Chammas Article

[innsaneink]

But what happens to the guys that don’t make it.l?They’ll look at other clubs at the elite level to trial for.
Use LG as an example he went from his local area to Parramatta for reps. The same would apply surely.
If combined WT juniors rep teams were based out of concord it could make it enticing enough given they at least are traveling to use elite level facilities in their training seasons.

I dont know why Galvin changed districts if he was so good...its usually guys that miss out in their own district tryingnout elsewhere. Balmain get a lot from Parra and Penrith trialling that miss out there.

Cambo has a new junior academy being built perfect for young magpies reps... youd think the balmain kids could utilise Concord COE.
There are.also the development squads from 13s 14s that feed directly into the Mattas squads eventually.
A line must be drawn somewhere i feel while.the kids are still at high school that line should be between Ball & Flegg

 

[watersider]

I don't think it's good that Benji participates in training as he does. Those opportunities should go to juniors and backups while he can focus on pushing standards. I'm not so worried about this particular doueihi event, these sorts of things happen. But I'm concerned by his broader approach.

He says he doesn't want this press conference to be about him, but he seems to make training about him.

I think it's a result of inexperience and probably still a sense of loving the team environment, rather than necessarily thinking about what's best for the team that he still gets so involved. I'm sure it's a thrill for players to play with Benji, but it changes the nature of the drills with him in it.

Head coach, like other leadership positions, is lonely work and I think he's not got the balance between mentor and authority yet.

From my one training session I witnessed, I think he needs more planning and sequencing. In the drill I saw him participate in he was the dominant ball player and players were playing off him. As he was participating There was a lot of other players standing around. There just seemed a bit of passivity around it all beside Api also leading. I've never been anywhere near a professional coach so I don't know proper thinking on it all, but my sessions are always focused on ensuring player participation is always high, intensity levels remain up and players get lots of opportunity and involvement throughout. I hate drills where players are standing around watching. I don't know that players learn better that way.

I think you see falling out and conflict when leadership isn't right. The obvious discontent among some players is either Benji successfully pushing against bad attitude or inconsistencies in his approach to players which leads to disquiet and resentment.

All of this is what you'd expect from inexperienced people. I'm old enough now to have seen the young buck come in and confidently assert the benefit of their method against obvious signs of it not working, only for that person to eventually be humbled. But you also occasionally get people who do things differently and get results. Very occasionally.

Benji's a legend, we all want him to succeed, I hope he has someone providing good guidance and that all this shake up works out.

Personally, I think there are some mistakes being made and players aren't growing as I would have liked. I hope I'm wrong.

For context, when Hasler got sacked at manly I said we should cancel the Benji transition experiment and get him instead. Ive always rated Hasler. But looking at the titans I question how good a judge of all this I am.

 

[kiwitiger]

It should be irrelevant but we have our club asking for funding for not one but 2 stadiums, in the same city! We're seriously f##ked in the head.

It's absurd.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

I don't think it's good that Benji participates in training as he does. Those opportunities should go to juniors and backups while he can focus on pushing standards. I'm not so worried about this particular doueihi event, these sorts of things happen. But I'm concerned by his broader approach.

He says he doesn't want this press conference to be about him, but he seems to make training about him.

I think it's a result of inexperience and probably still a sense of loving the team environment, rather than necessarily thinking about what's best for the team that he still gets so involved. I'm sure it's a thrill for players to play with Benji, but it changes the nature of the drills with him in it.

Head coach, like other leadership positions, is lonely work and I think he's not got the balance between mentor and authority yet.

From my one training session I witnessed, I think he needs more planning and sequencing. In the drill I saw him participate in he was the dominant ball player and players were playing off him. As he was participating There was a lot of other players standing around. There just seemed a bit of passivity around it all beside Api also leading. I've never been anywhere near a professional coach so I don't know proper thinking on it all, but my sessions are always focused on ensuring player participation is always high, intensity levels remain up and players get lots of opportunity and involvement throughout. I hate drills where players are standing around watching. I don't know that players learn better that way.

