OFFICIAL SG Ball Cup

[Lestronge]

Thanks for this as always.

Although we have two junior catchments, I wonder if we could have been contenders with a wests tigers A side at this level

Maybe . For the boys that would be awesome . But I think the ability to have 34 kids play at that level instead of 17 can’t be underestimated . Especially with both teams being competitive.
I think the majority of of them were 17 as well . So they will be much stronger next year .

 

[BlackWhiteGold]

Maybe . For the boys that would be awesome . But I think the ability to have 34 kids play at that level instead of 17 can’t be underestimated . Especially with both teams being competitive.
I think the majority of of them were 17 as well . So they will be much stronger next year .

Exactly. Our current regime have made it clear results are not the priority in our pathways, more the development of players and as you say exposing more talent to this level. It is a debatable position but that's what the current focus is.

 

[old_man_tiger]

Exactly. Our current regime have made it clear results are not the priority in our pathways, more the development of players and as you say exposing more talent to this level. It is a debatable position but that's what the current focus is.

There are ways to do both but historically very unpopular

 

[Vicious]

SG Ball Player Of The Year Leaderboard

Riley Oitmann (Wests) – 28
Jared Haywood (Balmain) – 26
Xavier Tauiafaiga (Balmain) – 24
Logan Brookes (Balmain) – 22
Archie Duncombe (Wests) – 21
Marc Tannous (Balmain) – 20
Blake Van Drie (Balmain) – 19
Pheonix Godinet (Wests) – 16
Christian Taupau-Moors (Wests) – 16
Cohen Benson (Balmain) – 15
Byron Laupepa (Wests) – 15
Saint Fuatimau (Wests) – 15
Sonny Edwards-Moeke (Wests) – 15
Will Stone (Balmain) – 14
Haemasi Makasini (Wests) – 13
Joseph Partch (Balmain) - 13

My Team Of Year

Brookes
Oitmann (only putting him on wing to get Brookes in, did play very well on wing first few rounds)
Makasini
Tauiafaiga
Fuatimau
Benson
Tannous
Duncombe
Godinet
Laupepa
Taupau-Moors
Haywood
Lewis
-
Van Drie
Farr-McKay
Stone
Edwards-Moeke

Notes:

• The spine & backs dominated Balmain’s points showing the team’s weakness in the forwards except for the undersized workhorse Blake Van Drie & consistent backrower Will Stone.
• Glaring weakness in the quality of our halves with the exception of Marc Tannous. Cohen Benson & Sonny Edwards-Moeke had their moments and games but Wests lacked that dominant playmaker & Balmain an x-factor game-breaking 5/8 imo.

Players likely to feature in Flegg at some point this season:

Logan Brookes – absolute gamebreaker with the ball, safe hands, good cover defence, fast with a wicked step, defensive positioning needs work & needs to get more involved in attack in structured play, looks lost at times. Missed a few weeks so could have won the POY.

Riley Oitmann – superb season, good yardage games on wing before moved to fullback, explosive off the mark & huge metre eater from dummy half despite his small size (Papz like at same age), very good cover defence, great backing up, can sniff out a try, has the odd handling error in him, has skill x-factor speed.

Haemasi Makasini – better as the season went on, strong in his carries PTM & tackle-breaking, would have liked him used more in attack with more space, still think he can be more aggressive in his carries & prone to some poor defensive reads. My worry is his passiveness at times and hope he’s not a Junior Tupou mark II. Would like to see him take more advantage of his size, get in his opposition’s faces more & demand the ball more. Maybe I’m being overcritical of a 17yo.

Xavier Tauiafaiga – missed the last 2 rounds so could have won POY. Only small to medium sized but very powerful & strong in his carries and defence, rarely put a foot wrong, reasonably quick & good at finishing too. Similarity to Josh Feledy IMO.

Archie Duncombe – played at lock most of the season after starring in the backrow in LDC last year, absolute workhorse, good line speed, good with ball in hand with multiple try assists from memory, strong defence, stature of a young Tyson Frizell.

