Jim Beam Cup 2008 season

[Nfed]

A committed Shellharbour Marlins carved up Jim Beam Cup newcomers Campbelltown 52-6 in Saturday's trial at Ron Costello Oval.

After getting the jump on the visitors with an impressive opening quarter performance, the Marlins briefly dropped off in the second quarter before dominating after half-time.

Marlins coach Dave Walsh praised his side's efforts and believes the signs are promising for a good season.

"It was only a trial so we're certainly not getting carried away with the result, but we've got some new players this year and they looked great, so it's a good way to start and we want to build our confidence and momentum as we head into the season.

"We played really well, right across the park. Our new halves gave us good direction and we got good service from dummy-half.

"Our centres were outstanding, the defence was good and the talk was great all game."

Both teams ran full squads, regularly rotating their interchange benches.

"It was Campbelltown's first game and we were definitely fitter than them. Our trainer Craig Simon has done a great job with the boys and got them in good shape.

"Their coach used a lot of players and we ended up using 21, so we're still working on our combinations and guys are getting to know each other's games," Walsh said.

Shellharbour host last year's minor premiers Cabramatta in a trial this Saturday.

The Marlins kick off their 2008 Jim Beam Cup campaign a week after Easter.

Source: Illawara Mercury

 

[2 True Blues]

They are Saints P/League are n't they this year ?? They should be undefeated all season.

 

[Nfed]

They are Saints P/League are n't they this year ?? They should be undefeated all season.

St George dont have a P/L team and Shellharbour no longer have a relationship. St George is distributing players not selected in NRL to clubs in the Illawarra comp. When the Bulldogs played St George in the NRL trial on the weekend, the Bulldogs P/L team played against Wollongong Collegians.

 

[2 True Blues]

I know mate. You just thru my point back at me. St George is distributing players not selected in NRL to Illawarra clubs. Hence they shall be strong. Beg to differ on shelly not bein linked to the saints though.

 

[Nfed]

Shellharbour is Group 7 not Illawarra.

 

[2 True Blues]

Yeah but it's starting at grass roots down there now. Saints are on a winna !!?????. Though I cannot see how dropping out of P/league can help the progression still though.

 

[Nfed]

A MASSIVE crowd of 4000 people packed the Windsor Sporting Complex to catch a first glimpse of their heroes for season 2008 when the Penrith Panthers played a pair of trials on Saturday.
The Panthers brought most of their squad to Rifle Range Road for a league bonanza, and they didn’t disappoint, turning on a polished display in two 30-minute trials against Jim Beam Cup teams Erina and Windsor.
After beating the Eagles 30-0, Penrith was held 16-0 by the Wolves in what Windsor president Dick Prior described as a raging success for both clubs.
Ben Stewart was in career best form and Tito Niumata in outstanding touch for Windsor, while Shenelle Haumono and Lee Hopkins were good.
Earlier in the day, Windsor’s new NSW Cup stepped out for the first time and banked a debut victory when it beat Central Newcastle 36-26 in a high standard clash featuring a mix of Panthers and Wolves squad members.
Penrith’s Paul Aiton lined up for Windsor in the match and turned in a prominent performance to earn himself a recall for the first grade’s next trial against Parramatta at Lavington on Friday.
But it was the Windsor players who really shone, with Western Suburbs Jersey Flegg recruit Tyson Muscat scoring two tries, while last year’s Jim Beam Cup squad member Jason Chan, Dan Randall and player of the year Ryan Russell each crossed the line, and Fatualua Mumu and halfback Ben Harden also performed well.
The Wolves also unveiled another frontrower in Alistair Taua-a, a 190cm, 115kg frontrower who has crossed from Balmain’s Jersey Flegg team, and he produced a best on ground performance.
“It was a good kickoff to the season,” Prior said.
“We tried a lot of blokes and had a good win A lot of players got a good opportunity.
“It was a big day and we had a big crowd that made a lot of noise, especially when the Panthers came out – it was a very successful promotion and we’ll definitely do it again next year.
“Matty Elliott was happy with our facilities and the Penrith players were fantastic.
“They couldn’t do enough for the fans, they mingled among the crowd and signed autographs and stayed for a couple of hours after.
“It was the best thing Penrith could have done to raise opinions of them and the profile of Penrith and Windsor.” The other match, between the Penrith and Newcastle under 20s, ended in a 46-34 win to the Knights.

