There is a lot of work going on in the background which is starting to pay off. It is incredible to note that we made the GF's in Jersey Flegg, Harold Matthews, Holden Cup and NSW cup. This year we are Minor Premiers in Reggies with four games to go.
I was blown away to see that u20's had DZW and Blake playing this week because they still qualify. There were so many complaints about the club not developing juniors and quietly in the background players have been moving u20-reggies-first grade and back down when it makes sense. Blake has been absolutely killing it in reggies, he must be loving running against 20 year olds again. I can't wait to see him in first grade. I think both Whare and Idris will be looking over their shoulders.
For mine and I know there will be those who disagree, Cartwright has shown he will make it in first grade, subject to his body being able to take the week on week grind. He took to it like a duck to water, dodgy Blake Austin tackle aside. DZW still to convince (just Ok), likewise RGC (not standing out in NSW cup yet). Yeo has shown he can do it. Centre, wing, back row, he just gets on with it with minimal fuss and mistakes. What a player he is for his age. Fearless too. He didn't mind letting the Dogs big pack bash him. He has had no wraps from the media but this is his debut season and he is going great guns.
I want to wrap Garth Brennan who coached the u20's to a Premiership and has stepped up to reggies and they then win the minor premiership. Meanwhile, his team has helped develop u20's players and supplied a thousand 5/8ths to first grade. This week in spite of the fact there were 5 players missing from his team, DZW and Blake had dropped back to Holden Cup, they went out and flogged the Bears. They have the highest points for and lowest points against. This bloke can coach, or what?
Finally, I want to wrap Cleary. We have lost games this season, but we always played our guts out. Whatever it is that he does, it certainly makes the players work hard on the field. You can see the players are happy, there are few egos and the young players coming through seem to be able to fit in. I would like us to have more "wow" factor but I know we don't have the players for that yet. When Cartwright, Blake and a few of the other young players hit their straps, I think we then may have a team that will be top eight consistently and which will be able to blow teams away. At the moment we just suffocate teams and slowly squeeze the life out of them. I want us to be able to blow teams off the park like the 91 and 2003 teams could. Here's hoping.......