Marc Tannous – good season, tapered off a bit due to forwards being dominated in the last month of the competition, very good long kicking game, at least a couple of 40/20s, good organisation, lacks a bit of punch in his running game, strong defence for his size.

Jared Haywood – can often go unnoticed but a very hard worker, great service from dummyhalf both sides. Huge long, accurate & fast passing game which sets him apart and knows when to run from dh, good in contact but was prone to miss the odd 1-on-1 tackle.

Pheonix Godinet – as professional as they come at his age, amazing tackle-breaking ability, strong defence, skilful with ball in hand, a number of try assists with good passes putting a team mate in space, a bottom-ager this year and I’m confident he has the build to put on more size, an absolute gem in a position of need for us.

Christian Taupau-Moors – strong season as a bottom-ager middle, strong carries, good defence, some big minutes too, sometimes seemed a bit lumbering to me, would like to see him work on his leg speed to become more of a weapon as he gets older.

Honourable mentions

A few others I want to give a quick mention to are wingers Saint Fuatimau & Joseph Partch, both extremely strong in carries, reasonably quick, good finishers & great defence; and, backrowers Byron Laupepa & Will Stone both ultra consistent with upside.

Huge shout out to Blake Van Die, an undersized lock who is a workhorse, very good leg speed & line speed and continually put his body on the line despite his size. Guts personified and would not surprise if he is Balmain’s player’s player.

Huge upside for a couple of middles too, Luani Tuifua (Wests) and Ocean Vaivela (Balmain) who have the potential to become absolute weapons if they knuckle down. Both aggressive tackle-breakers and decent defence.

Look forward to others' opinions on the season 🙂

Thanks BlackWhiteGold, as always very informative and your knowledge of our up and coming players is impeccable 👍
Another I think has good potential is the Magpies winger McMenemy.
He is solidly built, his carries are mostly very strong, looks to have decent speed, is a good finisher and looks ok defensively and under the high ball.
Very similar in playing style to former Knights player James McManus, I hope we have something planned for him as he looks to have plenty of improvement left in him.

 

[balmain boy]

Thanks BlackWhiteGold, as always very informative and your knowledge of our up and coming players is impeccable 👍
Another I think has good potential is the Magpies winger McMenemy.
He is solidly built, his carries are mostly very strong, looks to have decent speed, is a good finisher and looks ok defensively and under the high ball.
Very similar in playing style to former Knights player James McManus, I hope we have something planned for him as he looks to have plenty of improvement left in him.

I agree McMenemy has something about him, worth developing further.

 

[balmain boy]

SG Ball Player Of The Year Leaderboard

Riley Oitmann (Wests) – 28
Jared Haywood (Balmain) – 26
Xavier Tauiafaiga (Balmain) – 24
Logan Brookes (Balmain) – 22
Archie Duncombe (Wests) – 21
Marc Tannous (Balmain) – 20
Blake Van Drie (Balmain) – 19
Pheonix Godinet (Wests) – 16
Christian Taupau-Moors (Wests) – 16
Cohen Benson (Balmain) – 15
Byron Laupepa (Wests) – 15
Saint Fuatimau (Wests) – 15
Sonny Edwards-Moeke (Wests) – 15
Will Stone (Balmain) – 14
Haemasi Makasini (Wests) – 13
Joseph Partch (Balmain) - 13

My Team Of Year

Brookes
Oitmann (only putting him on wing to get Brookes in, did play very well on wing first few rounds)
Makasini
Tauiafaiga
Fuatimau
Benson
Tannous
Duncombe
Godinet
Laupepa
Taupau-Moors
Haywood
Lewis
-
Van Drie
Farr-McKay
Stone
Edwards-Moeke

Notes:

• The spine & backs dominated Balmain’s points showing the team’s weakness in the forwards except for the undersized workhorse Blake Van Drie & consistent backrower Will Stone.
• Glaring weakness in the quality of our halves with the exception of Marc Tannous. Cohen Benson & Sonny Edwards-Moeke had their moments and games but Wests lacked that dominant playmaker & Balmain an x-factor game-breaking 5/8 imo.

