RE: My match report in lower grades section:
Before I start I have been a regular follower of junior grades for many years. I feel I can write this with some experience.
Yesterday I sat and watched 2 our two main junior teams play Panthers. What I saw was a shocking reality and concern for the clubs future. Some points of concern are: Â
1. The lack of skill of the players.
2. The lack of size/athleticism and agility of the players.
In Matts, there was a winger who must have been 5ft 5 and 55 kilos wringing wet, the panthers just ran thru him like he was a piece of paper, I thought I bet he runs like the wind due to his size but no!! he wasn't even quick
The 3 big forwards in matts and sg ball were so slow it was embarrassing to watch, they lumbered up and pow, got smashed, couldn't even make yards
We seem to be full of (excuse the term white skinny slow type players) who don't seem to have loads of natural ability.
The Panther kids were dynamic, yes, most of them were huge but alot of them, ran, linked up, stepped etc and demonstrated loads of ability, not just run and barge.
Our club cannot keep paying the 400 grand to every player that comes on the market. Penrith could draw on at least 15 of these kids to play future NRL. In the two teams, I believe only 2 matts boys Hopoate and Haami plus Jowett in SG Ball will go further.
Crusher needs to get proactive in signing up the western Sydney kids now!!! I cannot see this group that we have making NRL (except Hoppa's boy, definite!!)
3 Years ago we made regular semis in junior grades, now, we will be lucky not to get the spoon in ball and mid table in matts!!
The results in the end don't matter, it's the long term future of supplying the 1st grade squad in 2011 onwards which is only 3 years away.
If you ain't worried, Manly haven't got 1 proper 5/8 in the current future!! Â Nick Bradley who is our current 5/8 in reserves is a winger!!!. Toyota cup 5/8 Kieran Foran is only just 17 and probably 3 years away from 1st grade!!!
Before I start I have been a regular follower of junior grades for many years. I feel I can write this with some experience.
Yesterday I sat and watched 2 our two main junior teams play Panthers. What I saw was a shocking reality and concern for the clubs future. Some points of concern are: Â
1. The lack of skill of the players.
2. The lack of size/athleticism and agility of the players.
In Matts, there was a winger who must have been 5ft 5 and 55 kilos wringing wet, the panthers just ran thru him like he was a piece of paper, I thought I bet he runs like the wind due to his size but no!! he wasn't even quick
The 3 big forwards in matts and sg ball were so slow it was embarrassing to watch, they lumbered up and pow, got smashed, couldn't even make yards
We seem to be full of (excuse the term white skinny slow type players) who don't seem to have loads of natural ability.
The Panther kids were dynamic, yes, most of them were huge but alot of them, ran, linked up, stepped etc and demonstrated loads of ability, not just run and barge.
Our club cannot keep paying the 400 grand to every player that comes on the market. Penrith could draw on at least 15 of these kids to play future NRL. In the two teams, I believe only 2 matts boys Hopoate and Haami plus Jowett in SG Ball will go further.
Crusher needs to get proactive in signing up the western Sydney kids now!!! I cannot see this group that we have making NRL (except Hoppa's boy, definite!!)
3 Years ago we made regular semis in junior grades, now, we will be lucky not to get the spoon in ball and mid table in matts!!
The results in the end don't matter, it's the long term future of supplying the 1st grade squad in 2011 onwards which is only 3 years away.
If you ain't worried, Manly haven't got 1 proper 5/8 in the current future!! Â Nick Bradley who is our current 5/8 in reserves is a winger!!!. Toyota cup 5/8 Kieran Foran is only just 17 and probably 3 years away from 1st grade!!!