The answer is simple 1 club and then 1 set of lower grade sides, let's have a better skills and development program which will set us long better in the long term, Build the junior C.O.E at campbelltown then watch as in time more juniors will come through. The talent is there at Balmain and West just need to have 1 side only policy, better coaching structure.
Juniors - Pathways General Discussion
- Thread starter innsaneink
- Start date
Betterdays22
Well-known member
Thought the point made in a previous post was a good one. Why would a school-aged kid from the inner west drive out to Campbelltown a couple of times a week when they could go to Souths, Parra, Roosters or Dogs?
Kelce68
Well-known member
No doubt the junior headquarters should be prioritised out west, that is simply the best option numbers-wise.
But only those concerned with winning junior trophies would lean towards a strict 1-side only pathways system in my opinion.
The strength of our catchment lies in its' vastness. If our junior sides are mid-table, but having multiple teams allows us to keep more juniors, particularly those of note, in the system, then I'd much rather that.
I don't particularly care about winning Matts or Ball.
I do care about keeping as many of our best junior prospects for as long as possible and I think having multiple teams gives us the best chance of doing that.
People are forgetting that we're still in the infancy of this new pathways system and its impact on the first grade side.
The fact that some of our best Ball-eligible, and certainly Flegg-eligible players are regulars in our first-grade setup means that it takes time to back-fill quality underneath.
As the first grade side becomes more settled, it will allow each grade below it to settle down its turnover and create a logjam of a good kind, the type that has three or four cohorts of Ball and Flegg players fighting for a spot in Cup and then NRL.
These things take a lot of time. Far longer than we've had thus far.
But only those concerned with winning junior trophies would lean towards a strict 1-side only pathways system in my opinion. This is not me or the point i was trying to make, Pathways works well when it all comes together West Tigers are not there yet as an identity yes, a lot of process have been improved and a lot of good prospects retained who want to be here, but there are still areas that need attention i.e: skills and development.
Personally, would like to see if the best current Balmain and West sg ball players where all together in Flegg for 2 years how far they could develop.
Personally, would like to see if the best current Balmain and West sg ball players where all together in Flegg for 2 years how far they could develop.
True.
But why do Parents in foreign lands want to send their young sons to Ajax and Psv to develop their skills ??
If the football program is professional run and people can see players developing and progressing
then they will come. Penrith have 3 in their Sg Ball/Flegg that come down from Orange/Bathurst,
Manly have kids coming from Blacktown doing the same thing.
Kelce68
Well-known member
sorry meant to type ball
innsaneink
Well-known member
Try WestS also
Buttface
Well-known member
One team for as low as we can feasibly go.
Or am I not getting enough sarcasm?
Laurie Daley Cup team showcases Macarthur region talent
Wests Tigers Fri 28 Mar 2025, 11:30 AMShare on social media
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The club’s Laurie Daley Cup U/18s team will play in Saturday’s Grand Final at GIO Stadium, Canberra, after a particularly strong 2025 campaign.
The match represents the first Grand Final appearance for Macarthur Wests Tigers’ Laurie Daley Cup team, after their Andrew Johns Cup counterparts have reached the decider twice.
They take on the Illawarra South Coast Dragons on Saturday in what is set to be a thrilling contest.
The Group 6 and Macarthur regions have produced a countless number of players who’ve gone on to graduate to the NRL.
The likes of Lachlan Galvin, Tallyn Da Silva and Heath Mason are just a few recent examples of players to develop into first graders after progressing through the Wests Tigers Pathways program in southwestern Sydney.
The entire Laurie Daley Cup squad is made up of Wests Tigers local juniors from the Macarthur region, showcasing the strength of junior league in the area.
Wests Tigers are one of only a handful of NRL clubs who have affiliated teams in the Andrew Johns Cup and Laurie Daley Cup competitions, with these squads also assisting Wests Magpies Harold Matthews Cup and SG Ball Cup teams.