Players likely to feature in Flegg at some point this season:

Logan Brookes – absolute gamebreaker with the ball, safe hands, good cover defence, fast with a wicked step, defensive positioning needs work & needs to get more involved in attack in structured play, looks lost at times. Missed a few weeks so could have won the POY.

Riley Oitmann – superb season, good yardage games on wing before moved to fullback, explosive off the mark & huge metre eater from dummy half despite his small size (Papz like at same age), very good cover defence, great backing up, can sniff out a try, has the odd handling error in him, has skill x-factor speed.

Haemasi Makasini – better as the season went on, strong in his carries PTM & tackle-breaking, would have liked him used more in attack with more space, still think he can be more aggressive in his carries & prone to some poor defensive reads. My worry is his passiveness at times and hope he’s not a Junior Tupou mark II. Would like to see him take more advantage of his size, get in his opposition’s faces more & demand the ball more. Maybe I’m being overcritical of a 17yo.

Xavier Tauiafaiga – missed the last 2 rounds so could have won POY. Only small to medium sized but very powerful & strong in his carries and defence, rarely put a foot wrong, reasonably quick & good at finishing too. Similarity to Josh Feledy IMO.

Archie Duncombe – played at lock most of the season after starring in the backrow in LDC last year, absolute workhorse, good line speed, good with ball in hand with multiple try assists from memory, strong defence, stature of a young Tyson Frizell.

Marc Tannous – good season, tapered off a bit due to forwards being dominated in the last month of the competition, very good long kicking game, at least a couple of 40/20s, good organisation, lacks a bit of punch in his running game, strong defence for his size.

Jared Haywood – can often go unnoticed but a very hard worker, great service from dummyhalf both sides. Huge long, accurate & fast passing game which sets him apart and knows when to run from dh, good in contact but was prone to miss the odd 1-on-1 tackle.

Pheonix Godinet – as professional as they come at his age, amazing tackle-breaking ability, strong defence, skilful with ball in hand, a number of try assists with good passes putting a team mate in space, a bottom-ager this year and I’m confident he has the build to put on more size, an absolute gem in a position of need for us.

Christian Taupau-Moors – strong season as a bottom-ager middle, strong carries, good defence, some big minutes too, sometimes seemed a bit lumbering to me, would like to see him work on his leg speed to become more of a weapon as he gets older.

Honourable mentions

A few others I want to give a quick mention to are wingers Saint Fuatimau & Joseph Partch, both extremely strong in carries, reasonably quick, good finishers & great defence; and, backrowers Byron Laupepa & Will Stone both ultra consistent with upside.

Huge shout out to Blake Van Die, an undersized lock who is a workhorse, very good leg speed & line speed and continually put his body on the line despite his size. Guts personified and would not surprise if he is Balmain’s player’s player.

Huge upside for a couple of middles too, Luani Tuifua (Wests) and Ocean Vaivela (Balmain) who have the potential to become absolute weapons if they knuckle down. Both aggressive tackle-breakers and decent defence.

Look forward to others' opinions on the season 🙂

Good wrap up BWG.

I think those guys you featured will all play some Flegg this year. Hopefully Brooke's injury isn't too bad.

While on one hand having two feeder clubs in each grade allows us to field more players, I do wonder how they would go in one stronger side. If Haywood was running off the big runs from the Wests pack. Tannous helping get ball down the other end, Brookes having oitman and makasini to take some attention off him, allowing them so to show off their talents by playing with stronger team mates.

It would also help us create a culture of winning which to me is just as important as junior development. The two don't need to be mutually exclusive.

 

[BlackWhiteGold]

Good wrap up BWG.

I think those guys you featured will all play some Flegg this year. Hopefully Brooke's injury isn't too bad.

While on one hand having two feeder clubs in each grade allows us to field more players, I do wonder how they would go in one stronger side. If Haywood was running off the big runs from the Wests pack. Tannous helping get ball down the other end, Brookes having oitman and makasini to take some attention off him, allowing them so to show off their talents by playing with stronger team mates.

