2024 Club Update – Round 08

Goten Tag Cobbers,

I hope this missive finds you well and loving life as we look back across the round that was, when the DDR did gather itself to sally forth across Kings Cross and head into the socially menacing environs of eastern suburbs Sydney, wherein do reside the Colleagues club of Woollahra, and to partake in Round 10 of the Subbies 1st Division competition for 2024. Frankly, with the amount of rain all over Sydney in the preceding weeks, we were lucky to be taking any field at all. So, whilst Woollahra No3 oval was hardly the finest patch of turf to be found thereabouts, with the occasional clump of dogshite and odd runner of Kikuyu grass wretchedly clinging on for grim death, wedged in between a well-to-do school and a magnificently well-kept golf course, it was at least an open and available patch of sand. As such it ‘was what it was’. And so there did we pitch tents, drop eskys and pop-up physio tables for the days action with the motley crew of lads whom the coaches had somehow convinced to not travel away, or be otherwise unavailable, on what was scheduled as a ‘Wet Weather Weekend’ when they were needed.

Judd Cup (4th grade) – Drew 19-19
Given there was no 5th grade, it was 4ths who did ‘break the seal’ and take the field for the first engagement for the day. However, following the gutsy win of the previous weekend against Hunters Hill to move to 5th place on table with a record of 2 wins from 7 outings, it was a very different looking side that assembled in the grey and overcast to prepare to take on the 3 from 6 and so 3rd placed Colleagues. Accordingly, no one was quite sure of just how the Red Juddites would perform against their more accomplished opponents. And this feeling was decidedly not helped as the cohesion and precision on display during the warm-up failed to reassure. However, spirits were high to make the best of the situation and the enthusiasm to ‘get stuck in’ was evident, even when it became apparent the opponents were rolling out 195cm and 120kg of Andrew Fifita at no8. Yes you read that correctly; 4ths were facing off against an opponent who included a 7x Kangaroo Tests, 10x Tonga Tests, 10x State of Origins and 1x NRL Premiership winner in their midst. And whilst Mr Fifita had clearly seen fitter days, there was no-doubt this veritable ‘man mountain’ was going to be a handful. But nonetheless, the lads charged forth and so the whistle did blow.

The match was a tale of two halves. Essentially the Red scrum dominated the first half with Ravi, Sykes and Nutta marching up and down the field like a trio of little Napoleans, taking penalty after penalty as the Colleagues pack flailed about helplessly underneath them. That glut of dominance and possession led to 2 pies and one sauce, to the Colleagues 1 pie and sauce, and things were looking surprisingly good at oranges. However the 2nd stanza saw a reversal of performance. The Blue Boys woke up and, led by midfield metres made by our friend Mr Fafita, they clawed their way back into the match. A late red penalty attempt sailed wide by the merest of margins, but good sustained pressure jagged a late pie and sauce to put the Red Juddites on the cusp of a famous and much-needed lower-grade win. However the loss of Tom ‘Mr Fetcher’ Hall gave the Colleagues breakdown respite and a late glut of penalties and possession then allowed the Blue Boys to pull back a late try, on the last play of the match, and then nail the saucy squirt, to end the affair as a draw.

Points were awarded as 1 to Paul Heller, 2pts to Arthur Pichon, 3pts Jack Walker

The draw, a logic-defying 3rd draw of the season, leaves the Red Juddites with 2 wins and 3 draws from 8 starts and so still 5th on-table with 15pts. Meanwhile Colleagues moved to 3 wins and 3 draws from 7 starts to be 2nd on 20pts. Against that, upcoming opponents Blue Mountains are also 2 wins and 3 draws from 8 starts for 16pts. So clearly the Judd Cup has a thing for draws this year. Nonetheless, with all these draws about, the table is still wide open and so the Red Juddites have only themselves to either love or loath as they themselves roll on with their season. C’mon lads…

Whiddon Cup (3rds) – Lost 19-12
Unlike their 4ths brethren, the Red Widows came into the weekend with tails comparatively higher at 3rd spot on ladder, with 3 from 7 on 17pts, 9pts adrift the Blue Goats in 2nd and 3pts clear of 4th placed Mosman. And to add to that confidence, Colleagues were tied with Hunters Hill for last, each with 2 from 6 on 10pts. As such, whilst the Red Widows were meeting an increasingly desperate Colleagues side, the opportunity as presented at least on paper was one of clear Red advantage, and so opportunity to rip in, grab a rare middle-grade win at Woollahra, and consolidate their top(ish) of the table standing. However the best laid plans of mice and men went astray.

