2019 RM Cup & Sydney Shield

[Pantherman72]

Asquith had no Ron Massey Cup team in 2017 due to no recruitment and fielded only a Sydney Shield team because of lack of numbers. To be in the mix with the big clubs so soon after that is an achievement in itself, especially when their best players get taken by Norths who then send back inferior players as replacements. They have never had 2 strong teams when in both grades until last season. Their shield team would be flogged and struggle to field 17 players when they had a Massey team. They are now lock ins for the finals in both grades. Not even the big clubs enjoy going to Storey Park.

 

[imgunawin72]

Asquith had no Ron Massey Cup team in 2017 due to no recruitment and fielded only a Sydney Shield team because of lack of numbers. To be in the mix with the big clubs so soon after that is an achievement in itself, especially when their best players get taken by Norths who then send back inferior players as replacements. They have never had 2 strong teams when in both grades until last season. Their shield team would be flogged and struggle to field 17 players when they had a Massey team. They are now lock ins for the finals in both grades. Not even the big clubs enjoy going to Storey Park.

Yep they look strong this year. Part of the reason other teams don’t like going to storey park is because its not up to SS and RMC standard. More like a local A grade field.

 

[kbw]

I know a couple of players up at Asquith this year and they tell me its just a good environment among the players, no cliques and seemingly no egos

 

[Oldschool]

Yep they look strong this year. Part of the reason other teams don’t like going to storey park is because its not up to SS and RMC standard. More like a local A grade field.

Or maybe the other teams just don't like the reception they get from the friendly crowd ! Storey Park meets requirements otherwise NSWRL wouldn't allow games there. Ever been to Lionel Watts ?
Pat Weisner has recruited very well and I hear good things from several players. I hope they give it a shake and challenge some of the big guns.

 

[Pantherman72]

I know a couple of players up at Asquith this year and they tell me its just a good environment among the players, no cliques and seemingly no egos

Changed your opinion on the coach yet? Pretty sure when he got the job you were a harsh critic. If the environment is good it starts with the coaching staff. So does the players recruited to the club or in many cases not recruited.

 

[imgunawin72]

Or maybe the other teams just don't like the reception they get from the friendly crowd ! Storey Park meets requirements otherwise NSWRL wouldn't allow games there. Ever been to Lionel Watts ?
Pat Weisner has recruited very well and I hear good things from several players. I hope they give it a shake and challenge some of the big guns.

Yep I’ve been to Lionel Rose, another substandard field for SS

 

[Pantherman72]

Penrith Brothers fields are ordinary as well

 

[imgunawin72]

Waminda oval pretty average also

 

[Oldschool]

Yep I’ve been to Lionel Rose, another substandard field for SS

Nothing wrong with the surface at Storey Park. It's actually pretty good. It's just the facilitiies that could do with an update.

 

[True Blue]

Asquith had no Ron Massey Cup team in 2017 due to no recruitment and fielded only a Sydney Shield team because of lack of numbers. To be in the mix with the big clubs so soon after that is an achievement in itself, especially when their best players get taken by Norths who then send back inferior players as replacements. They have never had 2 strong teams when in both grades until last season. Their shield team would be flogged and struggle to field 17 players when they had a Massey team. They are now lock ins for the finals in both grades. Not even the big clubs enjoy going to Storey Park.

According to the lads at Asquith, it all started in 2015 with the Shield coach walking away mid season and 20 plus players leaving at end of year. Playing the GF masked some problems with the coach

Asquith had no Ron Massey Cup team in 2017 due to no recruitment and fielded only a Sydney Shield team because of lack of numbers. To be in the mix with the big clubs so soon after that is an achievement in itself, especially when their best players get taken by Norths who then send back inferior players as replacements. They have never had 2 strong teams when in both grades until last season. Their shield team would be flogged and struggle to field 17 players when they had a Massey team. They are now lock ins for the finals in both grades. Not even the big clubs enjoy going to Storey Park.

Look back to 2015. Playing GF masked some big problems. Depends who you speak to up at Asquith but Shield coach stood down mid year and 20 plus players walked out. Came 10th and last in 2016 and they reckon if Manly Peninsula had stayed in the comp, asquith would not have even had shield in 2017. They fixed it when they got Weisner. The lads trust him.

 

[Pantherman72]

Who was the coach that all the players walked away from?

 

[Sharkie Army Gorilla]

Who was the coach that all the players walked away from?

I believe Brad Horder was coaching and playing. Ina Papera took over after a few games

 

[Oldschool]

I believe Brad Horder was coaching and playing. Ina Papera took over after a few games

The players didn't leave mid- season or anything like that. They just didn't come back the next year.