It would also help us create a culture of winning which to me is just as important as junior development. The two don't need to be mutually exclusive.

It's a tough one, I agree with your reasoning on a culture of winning and building combinations & friendships from an early age (Penrith model).

I guess a major issue is our massive catchment area from Balmain out to the edges of Macarthur, travel time for these kids & parents to training etc given this.

 

[jrtiger]

SG Ball Player Of The Year Leaderboard

Riley Oitmann (Wests) – 28
Jared Haywood (Balmain) – 26
Xavier Tauiafaiga (Balmain) – 24
Logan Brookes (Balmain) – 22
Archie Duncombe (Wests) – 21
Marc Tannous (Balmain) – 20
Blake Van Drie (Balmain) – 19
Pheonix Godinet (Wests) – 16
Christian Taupau-Moors (Wests) – 16
Cohen Benson (Balmain) – 15
Byron Laupepa (Wests) – 15
Saint Fuatimau (Wests) – 15
Sonny Edwards-Moeke (Wests) – 15
Will Stone (Balmain) – 14
Haemasi Makasini (Wests) – 13
Joseph Partch (Balmain) - 13

My Team Of Year

Brookes
Oitmann (only putting him on wing to get Brookes in, did play very well on wing first few rounds)
Makasini
Tauiafaiga
Fuatimau
Benson
Tannous
Duncombe
Godinet
Laupepa
Taupau-Moors
Haywood
Lewis
-
Van Drie
Farr-McKay
Stone
Edwards-Moeke

Notes:

• The spine & backs dominated Balmain’s points showing the team’s weakness in the forwards except for the undersized workhorse Blake Van Drie & consistent backrower Will Stone.
• Glaring weakness in the quality of our halves with the exception of Marc Tannous. Cohen Benson & Sonny Edwards-Moeke had their moments and games but Wests lacked that dominant playmaker & Balmain an x-factor game-breaking 5/8 imo.

Players likely to feature in Flegg at some point this season:

Logan Brookes – absolute gamebreaker with the ball, safe hands, good cover defence, fast with a wicked step, defensive positioning needs work & needs to get more involved in attack in structured play, looks lost at times. Missed a few weeks so could have won the POY.

Riley Oitmann – superb season, good yardage games on wing before moved to fullback, explosive off the mark & huge metre eater from dummy half despite his small size (Papz like at same age), very good cover defence, great backing up, can sniff out a try, has the odd handling error in him, has skill x-factor speed.

Haemasi Makasini – better as the season went on, strong in his carries PTM & tackle-breaking, would have liked him used more in attack with more space, still think he can be more aggressive in his carries & prone to some poor defensive reads. My worry is his passiveness at times and hope he’s not a Junior Tupou mark II. Would like to see him take more advantage of his size, get in his opposition’s faces more & demand the ball more. Maybe I’m being overcritical of a 17yo.

Xavier Tauiafaiga – missed the last 2 rounds so could have won POY. Only small to medium sized but very powerful & strong in his carries and defence, rarely put a foot wrong, reasonably quick & good at finishing too. Similarity to Josh Feledy IMO.

Archie Duncombe – played at lock most of the season after starring in the backrow in LDC last year, absolute workhorse, good line speed, good with ball in hand with multiple try assists from memory, strong defence, stature of a young Tyson Frizell.

Marc Tannous – good season, tapered off a bit due to forwards being dominated in the last month of the competition, very good long kicking game, at least a couple of 40/20s, good organisation, lacks a bit of punch in his running game, strong defence for his size.

Jared Haywood – can often go unnoticed but a very hard worker, great service from dummyhalf both sides. Huge long, accurate & fast passing game which sets him apart and knows when to run from dh, good in contact but was prone to miss the odd 1-on-1 tackle.

Pheonix Godinet – as professional as they come at his age, amazing tackle-breaking ability, strong defence, skilful with ball in hand, a number of try assists with good passes putting a team mate in space, a bottom-ager this year and I’m confident he has the build to put on more size, an absolute gem in a position of need for us.

