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Parramatta Eels Juniors

Gronk

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Important match for the SG Ball lads this week. They’re a little light in the forwards, but have a seriously gun backline. Time to show the Pennys that they aint the only development club.
 

hindy111

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Important match for the SG Ball lads this week. They’re a little light in the forwards, but have a seriously gun backline. Time to show the Pennys that they aint the only development club.

When we win a few grand finals in the NRL we can do that. Winning the sg ball means f**k all really.
 

Gronk

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When we win a few grand finals in the NRL we can do that. Winning the sg ball means f**k all really.
Nope, 4/5 years after the Sharks or Pennys GF Ball sides those players are literally stocking their NRL roster. Raiders have a gun Ball side too.
 

Poupou Escobar

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I assume that's because the Ball backs will be staying together in Flegg.
sd-aspect-1454363983-back-to-back-ball-squats.gif
 

Poupou Escobar

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When we win a few grand finals in the NRL we can do that. Winning the sg ball means f**k all really.
It means plenty. There is a clear correlation between SG Ball premierships and NRL premierships. Of the last ten premiers, six of them won SG Ball in the previous five years. Plus the Cowboys feeder dominated the Qld SG Ball equivalent (Mal Meninga Cup), while the Storm spread their under 18s talent among several teams in NSW and Queensland.

It's a sign these clubs are spending more than other clubs on football operations, including junior 'development'.
 
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T-Boon

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True but Parra has had a negative impact on the correlation. Like if you took Parra out of the stats it’s probably more like 90%.
 

Poupou Escobar

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True but Parra has had a negative impact on the correlation. Like if you took Parra out of the stats it’s probably more like 90%.
Well we made the grand final within five years of our SG Ball win, which is also pretty good. With better luck we could've won it.
 

T-Boon

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I’m saying more that we were winning HM and SG ball comps through the late 80s and the 90s that never materials into anything but a few spoons.
 

Poupou Escobar

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I’m saying more that we were winning HM and SG ball comps through the late 80s and the 90s that never materials into anything but a few spoons.
Well junior 'development' wasn't the key to beating the salary cap until around the Brian Smith era. And Harold Matts is/was irrelevant because the best players generally aren't recruited until SG Ball age. It's probably more relevant now that Matts is under 17s, but for a long time it was under 15s - at least three years away from being able to sign an adult contract.
 

Poupou Escobar

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2001 we got close and should have won but a lot of that team were imports IIRC.
That 2001 side had the following players who played in our junior teams:

Burt
Lyon
Buettner
Cayless
Vella
Hindmarsh
Hindmarsh
Ryan

The fact many of them were imported from outside the district is exactly what I mean by investment in junior 'development'. It means spending money on scouts, recruiters and other incentives to get the best junior players into your system. Marsh and Vaeliki were also imported from non-NRL systems as 18 year olds. Penrith's vaunted production line includes heaps of kids from outside their district. The Roosters also dominate junior reps and none of their kids are from the eastern suburbs, apart from the very rare exception.
 

Gronk

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Well a few gun forwards out sure did stop our Ball team. :( o_O

7 tries to 3

 
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