Juniors - Pathways General Discussion

[balmain boy]

Not really still Kids still travelling to other clubs today.

They travel from poorer working class areas to nicer areas. It's just nature, people want to move u up in the world. Which for many involves getting out of Campbelltown

 

[Lestronge]

He was a schoolboy on the gold coast, signed with the dogs lasted a few months then returned home after broken promises.

He'll be in the inner west, or bunking with another junior in a sharehouse or family

Juniors do not train at the coe, it's for NRL players only.

There's why they're building a coe for juniors in Campbelltown with the Uni

In 2025 so 1 year ago , he was voted best player in his age group . The kid is a gun.

 

[Bellend]

They travel from poorer working class areas to nicer areas. It's just nature, people want to move u up in the world. Which for many involves getting out of Campbelltown

Not really plenty of people move around for that opportunity not just Campbelltown

 

[Betterdays22]

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

It was more in response to the rumour of there being essentially an A and B team. May as well field one team.

Regardless, shouldn't the point be to field strong junior rep teams that produce NRL level talent?

I don't claim to be an expert but how many times has Balmain made the finals in Ball or Matts in the last 5 years? How many NRL players or potential NRL players have been produced? Magpies also wildy underperform for their catchment. Something needs to change.

 

[BinChicken]

Good to get your Balmain pathways intel as always BC. Any word whether we have Aroyan & Kerr also on multi-year pathways deals? Hope so.

Yeah on looking back at the CUBS 16s squad that recently played the Titans, I see it was predominantly the same players against St Helens plus a few others like the Finau brothers & Vaotangi (jeez he looks like his brother).

Makes me wonder how old Zeph & Kingston Finau are if they were in this team as all their team mates it seems are 16 this year but they are both in their 2nd season of Matts so I thought they were turning 17 this year.

Maafu has 100% signed with the club. Not sure about Kerr or Aroyan.

 

[BinChicken]

What are peoples thoughts about the club putting all the best players in the Magpies Matts and Balls teams and the remaining players in the Balmain teams? Essentially habing an A and B team.

For me, i see it as plain stupid. If they are going to do that, then just have one team. Why enter "B" teams only to get flogged every week.

That being said, maybe this move will help with the stupid myth some have that this is a Balmain oriented merger, although im sure they would still complain

From what I understand it’s less about stacking Western Suburbs and more about spreading the talent across both pathways. We’ve already seen that this year with Noah Vaotangi playing for Balmain and Harry Bickhoff going the other way. I don’t believe we’ll see an A and B team

 

[king_sirro]

From what I understand it’s less about stacking Western Suburbs and more about spreading the talent across both pathways. We’ve already seen that this year with Noah Vaotangi playing for Balmain and Harry Bickhoff going the other way. I don’t believe we’ll see an A and B team

Thats not what I have been told.

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

I don't want 2 teams in the one competition, it just dilutes talent, have one strong team so the players coming through the grades have a greater chance of having a winning culture.

Imagine if we could achieve top 4 contenders right through the grades, not many would want to leave and yes, all the teams should be called Wests Tigers.

 

[Vicious]

I don't want 2 teams in the one competition, it just dilutes talent, have one strong team so the players coming through the grades have a greater chance of having a winning culture.

Imagine if we could achieve top 4 contenders right through the grades, not many would want to leave and yes, all the teams should be called Wests Tigers.

Having a successful junior rep season each year needs to be a high priority and obviously having one team of all our best players in each age group is our best chance of that happening.
Say the team is called Wests Tigers, where would be the best place to train to best include our best players from the South-West and MacArthur regions as well as our best players from the Inner West / Balmain district?
Not forgetting we would still ideally be recruiting some external take talent for each of these teams each season.
I think it would be to our own detriment if we ignored training somewhere within the South-West / MacArthur regions as it’s a big catchment area and we need to try and ensure as much of the best talent possible plays junior reps in Wests Tigers colours.
I would propose 2 training sessions per week within this region and 1 training session per week within the Inner West / Balmain junior district.
Providing the team looked very strong, I think most players and families would compromise and agree to this type of arrangement.
As for the argument whether or not a 2nd team in each age group is viable, my question is why not?
The Roisters use Central Coast Roosters as their 2nd team in each age group and their teams generally finish the the btttom half of the ladder, but it’s still a worthwhile excersize if they uncover a couple of players each season that can progress tj their Sydney Roosters teams, Jersey Flegg or NSW Cup etc
Jacob Preston is a great example of being a Nanly local junior who was never considered good enough for their junior rep teams. I bet Manly would love him in their NRL team right now and maybe if they has a 2nd tier team, meaning a bigger catchment of players for their elite pathways, he could have been part of that and developed within their system, rather than become disappointed and head to the Bears.

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

Having a successful junior rep season each year needs to be a high priority and obviously having one team of all our best players in each age group is our best chance of that happening.
Say the team is called Wests Tigers, where would be the best place to train to best include our best players from the South-West and MacArthur regions as well as our best players from the Inner West / Balmain district?
Not forgetting we would still ideally be recruiting some external take talent for each of these teams each season.
I think it would be to our own detriment if we ignored training somewhere within the South-West / MacArthur regions as it’s a big catchment area and we need to try and ensure as much of the best talent possible plays junior reps in Wests Tigers colours.
I would propose 2 training sessions per week within this region and 1 training session per week within the Inner West / Balmain junior district.
Providing the team looked very strong, I think most players and families would compromise and agree to this type of arrangement.
As for the argument whether or not a 2nd team in each age group is viable, my question is why not?
The Roisters use Central Coast Roosters as their 2nd team in each age group and their teams generally finish the the btttom half of the ladder, but it’s still a worthwhile excersize if they uncover a couple of players each season that can progress tj their Sydney Roosters teams, Jersey Flegg or NSW Cup etc
Jacob Preston is a great example of being a Nanly local junior who was never considered good enough for their junior rep teams. I bet Manly would love him in their NRL team right now and maybe if they has a 2nd tier team, meaning a bigger catchment of players for their elite pathways, he could have been part of that and developed within their system, rather than become disappointed and head to the Bears.