Christian Taupau-Moors – strong season as a bottom-ager middle, strong carries, good defence, some big minutes too, sometimes seemed a bit lumbering to me, would like to see him work on his leg speed to become more of a weapon as he gets older.

Honourable mentions

A few others I want to give a quick mention to are wingers Saint Fuatimau & Joseph Partch, both extremely strong in carries, reasonably quick, good finishers & great defence; and, backrowers Byron Laupepa & Will Stone both ultra consistent with upside.

Huge shout out to Blake Van Die, an undersized lock who is a workhorse, very good leg speed & line speed and continually put his body on the line despite his size. Guts personified and would not surprise if he is Balmain’s player’s player.

Huge upside for a couple of middles too, Luani Tuifua (Wests) and Ocean Vaivela (Balmain) who have the potential to become absolute weapons if they knuckle down. Both aggressive tackle-breakers and decent defence.

Look forward to others' opinions on the season 🙂

love it, BWG.

I think both SG Ball teams were hurt by the lack of a gun spine, Balmain needing a 6 as you mentioned and Wests needing a 6, 7 and 9. a lot of wonderful individual players for Wests, but not in the important positions. realistically the only player that was up to scratch was Oitmann, and he wasn't even the first choice fullback at the beginning of the campaign.

Heamasi has polarised opinions this year, but I think that the difference was the lack of an Onitoni Large or an Alex Isdale to unlock him. teams would constantly double up defensively on him and a lot of the attack was premeditated. it made for some pretty ugly viewing.

for mine, Duncombe, Godinet, Taupau-Moors, Oitmann, Makasini and Laupepa are destined for higher honours. the others get a lot of praise and accolades on here, but I want to make pretty strong mention of Laupepa. in a team where attacking flair was hard to come by, his skill is criminally underrated, and was used as a point of difference on attacking shapes down the left. he also formed a pretty nice combination with Masi and would've had more Try Assists than any of the 5/8s we tried across the year.

Balmain had a wonderful start to the season because they were fit and stuck to their system. unfortunately as the weeks rolled on and other teams gained fitness and built their own combos, they lost games, which unfortunately speaks to the lack of talent and/or flair in the side. it was a real worry to see some losses spiral out of control (Souths, Steelers), but as we know in junior footy, sometimes momentum can come down like a tonne of bricks.

Brookes is obviously the standout, he's first class, but Haywood and Tauaifaiga also have clear first grade pedigree, with the latter's ceiling dependent on another growth spurt. I really like the look of Will Stone, Moughan, Tannous, Van Drie and Benson, but not sure where their ceilings are.

it's always a debate in many circles about consolidating our pathways sides and whether or not we should be striving to win comps, but for mine the clear prospects held their own in the competition, irrespective of the players around them. very excited to see who filters thru to Flegg and above in the coming months.

 

[BlackWhiteGold]

love it, BWG.

I think both SG Ball teams were hurt by the lack of a gun spine, Balmain needing a 6 as you mentioned and Wests needing a 6, 7 and 9. a lot of wonderful individual players for Wests, but not in the important positions. realistically the only player that was up to scratch was Oitmann, and he wasn't even the first choice fullback at the beginning of the campaign.

Heamasi has polarised opinions this year, but I think that the difference was the lack of an Onitoni Large or an Alex Isdale to unlock him. teams would constantly double up defensively on him and a lot of the attack was premeditated. it made for some pretty ugly viewing.

for mine, Duncombe, Godinet, Taupau-Moors, Oitmann, Makasini and Laupepa are destined for higher honours. the others get a lot of praise and accolades on here, but I want to make pretty strong mention of Laupepa. in a team where attacking flair was hard to come by, his skill is criminally underrated, and was used as a point of difference on attacking shapes down the left. he also formed a pretty nice combination with Masi and would've had more Try Assists than any of the 5/8s we tried across the year.

