Juniors - Pathways General Discussion

[Lestronge]

You reckon a mini bus will be run from Ryde, Dundas, Carlingford, Concord, Leichhardt, strathfield 3 times a week taking 1.5 hours in peak hour?
I can tell you now, if your a gun Balmain junior living at Concord or Strathfield and the Dogs say "hey, you are travelling to Cambelltown becasue they wont let you play for Balmain, how about travel 20 minutes to us"...what u think the parents are gonna tell him to do?

I’m telling you that manly and the roosters already do it . Probably the dogs as well . The raiders would have to as well considering where their players come from .
As to what each person does I dunno , each to their own , but your implying it’s this outrageous thing and it’s absolutely not . Not even a little bit . I think the issue is Balmain kids not wanting to go to Campbelltown . It’s that simple . And honestly if that’s where the best academy is and that’s where I was recruited to and want to go , I can’t see any kid caring . If that’s where they want to be .
I used to catch the bus to my local station jump on a train 40 minutes to a school near there , go to rugby rep training till like 6.30, jump back in the train to Merrylands catch a bus to Merrylands oval and , go to rams training , then catch another bus that went from there all the way to a km away from my house and walk home . Twice a week . I’d get home at 9.30 . Back in the days before mobile phones and in the middle of drug wars . So where there’s a will there’s a way .
If the tyranny is distance and geography, you try and take as much of the bullshit out of the equation , so kids aren’t doing what I was doing when I was 17 .
If it’s about getting our elite kids training out of the academy . Which they all should be .

 

[Lestronge]

There were kids in the 90's that travelled to the gong and to parramatta from Campbelltown area.

Yep I was one of them . All you had to do was jump on a train that went from Campbelltown - Penrith at any station on a Tuesday and Thursday afternoon , sometimes Friday’s and you could see the boys from whichever schools doing it . Especially the ones who went to westsfields . I’m sure there still is .

 

[Merlot]

I’m telling you that manly and the roosters already do it . Probably the dogs as well . The raiders would have to as well considering where their players come from .
As to what each person does I dunno , each to their own , but your implying it’s this outrageous thing and it’s absolutely not . Not even a little bit . I think the issue is Balmain kids not wanting to go to Campbelltown . It’s that simple . And honestly if that’s where the best academy is and that’s where I was recruited to and want to go , I can’t see any kid caring . If that’s where they want to be .
I used to catch the bus to my local station jump on a train 40 minutes to a school near there , go to rugby rep training till like 6.30, jump back in the train to Merrylands catch a bus to Merrylands oval and , go to rams training , then catch another bus that went from there all the way to a km away from my house and walk home . Twice a week . I’d get home at 9.30 . Back in the days before mobile phones and in the middle of drug wars . So where there’s a will there’s a way .
If the tyranny is distance and geography, you try and take as much of the bullshit out of the equation , so kids aren’t doing what I was doing when I was 17 .

scott fulton bused them out of the west to manly ,basically made his positive reputation from it

 

[balmain boy]

Where have you heard this? Just cut the middle man and have one Wests Tigers team for each grade...

That would be one of the stupidest ideas ever. Junior reps are local level. Wests should be able field a strong team on their own. Balmain kids will leave the system and go to Parra or the dogs before they travel to Campbelltown after school for training

 

[balmain boy]

It would be logical if the combined team was branded as WTs.

From Jersey Flegg level onwards yes. Junior reps must remain local

 

[Merlot]

problem solved - A - B team from both districts ,spend some money recruiting on the kids
Shuan said they have money to splash about in that department

 

[Merlot]

thats a joke

 

[king_sirro]

I’m telling you that manly and the roosters already do it . Probably the dogs as well . The raiders would have to as well considering where their players come from .
As to what each person does I dunno , each to their own , but your implying it’s this outrageous thing and it’s absolutely not . Not even a little bit . I think the issue is Balmain kids not wanting to go to Campbelltown . It’s that simple . And honestly if that’s where the best academy is and that’s where I was recruited to and want to go , I can’t see any kid caring . If that’s where they want to be .
I used to catch the bus to my local station jump on a train 40 minutes to a school near there , go to rugby rep training till like 6.30, jump back in the train to Merrylands catch a bus to Merrylands oval and , go to rams training , then catch another bus that went from there all the way to a km away from my house and walk home . Twice a week . I’d get home at 9.30 . Back in the days before mobile phones and in the middle of drug wars . So where there’s a will there’s a way .
If the tyranny is distance and geography, you try and take as much of the bullshit out of the equation , so kids aren’t doing what I was doing when I was 17 .
If it’s about getting our elite kids training out of the academy . Which they all should be .

What's this "academy" you speak of?

 

[Vicious]

There is no easy solution, but I am happy our club is at least being proactive and trying to come up with an idea to make our junior rep teams more successful.
This is an option I would propose to at least show a bit of respect and care to both regions that represent our foundation clubs:

- Have the A Team and B Team alternate between SG Ball and Harold Matthews so that Westwen Suburbs Magpies are the A Team for SG Ball one year and Balmain Tigers the next and in that same season have the opposite representation for Harold Matthews.
-Or make one club the permanent A Team for SG Ball and the other club the permanent A Team for Harold Matthews.

