OFFICIAL Harold Matthews Cup

[balmain boy]

22-12 at HT. A couple of errors leaving to the dogs points. Wests controlled the half, a few passes behind the shoulder of a few boys making it hard for the receiver.
Middles and halves been good. Backs haven't had many touches so far

 

[Roar_Power]

22-12 at HT. A couple of errors leaving to the dogs points. Wests controlled the half, a few passes behind the shoulder of a few boys making it hard for the receiver.
Middles and halves been good. Backs haven't had many touches so far

Thanks BB, cheers!

 

[Buttface]

22-12 at HT. A couple of errors leaving to the dogs points. Wests controlled the half, a few passes behind the shoulder of a few boys making it hard for the receiver.
Middles and halves been good. Backs haven't had many touches so far

Are the dogs in front?

 

[Glenji95]

Are the dogs in front?

Nah Magpies are winning 32-12 currently.

 

[Glenji95]

Balmain down 14-0 at halftime to the Dragons. They’re looking very clunky when they have the ball and just can’t find a way to score. Also why are Balmain playing a home game at Lidcombe Oval? Seems very weird to me.

 

[Glenji95]

Balmain finally find a way over to score 14-4 kick to come.

 

[Glenji95]

Balmain in again and get the conversion. Dragons still leading 14-10 and will most likely go on to win.

 

[Glenji95]

Full time Dragons held on final score 14-10. Balmain were good and bad in the second half but not enough to get the job done.

 

[jrtiger]

this Wests HM team are just so fun to watch. their middles make plenty of yards and skittle defenders, while the class of Havea, Lakeman, Achurch and Goodfield creates points. some really exciting players on the edges too. Josh Vella on the right sting and Yacoub Ali Jida at left centre were immense. Lanyon had a tough day at the office but still had some very classy moments.

this team is a huge shout of being there on Grand Final day once again.

 

[Tigers_Wests]

this Wests HM team are just so fun to watch. their middles make plenty of yards and skittle defenders, while the class of Havea, Lakeman, Achurch and Goodfield creates points. some really exciting players on the edges too. Josh Vella on the right sting and Yacoub Ali Jida at left centre were immense. Lanyon had a tough day at the office but still had some very classy moments.

this team is a huge shout of being there on Grand Final day once again.

Agreed. I have enjoyed the Wests HM and Logan Brookes (Deininger) watch the most at the moment.

To think that this Wests team was also going to have Ashton Large added into the mix before the brothers left.

 

[jojo]

I'm sitting here watching the Penrith Warriors game; the Warriors HM team are massive, bigger than their SG Ball Team (walking past a few earlier, I actually thought they were the Ball players). It will be a great contest for our boys come round 6.

 

[balmain boy]

The Wests Matthews side is certainly the pick of the bunch of a pretty poor collection of youth teams again for WT. We just can't field competitive sides in each grade.

 

[Tucker]

The Wests Matthews side is certainly the pick of the bunch of a pretty poor collection of youth teams again for WT. We just can't field competitive sides in each grade.

The Andrew Johns and Laurie Daley Cup sides both had strong wins in their first rounds yesterday. Wests HM and Balmain SG Ball are both unbeaten after 2 rounds.
There’s only two sides that aren’t competing so far…Balmain HM and Wests SG Ball.

 

[jrtiger]

The Andrew Johns and Laurie Daley Cup sides both had strong wins in their first rounds yesterday. Wests HM and Balmain SG Ball are both unbeaten after 2 rounds.
There’s only two sides that aren’t competing so far…Balmain HM and Wests SG Ball.

Wests SG are directionless. lack the class and poise in the spine required at that level. compare it with Balmain and their spine and you can see the differrence.

 

[ancient_magpie]

The Andrew Johns and Laurie Daley Cup sides both had strong wins in their first rounds yesterday. Wests HM and Balmain SG Ball are both unbeaten after 2 rounds.
There’s only two sides that aren’t competing so far…Balmain HM and Wests SG Ball.

Balmain boy looking for the negative as usual.

 

[Vicious]

Wests SG are directionless. lack the class and poise in the spine required at that level. compare it with Balmain and their spine and you can see the differrence.

If you combined the best players from each side, it would be a very good team who you would think would challenge for the title.
I love the tradition of keeping the Balmain Tigers and Wests Magpies brands alive via our junior pathways, but theoretically we could become a super power in the junior reps if we put the best players together and formed one Wests Tigers team per age group.
Likewise with the in between age groups which are the Andrew Johns Cup (u/16’s) and Laurie Daley Cup (u/18’s) they could then also revert to Wests Tigers as some of our year young highly rated juniors from the Balmain district should not be left out or forgotten either.
I think being highly successful is more likely to keep our very best players from both talent pools together, rather than having the 2 separate teams and one or both of them often struggling to be competitive.

 

[batboy]

Wests SG are directionless. lack the class and poise in the spine required at that level. compare it with Balmain and their spine and you can see the differrence.

How many of their kids are in the top 30, Or Eligible?

 

[Tucker]

Balmain boy looking for the negative as usual.

I don’t get the negativity on this…
The u/16’s team won well in yesterday’s opening round.
The u/17’s have an unbeaten side after two rounds
The u/18’s won their opening round game yesterday 38-0
The u/19’s have an unbeaten side after two rounds.

I thoroughly agree with Vicious that we could be table topping all 4 divisions with a United Wests Tigers team in each.

 

[Glenji95]

If you combined the best players from each side, it would be a very good team who you would think would challenge for the title.
I love the tradition of keeping the Balmain Tigers and Wests Magpies brands alive via our junior pathways, but theoretically we could become a super power in the junior reps if we put the best players together and formed one Wests Tigers team per age group.
Likewise with the in between age groups which are the Andrew Johns Cup (u/16’s) and Laurie Daley Cup (u/18’s) they could then also revert to Wests Tigers as some of our year young highly rated juniors from the Balmain district should not be left out or forgotten either.
I think being highly successful is more likely to keep our very best players from both talent pools together, rather than having the 2 separate teams and one or both of them often struggling to be competitive.

In theory you have a good idea, but I’m not sure how we can set one up properly. I think the club will find it hard to prioritise players under one banner. Although I do like the idea of playing under one name. But at the same time I do like honouring our heritage clubs in the kids grade.

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

If you combined the best players from each side, it would be a very good team who you would think would challenge for the title.
I love the tradition of keeping the Balmain Tigers and Wests Magpies brands alive via our junior pathways, but theoretically we could become a super power in the junior reps if we put the best players together and formed one Wests Tigers team per age group.
Likewise with the in between age groups which are the Andrew Johns Cup (u/16’s) and Laurie Daley Cup (u/18’s) they could then also revert to Wests Tigers as some of our year young highly rated juniors from the Balmain district should not be left out or forgotten either.
I think being highly successful is more likely to keep our very best players from both talent pools together, rather than having the 2 separate teams and one or both of them often struggling to be competitive.

With the junior catchment so large now what effect happens if you cut the teams in half though, do they get disgruntled and look for other opportunities?