Balmain had a wonderful start to the season because they were fit and stuck to their system. unfortunately as the weeks rolled on and other teams gained fitness and built their own combos, they lost games, which unfortunately speaks to the lack of talent and/or flair in the side. it was a real worry to see some losses spiral out of control (Souths, Steelers), but as we know in junior footy, sometimes momentum can come down like a tonne of bricks.

Brookes is obviously the standout, he's first class, but Haywood and Tauaifaiga also have clear first grade pedigree, with the latter's ceiling dependent on another growth spurt. I really like the look of Will Stone, Moughan, Tannous, Van Drie and Benson, but not sure where their ceilings are.

it's always a debate in many circles about consolidating our pathways sides and whether or not we should be striving to win comps, but for mine the clear prospects held their own in the competition, irrespective of the players around them. very excited to see who filters thru to Flegg and above in the coming months.

Thanks JR and agree with all of that too.

It will be interesting how the club integrates some of these guys into Flegg this season, I think we're both thinking Haywood, Taupau-Moors, Duncombe, Godinet, Makasini, Brookes, Laupepa, Tauaifaiga & Tannous.

For one, the 20-21yo Flegg boys now are going to hard to demote to give an opportunity to these guys unless injury strikes.

Personally I hope these boys are given at least a week off now to recover from the junior reps season although Makasini already training with NRL squad due to being on school holidays.

Then I hope they commence training with Flegg (and at times NRL squad) and are given at least a month just on the training paddock with their Flegg team mates & in the gym.

Then maybe late May onwards, possibly each of them are just rotated into the Flegg team for 2-3 consecutive matches and then break and that process continues. And then for last month of Flegg season, Leon just picks the form players out of all.

I'm sure Makasini at the very least will get reps in Cup too.

What do you think?

 

[BlackWhiteGold]

Looks like it is team photo day for Wests Magpies Junior Reps with the SG Ball squad here. Relieved to see Josh Vella in the team after zerotackle had left him out of the summer squad list they published. Very talented winger/fullback.

 

[Merlot]

View attachment 32869
Looks like it is team photo day for Wests Magpies Junior Reps with the SG Ball squad here. Relieved to see Josh Vella in the team after zerotackle had left him out of the summer squad list they published. Very talented winger/fullback.

which one is he

 

[Tiger Stripes]

which one is he

And who are the others? Would be nice to know.

 

[BlackWhiteGold]

which one is he

Backrow in the middle next to the lad with the hands on his head.

 

[BlackWhiteGold]

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/n...w/news-story/15a13d424f687a43b90ffb134153dcf2

WESTERN SUBURBS MAGPIES​

Captain: Peter Taai
Coach: Nathan Lakeman
Last season: 11th (4-5)

Why they will be competitive: While the Magpies have been on the outer looking in come finals time in the past two seasons, there’s a belief that will change.

Coach Nathan Lakeman said:

“We’ve had a solid pre-season which has fluctuated a bit with the warm and cooler weather,” he said.

“But we’ve worked hard and we’re in the right position at the moment where things are going along alright.

“The boys look to be pretty united. They get along well and we have nobody with chips on their shoulder. They’ve been an impressive group in terms of working together and helping each other out.”

The squad will feature a few returning faces, and with the possibility of some players dropping back after an NRL pre-season, Lakeman is optimistic about the season ahead.

“They’ll bring back what they learn above,” he said.

“It’s a big benefit to the group. We had a few boys doing an NRL pre-season, but we’ll have a discussion (if they play SG Ball).

“I’d like to think we’ll be somewhere in the hunt. We have a pretty solid draw and we’d like to be in contention to play finals footy.”

Peter Taai. Picture Warren Gannon Photography

Key Fixture: A match against the defending minor premiers and grand finalists Parramatta is the first task at hand, and with a good pre-season under their belts, this will be a good indication of where they sit.

Players to watch: Cruz Tauaifaiga joins Wests from the well-credentialed Keebra Park in Queensland and he shapes as a dynamic middle/edge forward.

Alex Futialo is another new recruit, this time from St George and he adds plenty of muscle to the forward pack.