Players not initially selected in the Magpies SG Ball Cup team this season have featured for Macarthur in the Laurie Daley Cup on their way to Saturday’s Grand Final appearance.
Wests Group Macarthur’s investment into the Macarthur Junior League and Group 6 competitions have been
critical in furthering the production line of talent stemming from the region.
The recent announcement of $400,000 in funding from Wests Group Macarthur is the biggest single cash injection to junior rugby league by a third-party club in New South Wales and will go a long way towards ensuring the success and growth of league in the Macarthur region continues for years to come.
Get your tickets to Saturday’s Laurie Daley Cup Grand Final NOW!
balmain boy
Well-known member
Once again, we're looking at a season where none of our junior rep sides make the finals. How is this acceptable?
I'm not saying we should be winning every compr, ever year. But we should be competing to win every comp, most years. Our current best players can't compete against other teams.
It's obviously important to keep the right juniors, something the club has been absolutely appalling at for a very long time. It's also critical that we actually develop these best players, keep making them 10% better each year. This is something just have never done.
balmain boy
Well-known member
Nearly all other clubs have players as good as these players, if not better.
We seem to be happy if there's one or two above average players in a team, we have to set our standards higher.
Oitmann and Deininger are very small, hopefully more Paps than Mullaney.
The thing is also that our flegg team is also crap, as is our NSW cup side. Our best young players still don't have to work hard and perform consistently to earn promotions up the grade. In the end we're so desperate for talent that any player who shows any skill is suddenly borderline first grader and pushed through the grades at top speed.
The likes of Mason and lauliliis shouldn't be anywhere near first grade yet. Still a long long way away. Which top prospects do we have in cup, in Flegg? None. A few kids who've been ok in ball.
Our juniors are simply not as strong as other clubs, in terms of quality or depth
your a goldfish stuck in a bowl - what do you expect apar tfrom a few losses across the club a year . Going by this years graph (no name dropping) the club is on the up from last year
pawsandclaws1
Well-known member
There are a few names from both Ball teams that imo opinion are outstanding prospects. But they are only prospects and need to go through our development system. Often teams have many good prospects in their respective sides but are "crap" as you have written. This does not mean these players will not progress through to our NRL team which is the outcome we want. The other issue you haven't mentioned is that many of these players are our juniors, not young players trucked in from other areas. This makes our system sustainable whereas teams reliant on poaching juniors from other areas will struggle with the introduction of new NRL teams.
BunganHead Tiger
Well-known member
Hey guys we actually have one of our junior teams competing in a Grand Final today (weather permitting). Rather than decrying the perceived lack of quality juniors we are producing, or discussing the merits of running with one or two teams throughout the ranks, perhaps we should shift our focus, if only momentarily, to getting behind the lads in the Laurie Daley Cup Team and wishing them all the best against the Illawarra Dragons today.
Tucker
Well-known member
Yep, this side got absolutely flogged in the final round game, then regrouped to take on that same team the following weekend in the Semi Final which they won. Obviously some great fight in the squad and a great chance at a premiership later this arvo.
I believe it’s a bit wet and chilly in Canberra today so likely not a big crowd expected but hopefully they get some support and bring it home.
Good luck fellas 👍🏼💪🏼
balmain boy
Well-known member
They're getting annihilated. They're absolute rubbish. Small, slow and dumb.
With the exception of Glassie, who while small seems to have good power and acceleration
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balmain boy
Well-known member
Sure Makasini, Taupau moors, Godinet and Haywood. But thing is none of them have stood out at sg ball level. If they can't dominate at that level they're hardly in a position to be pushed up to flegg.
But also having the rest of the sg ball teams being made up of mediocre small and slow players makes it hard for them to be able to stand out.
We also need to recruit much more from other regions. It is clear that the talent we have in our region is simply not good enough. So we don't just settle for whatever we have, we should be scouting all of Australia and New Zealand to bring the best juniors to our club. But seemingly we don't.
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