Juniors - Pathways General Discussion

Bus 2 Terrigal Lagoon said:
Nothing truer may ever have been uttered than your opening sentence.

With regards Cooper Clarke (who I'm sure you've never seen play).
I rated him when he played at St Greg's & was in Wests Matts Cup team. Another poster here didn't.
He stated he thought his improvement came when playing in the Qld Cup. Yet you are missing the point. Melbourne identified him when he was with us and signed him. He was in Qld playing through their pathways. All young players need to be developed & molded to get to NRL level, but talent identification is about finding potential. Back in 2023, the Storm (like B2TL) saw plenty of potential in young Cooper.

As for arguing for the sake of it - you were the one who jumped into this debate. I've simply answered you from there. Why did you jump in on a debate about a young player you've never seen play ????
I think we both know why ...
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1772670478604.png
Luke Laulilii, Denzel Shaafhausen-Mino, Pheonix Godinet, Cooper Clarke (gone) and Kohan Lewis with Harold Matthews coach Robbie Mears

He was a big body then. But we let him go?
 
Vicious said:
Yes it will be interesting to see who lines up in our Jersey Flegg team next week as we have lost a few including Callum McMenemy a big bodied winger/centre who I though would have been in our plans.
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It feels like the club picks the ones they deem are the keepers of every youth team , and just deprioritise the ones on the fringes . To the point it borderline alienates them .
 
Yossarian said:
It’s not a great record - corrections welcomed

2018
Heath Gibbs - 0 NRL games Last seen in QLD Cup
Sam McIntyre - 82 NRL games (12 at WT) now at NQ
Tom Mikaele - 90 NRL games (66 at WT) now at NQ
Dylan Smith - 0 NRL games now at Greta?

2019
Alex Seyfarth - 91 NRL games (91 at WT) still here
Jock Madden - 32 NRL games (17 at WT) back at WT
Kane Bradley - 13 NRL games (0 at WT) now at Brisbane
Tommy Talau - 83 NRL games (47 at WT) now at Roosters

2020
Jake Simpkin - 71 NRL games (43 at WT) now at Manly
Zac Cini - 4 NRL games (4 at WT) now at Castleford

2021
Kelma Tuilagi - 72 NRL games (27 at WT) at Parra
William Kei - 0 NRL games. Last seen at Blacktown Workers

2022
Henry O’Kane - 0 NRL games. Now at Toulouse
Brandon Tumeth - 1 NRL game (1 at WT) Dunno where he is
Lomi Saukuru - 0 NRL games Now at (checks notes) Engadine

2023
Josh Feledy - 3 NRL games (3 at WT) back at Manly
Kitione Kautoga - 18 NRL games (1 at WT) now at Parra
Christian Ma’anaima - 0 NRL games at Ryde-Eastwood?
Justin Matamua - 14 NRL games (14 at NRL) still at WT

2024
Kit Laulilii - 3 NRL games (3 at WT) still here
Alex Lobb - 3 NRL games (3 at WT) now at Wynnum
Chris Faagutu - 0 NRL games at St Marys?
Tony Sukkar - 16 NRL games (16 at WT) still here

2025
Will Craig - 0 NRL games - still here
Heath Mason 14 NRL games (14 at WT) still here
Reuben Porter 8 NRL games (8 at WT) now at Corrimal?
Solomona Faataape 19 NRL games (19 at WT) now at Catalans
Heamasi Makasini 1 NRL game (1 at WT) still here
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Yossarian
Thank you for the stats.
 
Vicious said:
Yes it will be interesting to see who lines up in our Jersey Flegg team next week as we have lost a few including Callum McMenemy a big bodied winger/centre who I though would have been in our plans.
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For an old Magpie like me - seeing blokes like Cooper Clarke & Callum McMenemy play elsewhere is tough - given their fathers (Shayne &Leo) both played top grade at the Wests Ms in the 1990s.
 