I think you see falling out and conflict when leadership isn't right. The obvious discontent among some players is either Benji successfully pushing against bad attitude or inconsistencies in his approach to players which leads to disquiet and resentment.

All of this is what you'd expect from inexperienced people. I'm old enough now to have seen the young buck come in and confidently assert the benefit of their method against obvious signs of it not working, only for that person to eventually be humbled. But you also occasionally get people who do things differently and get results. Very occasionally.

Benji's a legend, we all want him to succeed, I hope he has someone providing good guidance and that all this shake up works out.

Personally, I think there are some mistakes being made and players aren't growing as I would have liked. I hope I'm wrong.

For context, when Hasler got sacked at manly I said we should cancel the Benji transition experiment and get him instead. Ive always rated Hasler. But looking at the titans I question how good a judge of all this I am.

Des was a great coach as evidenced by winning comps at Manly. The game has just passed him by. Only the greats like Bennett or Bellamy can do it for 20+ years and continue to evolve with the game. Stuart too. Stuart gets lost in the shuffle when talking about the best coaches of the modern era. Probably cos his personality is on the nose. But he’s up there.

 

[BAGNF05]

Des was a great coach as evidenced by winning comps at Manly. The game has just passed him by. Only the greats like Bennett or Bellamy can do it for 20+ years and continue to evolve with the game. Stuart too. Stuart gets lost in the shuffle when talking about the best coaches of the modern era. Probably cos his personality is on the nose. But he’s up there.

I respect Sticky because he’s built it without stacked rosters year after year. Belly ache has never had a poor roster and he has a shit origin record. Sticky is definitely underrated as a coach.

 

[WestsEffTheRest]

Cochise...if my feelings are "complete and utter nonsense" then perhaps we see emotion differently.

What you might call clinging, others might call CARING.
I don't carry pitchforks...I carry stories, memories, and a sense of pride that refuses to be quietly shelved.

Lidcombe isn't just a place where footy happens, it's where identity still shows up in black and white, waving thru the crowd.

I have never said "I want the Magpies back" as you have claimed.
What I have said is that the Magpies never truly left.
They're still woven into the JV financially, culturally and structurally.
Wanting visibility for a 90% stakeholder isn't nostalgia...it's logic.
If you feel my posts are saturated with Magpie DNA, that's because I've lived that legacy, and I believe a joint venture should reflect joint heritage.

If you hadn't come at me with both barrels from my 1st post, I might have seen your trips to Lidcombe in a more generous light.
But let's be honest, watching the Magpies while waving the "just move on" banner is a bit like attending ANZAC Day and asking people to forget about history.

The irony is, Balmain loyalists still get to hold on to the Tiger name and colours in junior grades as well as the NRL...there's visibility, there's symbolism and the tribalism connected with that.

If the KOE side gets stripped to just Wests Tigers branding, Magpie fans will be left with nothing more than memories.
For the Magpies, it's not about wanting a statue or museum...it's about having 'something' still standing that says...We Were Here and We still Are.

So no, this isn't about clinging...it's about continuity.
You say people have moved on...I say many have adapted, but haven't forgotten where their roots are, unlike many on here saying 'the Magpies/Tigers mean nothing to me now', when in fact you still have a team called the Tigers to follow with Tigers colours.
There's a difference.

Symbols aren't sentimental clutter. They're the scaffolding of belonging.
Balmain Tigers have 90% of the scaffolding in place, with the miserly 10% left for the Magpies seemingly about to be pushed into a deep, dark, damp, dirty dungeon.

We can consolidate systems.
We can streamline pathways.
But let's not bulldoze identity on the way.

If Balmain's history gets a mention, then the Magpies deserve one too.
Not just in quiet boardroom minutes, but in colours, crests and culture.
That's not division...that's balance.

The Magpies Watchtower still stands...not to divide, but to guard what should never be erased.