Comments from a clearly despondent Supercoach Scully were that the result was particularly disappointing for the guys who ‘train and put in an effort’, but within that, the effort from ‘clubmen’ who back up and/or play injured without question had to be acknowledged. That said, fielding a team unfamiliar with game plan and/or shape against a club like Colleagues, whom always rally against Drummoyne particularly in 3rds, was always going to be a ‘big ask’ and in this case was a ‘bridge too far’. That said, Supercoach noted ‘we had or chances’ with ‘some glimpses of structured play’. But all in all, regardless of guts, the quality of the 3rds play was not at any stage the level of footy needed to grab the win against such an opponent in those circumstances. That said, Supercoach was philosophical in noting how the 3rd contribution to the upper grades contributed significantly to their success and so the Red Widows were to be acknowledged as a significant factor in helping the larger club drink the wine of success in the higher grades (fair enough).

Points were awarded as 3pts to James ‘Tah Man’ O’Ryan, 2pts to Marcus ‘Home Again’ Castle and 1pt each to Jude Burke and Stu Hammond.

Given the state of the competition as regards wet weather games to be made up (when?), the surprising loss leaves the Red Widows still in 3rd place with 3 from 8 on 18pts. That said, the same circumstances have contrived to see Colleagues rocket to 4th spot on 3 from 7 for 14pts. Comparatively, the upcoming weekend shapes as a battle royale for the Thirsty Thirds given the Blue Goats currently sit astride 2nd pony with 5 from 8 and 26pts. So there is opportunity aplenty there to pull some ground back on 2nd whilst cementing a good gap on 4th, regardless of wet weather catch-up games, should the lads so-choose to use it. The question is, of course, will they?

Barbour Cup (Colts) – Lost 32-20
Colleagues have always been strong in Colts. Given their geography and socio-economic fit among the schools of the area, along with Mosman and Hunters Hill, Colleagues have always had a small army of Colts players to draw on. And given the state of our Colts this year, let alone coming into what was going to be an ‘off’ weekend, this was always going to be an uphill battle for the Red Barbourians. That said, the Red BaaBaa’s were hanging in grimly at 4th spot on the ladder, compared to their more-fancied 3rd placed opponents, so the opportunity was there to be seized if the lads could but get themselves organised and ‘on the front foot’ to make a serious tilt at their opponents.

Comments from Supercoach Rowdy were rather up-beat afterwards in that, given the nature of the opponent, the result was ‘pretty positive all up’. For the 2nd week running, Colts had managed to scrape 15 players together, and those lads had put up a brave and unrelenting performance against the no.3 ranked team. Despite such challenging origins, the heart and underlying ability of the team was well demonstrated in that despite their threadbare numbers, the boys created a number of chances late in the match that, if any had landed, would have stolen the bikkies from their much more fancied opponents. It was only fatigue and a lack of a bench and fresh legs that saw the chance go begging. As such, given the circumstances, the lads had played well, with guts and honesty, and so could be proud of their efforts.

Points went to Owen Lenord (3) who had his best game in a while, Ned Greenwell (2) who filled in at hooker and Peni Saurara (1) who was solid all afternoon.

The bonus point loss means the Red BaaBaa’s are now 2 from 8 and on 11pts to be holding down 6th spot. Against that, the coming weeks opponents Blue Mountains are immediately above with 2 wins from 7 starts for 11pts but holding 5th spot. So given Lindfield hold down 4th on ladder with a paltry 13pts and are this week running headlong into table-topping Mosman, the winner of the upcoming battle between the Red BaaBaa’s and the Blue Goats at Drummoyne Oval will take a spot firmly in the Top4 as the semi’s hove over the horizon. See it for what it is lads and go get it.

Burke Cup (2nds) – Won 21-13
The previous week’s loss had the Red Burkies sitting at 3 from 7 on 14pts and so 6th on table, while Hunters rocketed up to 2nd spot with 5 from 7 for 26pts. But more pertinent to this weekend, Colleagues approached the weekend at 5 from 6 on 21pts and so in 3rd spot. So the weekends clash very much shaped as a marker for both sides regarding their year-end aspirations. Accordingly, both sides approached the match on-edge, and with the respective crowds picking up on the emotions soon enough, and the anticipation for a ‘rip snorter’ of a game was palpable.

Comments from Supercoach Woz were that, on a day where team lineup disruptions might have otherwise washed away a good result as easily as the match itself, the mighty Red Burkies rebounded from their last performance with verve, heart and courage to celebrate their best performance of the year to-date with a resounding win. Fielding eight changes to last week’s lineup, including the mercurial Jordan Lancaster who doubled up on debut after a full game of Colts, the Red Ressies deployed a new defensive shape to put their rivals on their heels from the jump. And once the red wall went up, led by the indefatigable Mick ‘Mr Tackles’ Thompson, the Red men dominated play from start to finish. Sauced pies were posted by Kurtis Jones, Corey Griffin and Tom Warr, alongside champagne contributions from veterans Jimmy ‘I play 8’ Vuniwa and Trevor ‘Mr Fix-It’ Rangel, along with a host of other players from lower grades continuing to make significant contributions in an otherwise disrupted season.

B&F points were shared between 1 point to Tom Warr and Iggy Kettle, 2pts Zech Browden and 3pts Jim ‘Mr Cool’ Davis.