Bus 2 Terrigal Lagoon said:
For an old Magpie like me - seeing blokes like Cooper Clarke & Callum McMenemy play elsewhere is tough - given their fathers (Shayne &Leo) both played top grade at the Wests Ms in the 1990s.
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Yes a lot of ex payers sons have been involved in recent years.
Robbie Mears more Wests Tigers than Wests Magpies, but he looked to be a good coach in the making off the back of coaching our Premiership winning Harold Matthews team. He has since stopped coaching and took his son to the Panthers last year off the back of not getting much of a run with us.
I have not noticed his son’s name at the Panthers this season, so not sure how it all worked out, but it doesn’t sound great.
We now have Pat Richard’s coaching our Wests Magpies Harold Matthews team, but his son is not getting much of a run for our SG Ball team.
Stephen Isdale although not a notable ex player done a good job coaching our Wests Magpies Harold Matthews team in a team that featured his son Alex playing halfback. His younger son Izaak Isdale is now starring for our Wests Magpies Harold Matthews team.
I don’t know Stephen personally, but my intel tells me he’s a very good and very vocal coach. I’m hoping he’s assisting our Jersey Flegg team this season ?
We have ex Wests Magpies player Nathan Lakeman coaching our Wests Magpies SG Ball team with his son as the halfback. Young Curtis Lakeman looks to have decent ability so I don’t think anyone is questioning is position in the team, but it does become very murky with fathers and ex players coaching teams with their own sons involved.
It would take a very good man manager to work it all out amicably.
 
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Vicious said:
Yes a lot of ex payers sons have been involved in recent years.
Robbie Mears more Wests Tigers than Wests Magpies, but he looked tj be a good coach in the making off the back of coaching our Premiership winning Harold Matthews team. He has since stopped coaching and took his son to the Panthers last year off the back of not getting much of a run with us.
I have not noticed his son’s name at the Panthers this season, so not sure how it all worked out, but it doesn’t sound great.
We now have Pat Richard’s coaching our Wests Magpies Harold Matthews team, but his son is not getting much of a run for our SG Ball team.
Stephen Isdale although not a notable ex player done a good job coaching our Wests Magpies Harold Matthews team on a team that featured his son Alex playing halfback.
I don’t know Syephennoersonalky, but my intel tells me he’s a very good and very vocal coach. I’m hoping he’s assisting our Jersey Flegg team this season ?
We have ex Wests Magpies player Nathan Lakeman coaching our Wests Magpies SG Ball team with his son as the halfback. Young Curtis Lakeman looks to have decent ability so I don’t think anyone is questioning is position in the team, but it does become very murky with fathers and ex players coaching teams with their own sons involved.
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I've got action photos of young Robbie Mears playing lock forward for Wests Magpies SG Ball team taken many many years ago ... and then the Roosters pounced.

As you mentioned he did finally make his way back 👍
 
Vicious said:
Yes a lot of ex payers sons have been involved in recent years.
Robbie Mears more Wests Tigers than Wests Magpies, but he looked to be a good coach in the making off the back of coaching our Premiership winning Harold Matthews team. He has since stopped coaching and took his son to the Panthers last year off the back of not getting much of a run with us.
I have not noticed his son’s name at the Panthers this season, so not sure how it all worked out, but it doesn’t sound great.
We now have Pat Richard’s coaching our Wests Magpies Harold Matthews team, but his son is not getting much of a run for our SG Ball team.
Stephen Isdale although not a notable ex player done a good job coaching our Wests Magpies Harold Matthews team in a team that featured his son Alex playing halfback. His younger son Izaak Isdale is now starring for our Wests Magpies Harold Matthews team.
I don’t know Stephen personally, but my intel tells me he’s a very good and very vocal coach. I’m hoping he’s assisting our Jersey Flegg team this season ?
We have ex Wests Magpies player Nathan Lakeman coaching our Wests Magpies SG Ball team with his son as the halfback. Young Curtis Lakeman looks to have decent ability so I don’t think anyone is questioning is position in the team, but it does become very murky with fathers and ex players coaching teams with their own sons involved.
It would take a very good man manager to work it all out amicably.
Click to expand...
Nothing like Wests Politics
 
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