If the goal is Unity, then respect is the starting line.
I'm happy to walk forward with anyone...but not by stepping over where we came from.

The only time Balmain gets brought up is when you bring them up to push your Balmain vs Wests agenda.

 

[Tucker]

I respect Sticky because he’s built it without stacked rosters year after year. Belly ache has never had a poor roster and he has a shit origin record. Sticky is definitely underrated as a coach.

Ricky has worked with stacked rosters before for average results.
He has created a tough system in Canberra though and deserves some success. He has earned another premiership shot done there

 

[mtd#2]

Ricky has worked with stacked rosters before for average results.
He has created a tough system in Canberra though and deserves some success. He has earned another premiership shot done there

Any idea how many of the current Canberra crop were juniors from the area?

 

[mtd#2]

I respect Sticky because he’s built it without stacked rosters year after year. Belly ache has never had a poor roster and he has a shit origin record. Sticky is definitely underrated as a coach.

To be fair I think Bellamy develops average players in to quality players. . so it might appear he has a stacked roster, but he has developed them through the system.. they don't go paying millions for players at other clubs

 

[tigahhh]

Any idea how many of the current Canberra crop were juniors from the area?

Only 2 I think

 

[BAGNF05]

To be fair I think Bellamy develops average players in to quality players. . so it might appear he has a stacked roster, but he has developed them through the system.. they don't go paying millions for players at other clubs

Definitely. It’s a lot easier to do when you have a permanent big four though.

 

[gallagher]

If you were given the funding for a new stadium and leagues club (assume the land was available) where would you build it?

If we were trying to find something central it would be around Bankstown - which is smack bang in the heart of bulldogs area.

Lidcombe is 40km from Campbelltown and still a 40 min drive for ppl in that area. Its only 15km from leichardt.

Concord is basically the same as leichardt oval and the same distance from Campbelltown as Lidcombe...

It isn't an easy one because there are more juniors in the Campbelltown area and I think we will see less and less talent coming from the inner west over the next 20 years.

I think Campbelltown for a new stadium, maybe a shared one with The dogs at Liverpool but we need to make Campbelltown our home.

25 years ago I thought thats where we'd be by now , but we're no closer than back then.

 

[magpies forever]

I think Campbelltown for a new stadium, maybe a shared one with The dogs at Liverpool but we need to make Campbelltown our home.

25 years ago I thought thats where we'd be by now , but we're no closer than back then.

I think that a ground shared with the Bulldogs is best way forward but where is guidance from NRL HQ?

 

[pawsandclaws1]

Imo what has been absent is discussion about the best coach, Ivan Cleary. What is it, four premierships and his teams are continually ripped apart but the Panthers keep on producing players and results.

 

[diedpretty]

Des was a great coach as evidenced by winning comps at Manly. The game has just passed him by. Only the greats like Bennett or Bellamy can do it for 20+ years and continue to evolve with the game. Stuart too. Stuart gets lost in the shuffle when talking about the best coaches of the modern era. Probably cos his personality is on the nose. But he’s up there.

I'd take Stuarts personality over Bennett or Bellamy any day. Bennett comes across like someone who thinks his ship don't stink and Bellamy is just a fudging cheat. Rickys passionate side can be a bit over the top at times but as a person he is way above the other 2.

 

[1eyetiger]

Plenty of fluff, not much substance

 

[cochise]

Cochise...if my feelings are "complete and utter nonsense" then perhaps we see emotion differently.

What you might call clinging, others might call CARING.
I don't carry pitchforks...I carry stories, memories, and a sense of pride that refuses to be quietly shelved.

Lidcombe isn't just a place where footy happens, it's where identity still shows up in black and white, waving thru the crowd.

I have never said "I want the Magpies back" as you have claimed.
What I have said is that the Magpies never truly left.
They're still woven into the JV financially, culturally and structurally.
Wanting visibility for a 90% stakeholder isn't nostalgia...it's logic.
If you feel my posts are saturated with Magpie DNA, that's because I've lived that legacy, and I believe a joint venture should reflect joint heritage.

