This is a slightly different tack to the same old questions, but at the same time, I think it identifies with Parra's need to be more visionary with our development squads and recruitment.
Last night I was at the annual presentation of a senior district club. I am a life member and a past president of it, but not hands-on anymore.
I could not help but note that their minor grades, the under 19's and even the first-grade side are getting crap results.
In asking why are we not winning anything, the answer I got was we were struggling to find the "cattle" but I said what about the juniors and they said the quality in our pathways is not working, why aren't you recruiting outside of your pathways (this club has a huge junior base). I said that if you get some talent from outside of our natural pathways and blend it with the locals, you will see big changes. Well, they are developing the girls grades, doing a 1 1/2 million ground-up grade, better facilities and so on. But, they have lost track of performing on the field.
Has Parramata RLDC fallen for the same tactical problem? We obviously have a second-grade Cup team with limited ability to play first-grade. I was not concerned 3 years ago when Jordan Rankin came into captain and mentor the side. I think he was a specific reason JA developed so fast. I watch JA at that time when he first came into Cup and he was getting the wraps, but really it was set up by Rankin. JA's subsequent development is irrelevant, as many will not make it. There is no need to argue whether he specifically will or not: he is no superstar young half-back that is being identified in a lot of other clubs. The Titans absolutely have some outstanding juniors coming through and that means some/ many will miss out. We need to be looking at these kids from the get-go.
Quiet simply, if I was a Parra talent scout I would have a dossier on every junior club, country, state and national teams. And sure, yes, continue to develop our pathways but create scholarships into some other teams from other area's. We are missing a lot of talent, and if I was a board member, I would want to know why and what are we doing about it.
The leagues is exceptionally successful now, application of such riches needs to be spent on all sorts of feeders, the club will prosper in the long run......i.e can we have a secondary NSW cup side playing, if Blacktown workers can have one, why not us talking to them and identifying them with our Kellyville programmes, the same with Wenty and maybe a country team as well.
This is fine, but 3 years later Rankin is still actually playing and I don't think we can afford this, compared to 3 years ago when our reserve grade was a mess.
Now I believe that our Reserve Grade side needs to be young players especially chosen with the potential to be playing first grade within 3 years of arriving, not guys who are not progressing that way, we need to be ruthless and send out the message to young players, especially country kids, islanders, rugby sevens and anywhere else we can find talent.
We have seen in recent weeks that guys like Hands, Greig, Doory etc are much more capable than originally conceived.
Likewise, for some others as well and they are being held back because our coaches are not opening the opportunities when they present. We should never have had to wait this long for Hands to be identified.
Worryingly, if the game that just passed us by this last Thursday is any indication, BA has learnt nothing from his revelation the week before. Leaving Hodgson on (not JH's fault) was a huge tactical blunder after he worked through the period of the first sin bin. Hands should have been on as soon as that player ran back on the field. Then Hodgson would not have had to struggle through the next sin-binning.
Talent needs to be supported by the coaching staff and we all know now that BA is letting a lot pass through to the keeper.
Christ, we are flat out finding anyone that can run fast. Dumpster and Russell have been identified, but to be frank the pair are not anything special (yes the best we have) but not standouts.
Replies
I'm getting over mine as well Seth, I am now officially calling Parrakeet "Birdbrain", I am sick of the " be nice to the ladies", if the cap fits where it.
It's not just the last few years.
36 years and counting.
Some of us don't have another 36 years left in us.
He doesn't get it, he lives on another planet by the looks.
The Panthers have just won The Harold Mathews Comp. Jett Cleary played in this team as well. I'm beginning to think Panthers just try harder.
No they didn't "birdbrain" the finals have just been finalised, Parramatta is in there still .....semi finalist!
Actually parra qualified in the 3 grades.
Sack everyone. What a terrific plan. You should run for election.
I agree , let's get a coach who's won a comp , look how good Sheens is going. We should target Hagan or Sticky. Or we should go after a young upcoming superstar coach like Payten , wasn't he the flavour of the month last year? His teams spluttering along against the bottom of the table challengers.
What a shame Canterbury beat us to securing the autograph of that bloke I can't even remember his name who's been handed the 15 million dollar squad and playing like bums. They have the Great Gus Gould overseeing things and the best young flash coach going.
Don't get me wrong , our coach has his faults , I for one don't like his matey mates loyalty to certain players , including our senior players. I don't like his interchanges either , but he's the best available and he has improved the result year on year. His ability to develop run of the mill players into genuine good players is also without doubt one of the best in the business, and this season he has obviously developed his own approach and is hunting to fill a void early in the season. Anything short of prelims barring key injuries this year however is a solid fail and we should draw the line in the sand and start our hunt. The next 6 weeks is the telltale for me.
Careful Wiz, you have been an automatic entry into the asylum for a while now and your starting to make some sense. I might have to qualify you with a ticket to enter if you keep this up.
PS Sleep over Friday night?
Realist you make your job so much harder by being a fcyk wit, be as negative as you like but talking trash, gets you no where in the credibility stakes.
Actually you talk so much shit, your avater makes you look like "hitler" to boot.
We should stop wasting money on developing juniors.
It seems to work well for the Roosters and Storm.
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