Obviously the A Team through sheer weight of numbers would be a majority of players from the South-West / MacArthur region, so training should be split between both regions regardless of what the team name is.
Possibly split the 3 training sessions per week between 2 at Campbelltown and 1 at the Concord COE, possibly 2 at the Concord COE every couple of weeks as although it’s a long distance travel for our South- West / MacArthur based youngsters, I’m sure it would be exciting for them to be training at such a great facility as the Concord COE at least until the Campbelltown COE is built and up and running.
I am not sure if it’s possible to get access to the Concord COE for our junior reps to train and possibly play some games at, but I think that’s the only way this could potentially work.

 

[jrtiger]

I think they need to consolidate it.

travel's not ideal but let's face it if a kid wants to play in the NRL that badly then they'll make the sacrifice. there's plenty of kids that have done so through the years. as @Vicious said, if they rotate where the training sessions are thru the week that'll help too. Concord realistically isn't the worst place to travel up to when going against the traffic for the SWS kids either.

iron sharpens iron. best of sticking our best juniors in the one place. imagine a SG Ball side next year with a back three of Aroyan, Lanyon and Kerr with Kingston Finau at left centre, Azzi at 7, Siotame at 13 and Perkins, Vaotangi and Penfold in the engine room with Maafu on an edge.

 

[Lestronge]

What's this "academy" you speak of?

The one being built or proposed underneath the stadium refurb . Also there’s another one at Wests sydney uni near MacArthur station .

 

[Lestronge]

I think they need to consolidate it.

travel's not ideal but let's face it if a kid wants to play in the NRL that badly then they'll make the sacrifice. there's plenty of kids that have done so through the years. as @Vicious said, if they rotate where the training sessions are thru the week that'll help too. Concord realistically isn't the worst place to travel up to when going against the traffic for the SWS kids either.

iron sharpens iron. best of sticking our best juniors in the one place. imagine a SG Ball side next year with a back three of Aroyan, Lanyon and Kerr with Kingston Finau at left centre, Azzi at 7, Siotame at 13 and Perkins, Vaotangi and Penfold in the engine room with Maafu on an edge.

It’s IMO all bullshit . There too many guys if they’re honest with themselves still harbouring deep seated loyalties , perpetuating the need to maintain division . Nearly all the east Sydney teams lack players , and have to bus them in from the west . I guess the issue is no one has ever bussed them east to west .

 

[king_sirro]

It’s IMO all bullshit . There too many guys if they’re honest with themselves still harbouring deep seated loyalties , perpetuating the need to maintain division . Nearly all the east Sydney teams lack players , and have to bus them in from the west . I guess the issue is no one has ever bussed them east to west .

Yep, im confident your theory of bussing them to a worse area will work just fine.

One thing you are missing in all this, the clubs like the Rooster firstly have a much better reputation, secondly they dont have 2 teams. The point is, if a Balmain kid is forced to travel to Cambelltown when he could as easily be playing out of Concord because there is a viable team there, his parents will call bullshit on that travel if an offer comes from the Dogs or Parra. If its the only option then yeah, of course people will travel. But its not the only option.

 

[Vicious]

It’s IMO all bullshit . There too many guys if they’re honest with themselves still harbouring deep seated loyalties , perpetuating the need to maintain division . Nearly all the east Sydney teams lack players , and have to bus them in from the west . I guess the issue is no one has ever bussed them east to west .

Not all of them get bussed.
You regularly see young players on way to or from training wearing gear for clubs such as the Roosters, Rabbitohs, Sea Eagles getting on and off trains at places such as Liverpool and Revesby, so it’s a fair distance to travel, but they are obviously very committed.
The more I think about it, the more I like the idea behind d an A and a B Team, but I just hope it’s done in a respectful and inclusive way that does not disrespect the importance or value of either region.
As I stated in a previous post, by simply having 1 of the 3 training sessions per week in the inner-west, preferably at the Concord COE, would at least show a bit of respect and care towards our inner-west junior base.
I know some fans care, but I don’t think the vast majority of the players would care less if an A team or B team was called the Concord Pelicans, the Wollondilly Wolves or Wests Magpies or Balnain Tigers, they just want an opportunity to play at the elite level for their age group,

 

[Vicious]

Yep, im confident your theory of bussing them to a worse area will work just fine.

One thing you are missing in all this, the clubs like the Rooster firstly have a much better reputation, secondly they dont have 2 teams. The point is, if a Balmain kid is forced to travel to Cambelltown when he could as easily be playing out of Concord because there is a viable team there, his parents will call bullshit on that travel if an offer comes from the Dogs or Parra. If its the only option then yeah, of course people will travel. But its not the only option.

I understand where you are coming from king_sirro and having been involved in the BDJRL I agree it would cause a lot of angst amongst many parents, but I think this would quickly turn around if it was proven they would be playing in regular top 4 teams and for a B team still just having an opportunity to play at the elite level and be in the shop window.
I know one training session per week locally might not seem like much of a compromise, but it is better than nothing.

 

[Speed2burn]

sadly junior reps are similar to nrl where all players want to play for the glamour clubs. For Western Sydney juniors, they wanna play for Parra, Bulldogs or Penrith first. If they miss team selections for Ball or HM in those teams, Balmain or Wests usually pick up the scraps as they have a better chance of making pathways in those districts

I played my juniors down in the Illawarra and many talented kids would try their luck trialling Roosters/St George before their own local districts

 

[Bellend]

Yep I was one of them . All you had to do was jump on a train that went from Campbelltown - Penrith at any station on a Tuesday and Thursday afternoon , sometimes Friday’s and you could see the boys from whichever schools doing it . Especially the ones who went to westsfields . I’m sure there still is .

110% correct

 

[Bellend]

Times are very different

Not really still Kids still travelling to other clubs today.