Brooklyn Milford has enjoyed a strong pre-season at hooker and is putting himself in the mix for a major role in the side.

 

[Tiger Stripes]

​

Key Fixture: A match against the defending minor premiers and grand finalists Parramatta is the first task at hand, and with a good pre-season under their belts, this will be a good indication of where they sit.

Players to watch: Cruz Tauaifaiga joins Wests from the well-credentialed Keebra Park in Queensland and he shapes as a dynamic middle/edge forward.

Alex Futialo is another new recruit, this time from St George and he adds plenty of muscle to the forward pack.

Brooklyn Milford has enjoyed a strong pre-season at hooker and is putting himself in the mix for a major role in the side.

Interesting to me that Peter Taai has been made captain.
I still remember his outstanding game at Wentworth Park last year when he played in the centres.
They could barely contain him.
Congratulations, hope you have a big season for WT.

 

[BlackWhiteGold]

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/n...ws-story/15a13d424f687a43b90ffb134153dcf2?amp

BALMAIN TIGERS​

Captain: Blake Van Drie
Coach: Roy Asotasi
Last Season: 9th (5-4)

Why they will be competitive: Balmain caught everyone off guard with a blistering start last season, winning their first four games before slipping outside the top eight on differential after the final round.

While several stars from last year, including hooker Jared Haywood, continue to push for higher honours, the Tigers are once again set to field a competitive team.

“We are continuing to rebuild the squad,” said Wests Tigers pathways manager and NRL premiership winner Bronson Harrison.

“There have been a few injuries, but we expect our starting squad to be really competitive. Outside of that, we’re probably lacking depth and still need time to develop combinations.

“Our trial form hasn’t been too bad, but we did slip away when changes were made throughout the games.”

In a leadership change, former Rabbitohs and Bulldogs enforcer Roy Asotasi has taken over as coach.

Blake Van Drie will captain Balmain in 2026. Picture: Warren Gannon Photography

Key Fixtures: In a mixed start to the season, the Tigers head north to Woy Woy to kick off their campaign against Central Coast, followed with a bye in round two.

In an exciting fortnight, Balmain returns to their spiritual home at Leichhardt for a round three blockbuster against Parramatta.

However, their most anticipated clash comes the following round, when they travel to Kirkham Park in Camden to face their intra-club rivals, the Wests Magpies.

Players to Watch: One of several players returning for another season in the under-19s, promising forward Blake Van Drie has taken on the role of captain. A Penrith junior, the speedy lock received the Balmain Player of the Year award last season and continues to develop into a fine leader.

If he can stay injury-free, Zeke Edmed is shaping up as a key player for Balmain. The son of former Tigers enforcer Steve Edmed, Zeke is a super-fit middle with a sharp turn of speed.

He might be a year young, but in Christian Azzi, the Tigers have a creative half who isn’t afraid to dig into the line. A product of Holy Cross College, he steps up from Harold Matts and knows how to create space and has the ability to shred the best defence.

In a reliable pack, Isaac Perkins will go all day either in the middle or patrolling an edge.

 

[jadtiger]

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/n...ws-story/15a13d424f687a43b90ffb134153dcf2?amp

BALMAIN TIGERS​

Captain: Blake Van Drie
Coach: Roy Asotasi
Last Season: 9th (5-4)

Why they will be competitive: Balmain caught everyone off guard with a blistering start last season, winning their first four games before slipping outside the top eight on differential after the final round.

While several stars from last year, including hooker Jared Haywood, continue to push for higher honours, the Tigers are once again set to field a competitive team.

“We are continuing to rebuild the squad,” said Wests Tigers pathways manager and NRL premiership winner Bronson Harrison.

“There have been a few injuries, but we expect our starting squad to be really competitive. Outside of that, we’re probably lacking depth and still need time to develop combinations.

“Our trial form hasn’t been too bad, but we did slip away when changes were made throughout the games.”

In a leadership change, former Rabbitohs and Bulldogs enforcer Roy Asotasi has taken over as coach.

