SCHOLARSHIP PLAYERS GET TASTE OF WESTS TIGERS

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SCHOLARSHIP PLAYERS GET TASTE OF WESTS TIGERS
By Wayne Cousins
25/01/2012 8:24:17 PM

Twenty-five talented young rugby league players enjoyed a taste of life as a Wests Tigers player at Concord Oval this week.

Under the guidance of Wests Tigers Elite Junior Player and Coaching Manager Grant Jones, the players were addressed by Wests Tigers NRL and Australian Test Coach Tim Sheens as part of the Club's annual Scholarship Camp.

Aged 15-17, the contracted Wests Tigers players came from across the country and New Zealand to participate in the intensive three day camp. Each player received Wests Tigers training gear and Blades football boots.

Wests Tigers NRL Assistant Coach Steve Georgallis and Skills Coach Steve James put the players through intensive coaching and skills session. Wests Tigers NYC Strength and Conditioning Coach Balin Cupples made a presentation on strength work and the importance of nutrition.

“From last year’s camp, 7 of the players will play for Wests Tigers U20s team this season,’’ Jones said.

“Judging by what we saw this week, I say we will be looking at 4-5 players for next year’s U20s side.

“We will also be inviting the top 6 players from this week’s camp to join a selected group of players from the Western Suburbs Magpies and Balmain Tigers SG Ball and Harold Matthews teams to play in a development trial against NSW Combined Catholic Colleges in May.

“Centre Rory Humphreys, full-back Jamian Iroa, and half-back Jyden Murray got the awards at the camp this week for exceptional performances.”

Wests Tigers Scholarship Camp contracted players Nathan Biessel (lock, Logan Brothers, Qld), Michael Cochrane (half, Wests Panthers, Qld), Richard Ene (prop, Keebra Park High), Jacob Junior Felise (prop, Keebra), Francis Fifita (back-row, Keebra), Daley Forese (five-eighth, Keebra), Ryan Gardner (centre/wing, Noosa Pirates, Qld), Watson Heleta (centre, Keebra), Kain Humphreys (back row, Northern Suburbs Qld), Rory Humphreys (centre, Northern Suburbs, Qld), Jamian Iroa (full-back, Keebra), Rima Kamoe (lock, Keebra), Romey Lavea (prop, Keebra), Jyedn Murray (half, Cowra, NSW), John Ogden (centre, Keebra), Jayk Sinclair (five-eighth, St Georges Basin, NSW), Billy Sing (lock, Dubbo, NSW), Marshall Sing (five-eighth, Dubbo, NSW), Huietau Vili Tuli (prop/back row, Keebra).

Triallists: Jayden Summers (hooker, Noosa Pirates, Qld), Curtly Scott (half, Wauchope, NSW), Santino Battagliolo (back-row/centre, South Coast), Jake Keighran (prop, South Coast), Matt Hemstead (centre, Charleville, Qld).
 
What an outrage, they should have had this session at Campbelltown. I think we need to organise a rally about this.
 
@Chris said:
What an outrage, they should have had this session at Campbelltown. I think we need to organise a rally about this.

Dont go there Bro….

Love the structure and pathway that we have however I'm gutted so many hail from the backward banana state.
 
This may have been answered somewhere else, but why do we have such a strong bond with Keebra High and is it a government school?
 
@tigergirlz said:
This may have been answered somewhere else, but why do we have such a strong bond with Keebra High and is it a government school?

The Tigers set up a scholarship program with them some years ago now. They're a renowned Rugby League school, like St Gregs, but obviously Qld based. Just another example of clubs looking outside of NSW to secure the next generation of talent.
 
@Spartan117 said:
@Chris said:
What an outrage, they should have had this session at Campbelltown. I think we need to organise a rally about this.

Dont go there Bro….

Love the structure and pathway that we have however I'm gutted so many hail from the backward banana state.

Spartan I don't want to turn this into a state v state thing ,mate v mate thing But which state has won the last 6 origin series …........ I rest my case
 
That.s like the Drags supporters bragging about 11 in a row.

All about this year Happy.The Blues era is coming.

Back on topic, Imagine the excitement of the boys being addressed by Supercoach Sheens…

Well done Tigers.
 
@Spartan117 said:
That.s like the Drags supporters bragging about 11 in a row.

All about this year Happy.The Blues era is coming.

Back on topic, Imagine the excitement of the boys being addressed by Supercoach Sheens…

Well done Tigers.

Bit different Spartan Qld didn't have a ref in their back pocket unlike St George did

Good to see a Wests Panthers boy there as well
 
I'm probably going to cop some flak here for saying this but whatever…

It is great that Wests Tigers are giving country kids an opportunity, don't get me wrong, but I worry that Wests Tigers are investing a lot of time and money in developing players from out of area, when they should maybe consider sorting out their own backyard first.
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And another genuine question. How did the whole deal with Keebra Park, a highschool in Qld come about when they could have instead sent their signings to a school within their district such as St Gregs at Campbelltown? Does Keebra offer them a deal?
 
@galahs said:
I'm probably going to cop some flak here for saying this but whatever…

It is great that Wests Tigers are giving country kids an opportunity, don't get me wrong, but I worry that Wests Tigers are investing a lot of time and money in developing players from out of area, when they should maybe consider sorting out their own backyard first.
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And another genuine question. How did the whole deal with Keebra Park, a highschool in Qld come about when they could have instead sent their signings to a school within their district such as St Gregs at Campbelltown? Does Keebra offer them a deal?

Keebra Park was the first real "rugby league" school in Qld

It is consistantly one of the strongest schools in Qld
I understand what you are saying Galahs but we can't simply rely solely on players from our traditional areas to get players to build an NRL squad that will be competitive year in year out
 
I think it was more a case of WT getting on-board with an established programme up at Keebra. I'm not even sure what if any involvement WT has with the recruitment up there.
 
@galahs said:
I'm probably going to cop some flak here for saying this but whatever…

It is great that Wests Tigers are giving country kids an opportunity, don't get me wrong, but I worry that Wests Tigers are investing a lot of time and money in developing players from out of area, when they should maybe consider sorting out their own backyard first.
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And another genuine question. How did the whole deal with Keebra Park, a highschool in Qld come about when they could have instead sent their signings to a school within their district such as St Gregs at Campbelltown? Does Keebra offer them a deal?

The whole deal with Keebra Park started when the Canberra Raiders pulled their association with the school. Im pretty sure this happened 1 or 2 years before Benji made his debut for us. Thats right Benji could have been a Raider. After reading his book Benji was sending his family back in NZ, Raiders gear!! Thank god he is a TIGER.
 
I think the fact Keebra is a public school where Greggys & Cross are catholic colleges also played a part
 
The Wests Tigers recruitment staff are to be commended for bringing potential players into the fold and then developing etc.
Seems like a pretty good system in place to me.
 
The Keebra state league program is fantastic, and Greg Lenton must have close to the best eye for talent around. The west tigers have done well to get an association with that program, any school that consistently gets 2 to 3 Aussie schoolboys every year knows what they are doing.

Im sure someone within the club can confirm, but we dont send kids to Keebra or have any influence on recruitment.
 
Buddy of mine manages a few junior players (Stg Parra and WT) and he told me this morning that the Tigers have an awesome crop of youngsters coming through in particular Props.

We was around this gathering last week and reckons if we can hang onto the right ones our club will be a force for many years to come.
 

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