 

[Sharkie Army Gorilla]

Yep they look strong this year. Part of the reason other teams don’t like going to storey park is because its not up to SS and RMC standard. More like a local A grade field.

Its actually one of the better grounds in the competition. Was sensational last weekend. It gets a bit of use so by the end of the season it's a bit worse for ware as every ground is by that time.

 

[Bulabrother]

The players didn't leave mid- season or anything like that. They just didn't come back the next year.

Not many players like Brad Horder as coach, a few left before Ina Papera took over and he brought Ryan Wheeler from Penninsula Seagulls and Mark Meredith back from retirement, in the previous years, Asquith has always been focused on recruiting only for the Ron Massey Cup side in the past, when injuries arise, they pull up half of the shield side and you see results for side drop in the second half of the season
Pat Weisner has done a really good job of recruiting and hence you can see the results

 

[Pantherman72]

If Brad Horder was already gone then why would 20 players not return the next season? It may have been more to do with the Head Coach of the club who couldn't fill 2 teams in 2017 which meant they had to drop out of Massey for the year.

 

[Broncos93]

If Brad Horder was already gone then why would 20 players not return the next season? It may have been more to do with the Head Coach of the club who couldn't fill 2 teams in 2017 which meant they had to drop out of Massey for the year.

There was a range of reasons. It wasn't because they all backed Horder, most were glad to see Ina step in.

As for Massey there was plenty of drama going on in the background with the board. But I don't think there was a drama with Clarke as far as the players were concerned. The background shit obviously didn't effect the team too bad because despite losing something like 3 of last 4 heading into semis they reached the GF.

Greg Davis and Joel Tubbs left to go play in Wollongong where they were offered better money + less travel, Trent Jennings moved on, Mick Pearsall went to play QCup, Hurd brothers went up to Central Coast, a couple others left with Horder as they were buddies.

Then the following year the club decided to scrap the hobby payments which meant the match payments started getting taxed and all of a sudden with poor recruitment and a drop in matchies, majority moved on.

As someone else mentioned it probably depends on who you ask up at Storey but from what I've been told the biggest blow was the taxing of match payments.

 

[Pantherman72]

There was a range of reasons. It wasn't because they all backed Horder, most were glad to see Ina step in.

As for Massey there was plenty of drama going on in the background with the board. But I don't think there was a drama with Clarke as far as the players were concerned. The background shit obviously didn't effect the team too bad because despite losing something like 3 of last 4 heading into semis they reached the GF.

Greg Davis and Joel Tubbs left to go play in Wollongong where they were offered better money + less travel, Trent Jennings moved on, Mick Pearsall went to play QCup, Hurd brothers went up to Central Coast, a couple others left with Horder as they were buddies.

Then the following year the club decided to scrap the hobby payments which meant the match payments started getting taxed and all of a sudden with poor recruitment and a drop in matchies, majority moved on.

As someone else mentioned it probably depends on who you ask up at Storey but from what I've been told the biggest blow was the taxing of match payments.

Taxing players at this level would certainly make a difference when so many other comps and clubs pay cash so that makes sense.

 

[True Blue]

If Brad Horder was already gone then why would 20 players not return the next season? It may have been more to do with the Head Coach of the club who couldn't fill 2 teams in 2017 which meant they had to drop out of Massey for the year.

Dont think Horder was the problem. Number of players not there anymore say it was something to do with the Head Coach and one of the Shield boys. Some of the lads still talk about it but old news now that Weisner has got em back on track. Asquith will struggle still against the big teams but they have a strong roster for some upsets

 

[Oldschool]

There was a range of reasons. It wasn't because they all backed Horder, most were glad to see Ina step in.

As for Massey there was plenty of drama going on in the background with the board. But I don't think there was a drama with Clarke as far as the players were concerned. The background shit obviously didn't effect the team too bad because despite losing something like 3 of last 4 heading into semis they reached the GF.

Greg Davis and Joel Tubbs left to go play in Wollongong where they were offered better money + less travel, Trent Jennings moved on, Mick Pearsall went to play QCup, Hurd brothers went up to Central Coast, a couple others left with Horder as they were buddies.

Then the following year the club decided to scrap the hobby payments which meant the match payments started getting taxed and all of a sudden with poor recruitment and a drop in matchies, majority moved on.

As someone else mentioned it probably depends on who you ask up at Storey but from what I've been told the biggest blow was the taxing of match payments.

In terms of the payments side of things it wasn't a case of Asquith just deciding to scrap the hobbyist system. That decision was in response to a rule introduced by the NSWRL that mandated that players had to be treated as employees and pay tax, receive medical benefits etc etc,
Ridiculous idea from NSWRL that only lasted 1 year.
Some clubs ignored the rule but Asquith decided to follow it and that put them at a serious disadvantage against those other clubs.