sevens. I hear RugbyWA were mighty pissed off over this, especially with Wanneroo. I suppose they wanted to see the Cook Island Sevens team in action!Wanneroo will be finals contenders with the money they have had to throw around, and as I've said before, they have a capable and canny coach in Elwee Prinsloo.

Rockingham... I just don't know, but I wish them well. They are the only club in the competition who put principle above expediency. But principle sometimes isn't enough to win games in the cut throat competition that is rugby today.

[Burgs]

Thanks for the insight as always Fulv

In your opinion, how does the local scene of 08/09 compare to 05 in terms of both depth and standard?

[GIGS20]

I think Rocko will be as rocko always is Fulv....willing, but just not enough talent retained to really match the big boys.

I suspect the lack of a sevens team would be more to do with the new coach wanting to concentrate on the 15 a side game.....since I'm only at junior training this year, I can't really share much, but I do know the character of the club and it'll be as typical.

You never know, we might pick up some surprise wins here and there, but we'll continue to be happy being the spoilers and developing juniors for all you lot to buy!

[fulvio sammut]

Good question, Burgs.

I would say the overall quality of first grade players is up considerably since "05, and the overall numbers involved has risen slightly, peaking I think in '07.

Where clubs have suffered is in player loyalty - amongst many it is nonexistent.

Coaching standards over all have improved, although that is not to say there weren't a number of excellent coaches back then.

The clubs have lost effective control of the competition, which has resulted in some idiotic decisions being made, such as the splitting of the colts into under18 and under 20 demographics, effectively putting some clubs at an immediate three year disadvantage at these levels.

Inevitably, although playing standards have improved, supporter interest in grade rugby has plummeted, as has club revenue. The economic downturn will, I predict, have an enormous impact on some clubs, as their income declines, RugbyWA financial support dries up, and players leave to go to where they can find work, or where their fulltime income can be supplemented by player payments by the richer clubs.

Frankly, I think the cancer will eventually be terminal, and there will have to be a huge and radical rethink as to the structure of community rugby.

There are too many clubs for a start. Everyone who sees more than two kids kicking a ball around thinks they can set up another club, and RugbyWA lets them, instead of giving proper consideration to the competition and the needs of established clubs (with a track record) in the area.

And history tells us that every "junior" club starts to jump up and down after a few years wanting to join the big boys in first grade on the strength of their first average season. And RugbyWA, because it is no longer run by the clubs, because it's easier than fighting with them, lets them. It's lunacy.

Dark days ahead, but I think we'll scrape through this season.

[Burgs]

Cheers

With regard to loyalty, do you think the talent will contiue to flow in and be developed through the Academy to finally balance out or will the headhunting continue?

It's not my scene to swap clubs, especially if you are a local, but as some have attributed to Gits, it is more understandable from those interstate to follow "what's best for them" if they have no long term deal or loyalty.

To clarify, are you saying ten Premier Clubs are too many or eighteen Senior Clubs are too many...or both?

[fulvio sammut]

Clubs will continue to buy players so long as they can afford to. There just isn't enough locally developed players of the same caliber, and there are many, many reasons for this. But it is the fact.

I think eight metropolitan clubs, strategically placed in catchment areas, is the way to go. These clubs could increase their number of teams to include extra players, and they would be economically more viable, would spread the coaching pool more beneficially and would be stronger in all grades.

There are many benefits. At the moment the smaller clubs are going nowhere, yet draining players and resources which could more beneficially be utilized in larger, better organised and equipped clubs.

It would mean all teams play together at the same venues and there will be better back up of referees and managers, officials and medical staff. It would also mean that ambulances could viably be available at all venues. The season could be extended to three rounds to increase club revenues.

But of course this calls for tough decisions which RugbyWA don't want to address, because they are preoccupied with the Force, and it is too hard to argue and put up with the hysterics and histrionics of the hierarchy of the numerous unviable clubs they have allowed to set up willy nilly.

I am not including country clubs in this diatribe as these involve special considerations.

I'm sorry if this offends, but it is time RugbyWA got real about the problem and began to address it.

[paul]

Well said Fulvio

[Neddie]

I think eight metropolitan clubs, strategically placed in catchment areas, is the way to go. These clubs could increase their number of teams to include extra players, and they would be economically more viable, would spread the coaching pool more beneficially and would be stronger in all grades.

Maybe seeing as Nedlands, Wests, Uni and Soaks are all within a stones throw of each other we should all merge and form a super club that everyone can hate

[bunter]

Nah, Soaks have a mortgage on that prize.

[fulvio sammut]

No, just consider strategic relocation of some of them, just as West Perth in the WAFL moved from Leederville Oval to Joondalup Arena, with no difficulty.

And anyway, with the cluster of private schools in their areas, there is room for most of those clubs to remain where they are and still maintain viable catchments. It is in the outer areas, where work, educational facilities, and population are sparser, that the changes need be made.

If you want me to be blunt, clubs like Southern Lions, Mandurah, Joondalup, North Coast, Midland, ARKS and Curtin are superflous to needs.

A case could be made for one or two of the clubs you mention to relocate or amalgamate. It doesn't really matter how "super" they will be initially, the standard will soon level out.