Yes: split the training between 2 venues so the travelling is fair

No: one team only, we have been running out 2 teams for years and it's not working.

 

[Vicious]

Yes: split the training between 2 venues so the travelling is fair

No: one team only, we have been running out 2 teams for years and it's not working.

I agree that the time has come that we need a strong combined team capable of getting good results in our junior reps each season.
Once tgat happens it just breeds confidence, provides a much higher chance of regularly producing our own elite players and means we are less reliant on external recruitment.
I still don’t see the harm in keeping a B team, but would still be content if we just focused on one strong team per age group.

 

[Red88_Tiger]

I see merit in an a and b side. I’m sure if little johny couldn’t make the a side training but could make the b side I’d be pretty certain that he would be selected in the b side.
The kicker would be the difference in coaching access especially on positions roles,defence and attack .
Though it would be nice to see both sides train together even if it’s only every couple of weeks. Leave your wests and Balmain kits at home and train in your weststigers training shirt

 

[balmain boy]

Yes: split the training between 2 venues so the travelling is fair

No: one team only, we have been running out 2 teams for years and it's not working.

+ @Vicious
This is the worst thing we could possibly do. This is local, junior rep footy. We must have 2 teams. Geography demands this. Having one team is moronic. Making juniors travel from the SW to Concord is stupid, as is asking inner west players to travel to the sw. It will not work. Families will not do it. Nor is there any need or advantage to do it

We represent two different geographical regions. This fact is at the very heart of the club.

We need 2 high functioning junior rep sides. Most clubs spend more money on their single junior two side than we spend on both our sides. It's embarrassing. If HBG want to remain our owners they get given an ultimatum to spend an extra 2-3 million a year on junior reps. We must use our geography to our advantage and have the best of the west and the best of the inner west.

Then have flegg and cup as Wests Tigers. We unite from that age group onwards and have regular Cub programs to unite the two sides.

 

[balmain boy]

It was more in response to the rumour of there being essentially an A and B team. May as well field one team.

Regardless, shouldn't the point be to field strong junior rep teams that produce NRL level talent?

I don't claim to be an expert but how many times has Balmain made the finals in Ball or Matts in the last 5 years? How many NRL players or potential NRL players have been produced? Magpies also wildy underperform for their catchment. Something needs to change.

Yes the point of junior reps should be to produce NRL standard players. Absolutely. And we're barely even trying to do this currently. We invest a fraction of the funds that other clubs do in this area.

Balmain in particular have been run on the smell of an oily rag for fast too long. The neglect shown by Wests Ashfield is astonishing. Yes they're funding the side, at the absolute minimum level possible.

Balmain should be competing with Parra and the dogs for the best juniors in the area. Not just taking the leftovers. despite this Balmain has still often finished above the better funded Wests side.

Having two inadequately supported clubs is embarrassing and you're right, something needs to change, we need to start treating juniors with respect and give them the funding and resources they deserve! This might help us produce more NRL standard players, and have players develop the skills throughout their time at the club.

Our junior clubs have developed very few NRL players in the past few years. Balmain have Pole, Seyfarth and Sukkar. Wests have had Makasini and Saukuru

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

+ @Vicious
This is the worst thing we could possibly do. This is local, junior rep footy. We must have 2 teams. Geography demands this. Having one team is moronic. Baking juniors travel from the SW to Concord is stupid, as is asking inner west players to travel to the sw. It will not work. Families will not do it. Nor is there any need or advantage to do it

We represent two different geographical regions. This fact is at the very heart of the club.

We need 2 high functioning junior rep sides. Most clubs spend more money on their single junior two side than we spend on both our sides. It's embarrassing. If HBG want to remain our owners they get given an ultimatum to spend an extra 2-3 million a year on junior reps. We must use our geography to our advantage and have the best of the west and the best of the inner west.

Then have flegg and cup as Wests Tigers. We unite from that age group onwards and have regular Cub programs to unite the two sides.

Mate, I get the logistic problems associated with the one team and don't know the answer to it.

But how long now have we had 2 teams playing, how successful have their seasons been.
Wouldn't the culture improve if the one strong team was anchored at the top of the competition with more wins than losses.

 

[balmain boy]

Mate, I get the logistic problems associated with the one team and don't know the answer to it.

But how long now have we had 2 teams playing, how successful have their seasons been.
Wouldn't the culture improve if the one strong team was anchored at the top of the competition with more wins than losses.

The first step is tripling the money we spend on each side.

Once we do that both should be competitive.

Both sides are unsuccessful because we treat them like a nuisance rather than an asset.

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

The first step is tripling the money we spend on each side.

Once we do that both should be competitive.

Both sides are unsuccessful because we treat them like a nuisance rather than an asset.

We will need HBG to cough the team up for that to happen, the best possible outcome, but the stubborn pricks just won't let go.