Blake Van Drie will captain Balmain in 2026. Picture: Warren Gannon Photography

Key Fixtures: In a mixed start to the season, the Tigers head north to Woy Woy to kick off their campaign against Central Coast, followed with a bye in round two.

In an exciting fortnight, Balmain returns to their spiritual home at Leichhardt for a round three blockbuster against Parramatta.

However, their most anticipated clash comes the following round, when they travel to Kirkham Park in Camden to face their intra-club rivals, the Wests Magpies.

Players to Watch: One of several players returning for another season in the under-19s, promising forward Blake Van Drie has taken on the role of captain. A Penrith junior, the speedy lock received the Balmain Player of the Year award last season and continues to develop into a fine leader.

If he can stay injury-free, Zeke Edmed is shaping up as a key player for Balmain. The son of former Tigers enforcer Steve Edmed, Zeke is a super-fit middle with a sharp turn of speed.

He might be a year young, but in Christian Azzi, the Tigers have a creative half who isn’t afraid to dig into the line. A product of Holy Cross College, he steps up from Harold Matts and knows how to create space and has the ability to shred the best defence.

In a reliable pack, Isaac Perkins will go all day either in the middle or patrolling an edge.

If Zeke Edmed has a "sharp turn of speed" he must have inherited it from his mother,his father was a big hearted player but not real quick.

 

[balmain boy]

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/n...ws-story/15a13d424f687a43b90ffb134153dcf2?amp

BALMAIN TIGERS​

Captain: Blake Van Drie
Coach: Roy Asotasi
Last Season: 9th (5-4)

Why they will be competitive: Balmain caught everyone off guard with a blistering start last season, winning their first four games before slipping outside the top eight on differential after the final round.

While several stars from last year, including hooker Jared Haywood, continue to push for higher honours, the Tigers are once again set to field a competitive team.

“We are continuing to rebuild the squad,” said Wests Tigers pathways manager and NRL premiership winner Bronson Harrison.

“There have been a few injuries, but we expect our starting squad to be really competitive. Outside of that, we’re probably lacking depth and still need time to develop combinations.

“Our trial form hasn’t been too bad, but we did slip away when changes were made throughout the games.”

In a leadership change, former Rabbitohs and Bulldogs enforcer Roy Asotasi has taken over as coach.

Blake Van Drie will captain Balmain in 2026. Picture: Warren Gannon Photography

Key Fixtures: In a mixed start to the season, the Tigers head north to Woy Woy to kick off their campaign against Central Coast, followed with a bye in round two.

In an exciting fortnight, Balmain returns to their spiritual home at Leichhardt for a round three blockbuster against Parramatta.

However, their most anticipated clash comes the following round, when they travel to Kirkham Park in Camden to face their intra-club rivals, the Wests Magpies.

Players to Watch: One of several players returning for another season in the under-19s, promising forward Blake Van Drie has taken on the role of captain. A Penrith junior, the speedy lock received the Balmain Player of the Year award last season and continues to develop into a fine leader.

If he can stay injury-free, Zeke Edmed is shaping up as a key player for Balmain. The son of former Tigers enforcer Steve Edmed, Zeke is a super-fit middle with a sharp turn of speed.

He might be a year young, but in Christian Azzi, the Tigers have a creative half who isn’t afraid to dig into the line. A product of Holy Cross College, he steps up from Harold Matts and knows how to create space and has the ability to shred the best defence.

In a reliable pack, Isaac Perkins will go all day either in the middle or patrolling an edge.

When Bronson struggles to come up with much positivity about the side, other than to say that out starters should be competitive but otherwise we're weak then you know that this roster is probably going to tank.

Sultana did a great job to bring together the squad last year but it sounds like HBG have put the foot down and demanded all the best players play for the magpies. Asotasi has his work cut out for him.

 

[pawsandclaws1]

If we have one or two players which progress from either SGBall team to the NRL we have done well. For the Tigers, Van Drie, Edmed and Azzi play positions of need for WTs. While the team may be only competitive this year, I hope WTs' development staff give these players the assistance they need to succeed. It is great to know another Edmed is in the system.