Given the state of affairs regarding games in hand, the Burke table is now quite interesting. The win puts the Red Burkies at 4 from 8 and so 18pts for 4th table, while Colleagues are 5 from 7 for 21pts in 3rd spot. Comparatively, the upcoming Blue Goats are 2 from 8 for 15pts and so in 6th spot, and as-such must be viewed as a victory in-waiting if the Red Men consider themselves serious season contenders. Therefore, given Hunters and Colleagues face off this weekend, allowing the Red Burkies the chance to claw back some table space, a solid performance and full 5pt victory must be the goal this weekend to both establish a run of form and continue to pressure the top end of the table.

Kentwell Cup (1sts) – Won 36-23
This weekend was simply a ‘must win’ for the Red Kenty’s. Approaching the weekend at 4 from 8 for 19pts and so astride 5th spot, the upcoming opponents Colleagues were sitting stone, motherless last on 1 from 6 for 4pts. Thus a win was demanded, not just for self respect, but without such, any ideas of a push into the table proper and a tilt at finals was simply a pipe-dream. That said, as with all other grades, the dislocating impact of having to play on an otherwise scheduled-off weekend meant the side was hardly settled and ‘all guns firing’. Sensing that unsettled state, the Colleagues lads were quite upbeat and clearly smelling the chance for an unlikely victory. And in that light did the whistle blow and the rumble commence.

Comments from SuperDORK Ken in the aftermath were that, whilst all would acknowledge Woollahra no3 as a surface scarcely suitable for such a game, it was at least open and available. And similar could be said for the team lineup, with a significant number of regular faces missing. That said, with James Leong and Ben Qoro making their debut and with the likes of Niall McDermott, Ben Austin, Jake Fitzsimmons, Evan O’Connor and Ben Newell stepping into the breech, SuperDORK noted that the lads took the field confident of ‘knocking off’ the Eastern Suburbs boys. From the whistle, the opening exchanges were a tough and torrid affair, seeing the Blue8 served a cheese early, allowing No10 Jackson Parfitt to open the tally with a fine pie, which unfortunately then went unsauced. However the Blue Boys weren’t taking that lying down. They rallied and ‘gave it their all’ to send the teams to oranges with the scoreline at an alarming 10-3 to the Blue.

With some mild mannered refocussing at halftime from the Coaching Crew, the second stanza saw the Red scrum start to dominate and the Red lineout begin to also assert control. Such possession-based pressure soon unearthed a penalty and with Ben Halmarick finding his range, the match was soon all-but level pegging. From there the Red Wall defensive effort kicked in and from aggressive tackling leading to rapid turnovers, Lachlin Jackson and Max Salabogi began ‘ripping them apart’ with pies being posted by LJ, Ben Newell and a pair to Max, with plenty of sauce squirted about by Ben ‘I found my boots’ Halmarick. So whilst the Blue Giants didn’t ever give in, the lead the Red men did establish, through physicality more than guile to be fair, saw the game through to the final whistle for a healthy and much-needed bonus point win to the men in red.

Best & Fairest acknowledgements were dished up as 1pt to Alex Wilmore, 2pts to Alex ‘No Pies’ Connolly and 3pts to LJ.

In the wash-up, and conscious of the amount of ‘games in hand’ about the competition, the bonus point win means the Red Kenty’s now sit a remarkable 2nd on table with 5 from 9 and 24pts, 2pts clear of Hunters Hill on 22pts, and leaving Colleagues still stone, motherless last (you have no idea how much I enjoy applying that phrase to Colleagues). That said, this weekend is the one to approach with a resolute heart and a clear eye as our opponents, the Blue Goats, will take to Drummoyne Oval next Saturday as undefeated in 1st place with 8 wins from 8 starts and so 38pts (note they have left only 2 bonus points unclaimed all year to-date). So on paper, the Red Kenty’s have it stacked against them this upcoming weekend. But that said, the lads have shown that they have heart, that they can tackle all day if needs be, and that they do have points in them. So it’s ‘boots on and mouthguards in’ lads, to rip in and do what must be done, to claim what would be a famous victory on a fabled ground, if you’ve got the minerals for it.

Summation
Well there it is folks – a look back at the weekend that was and a glance forward to the weekend that will be. Colleagues did host us as best they could, albeit on the back field, and whilst we came away with losses to Colts and 3rds, and another bloody disappointing draw to 4ths, a good win was recorded by 1sts and 2nds spearheaded the day, posting a fantastic victory to remember on all manner of fronts.

All that said, there is scant time for celebration as we do gather our wits and nerves whilst girding our loins and setting our shoulders to meet the mighty Blue Goats of Penriff Heights on Drummoyne Oval this coming Saturday 13th July. The Blue Goats middle grades are all in a position to be beaten and some vital table points secured. And while the Blue Goats 1st grade is undefeated and the clear competition front-runners, who better is there to take them on the wide open expanses of a full sized field than the No2 placed DDR? So let’s get it on!

Boire le vin.

Nutta.

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