If you hadn't come at me with both barrels from my 1st post, I might have seen your trips to Lidcombe in a more generous light.
But let's be honest, watching the Magpies while waving the "just move on" banner is a bit like attending ANZAC Day and asking people to forget about history.

The irony is, Balmain loyalists still get to hold on to the Tiger name and colours in junior grades as well as the NRL...there's visibility, there's symbolism and the tribalism connected with that.

If the KOE side gets stripped to just Wests Tigers branding, Magpie fans will be left with nothing more than memories.
For the Magpies, it's not about wanting a statue or museum...it's about having 'something' still standing that says...We Were Here and We still Are.

So no, this isn't about clinging...it's about continuity.
You say people have moved on...I say many have adapted, but haven't forgotten where their roots are, unlike many on here saying 'the Magpies/Tigers mean nothing to me now', when in fact you still have a team called the Tigers to follow with Tigers colours.
There's a difference.

Symbols aren't sentimental clutter. They're the scaffolding of belonging.
Balmain Tigers have 90% of the scaffolding in place, with the miserly 10% left for the Magpies seemingly about to be pushed into a deep, dark, damp, dirty dungeon.

We can consolidate systems.
We can streamline pathways.
But let's not bulldoze identity on the way.

If Balmain's history gets a mention, then the Magpies deserve one too.
Not just in quiet boardroom minutes, but in colours, crests and culture.
That's not division...that's balance.

The Magpies Watchtower still stands...not to divide, but to guard what should never be erased.

If the goal is Unity, then respect is the starting line.
I'm happy to walk forward with anyone...but not by stepping over where we came from.

You do understand that the Wests in our name came from the Magpies, there is a magpie on the jersey.

I'm one of the few Wests Tigers supporters that is ok with the reserve grade team being the Magpies, i was out there cheering them on last weekend.

These arguments about protecting long dead entities at the elite level should be history. Let's focus on what is the best way for the Wests Tigers to be successful.

 

[Tucker]

Any idea how many of the current Canberra crop were juniors from the area?

No Im not sure

 

[Alex Seyfarth's #1 Fan]

Chammas insinuates that we are not focusing on developing players. This is a blatant lie.

We have already developed some of the best players in the game who are still playing. I'm talking about guys like Alex Seyfarth. This guy has been around for so many years and already he is the best second rower in the competition. Liam Martin could lose his origin spot to Seyfarth if he is not careful. But I heard that Benji is doing Laurie Daley a favour by moving him to the bench, so as to not threaten Martin's position in the team. Daley agreed to pick Terrell May in origin 4 as a thank you.

 

[BZN]

You do understand that the Wests in our name came from the Magpies, there is a magpie on the jersey.

I'm one of the few Wests Tigers supporters that is ok with the reserve grade team being the Magpies, i was out there cheering them on last weekend.

These arguments about protecting long dead entities at the elite level should be history. Let's focus on what is the best way for the Wests Tigers to be successful.

cochise...I want the Wests Tigers to succeed just as much as you...but not at the cost of identity.

The Magpies deserve more than a small patch on our jersey and a name ...Wests...that many wouldn't even link back to their legacy unless told.
The Magpies emblem is barely visible...tucked away like an afterthought, despite being one of the most recognised and beloved symbols in Australian sport.
Just ask the faithful of Collingwood Magpies...and the Wests Magpies...the black and white bird means so much.

Balmain's heritage is showcased boldly.
The Magpies legacy, meanwhile, risks being quietly archived.
This isn't clinging to the past...it's refusing to let a 90% stakeholder become invisible.

And today's result speaks volumes...the Magpies defeated Canberra and are shooting up the ladder. That's not just symbolic...it's living proof the legacy still breathes.
I hope you enjoyed watching the game at Lidcombe today.
It's places like this where identity still shows up in black and white.

If unity's the goal, visibility matters.
And if you're still cheering the Magpies on, then maybe we agree on more than it seems.