 

[Nfed]

The Western Reds side to play the Sydney Bulls in a trial in Perth on sunday has been named:

1 Mick Kestel 2 Tyronne Coppedge 3 Joel Rawlins 4 Steve Gherardi 5 Jason Godecke 6 Craig Phills 7 Ryan Dickson 8 Michael Small 9 Issac Thomas 10 James Blake 11 Delane Edwards 12 Jon Phipps 13 Shane Mcmenemy 14 Ben Lindegaard 15 Nathan Searle 16 Taurean Sheehan 17 Ben McCrone 18 Caleb McEniery 19 Roddy Tahu 20 George Ghazal

 

[Cabra4eva]

Nfed,

Mate any info on a Geroge AZI apparently played for the bulls and balmain. Cabra about to sign apparently to replace Ross BROWN mate never heard of him. Big shoes to fill though with Rossie. Mate that bloke will be sorely lost. Reackon heaps of opposition blokes will be happy his gone to the other code.

On another note Cabra loosing Francis mate again big shoes one area though we were stronger then the opposition. Another big loss !!!1 Although in saying that appart from Bulls, Windsor and Cabra not that many quality centres im the comp.

 

[Nfed]

George Azzi played some NRL for the Roosters in 2002. He suffered a serious medical condition after playing for the Bulls in the 2005 Grand Final and this led to his retirement. He attempted a comeback with Wests P/L in 2007 but lasted only a few weeks.

 

[Spike]

I remember Azzi helped me with a guy that was having a drug overdose in Kings Cross. He was working security at the local shopping centre. That would have been around the time he was playing for Balmain.

 

[Nfed]

Shellharbour City will look to build an association with an NRL side other than St George Illawarra after claiming the Dragons had again turned their backs on South Coast rugby league.

Shellharbour president Peter Blaine expressed disappointment the Dragons decided not to support the Marlins in the Jim Beam Cup after months of work.

"We did the right thing by them last year and courted them for four or five months but they decided not to help us," Blaine said.

"We'll look to find another NRL club that wants an association with us and hopefully it will wake the Dragons up.

"You just have to look at the St George Illawarra side to see where all their players come from. There are certainly a lot more boys from down here than the St George area."

Blaine admitted it was a struggle to field a Jim Beam Cup side this year but with Corban KIA coming on board as a major sponsor, the Marlins won't go the way of last year's premiers The Entrance, who pulled out of the second-tier competition.

"We have to go out and find these sponsors because we don't have the backing of a leagues club," Blaine said. "Corban KIA have shaken hands on a deal to sponsor us, which made it easy to go ahead."

Blaine announced David Walsh would continue as Marlins coach with former Steelers and Canberra player Craig Simon joining him as an assistant coach.

Shellharbour junior Jason Hooper, who recently returned from a playing stint in England, will also be a part of the coaching panel.

"Hoops came to us and wanted to be involved which was a great boost to the club given his experience with the Dragons and in England," Blaine said.

Shellharbour's Group Seven side, the Sharks, will be coached by Allan Carroll and Peter Yatras while Rod Pepper will be in charge of reserve grade.

Source: Illawarra Mercury 3/1/2008

 

[korky]

Nfed,

Mate any info on a Geroge AZI apparently played for the bulls and balmain. Cabra about to sign apparently to replace Ross BROWN mate never heard of him. Big shoes to fill though with Rossie. Mate that bloke will be sorely lost. Reackon heaps of opposition blokes will be happy his gone to the other code.

On another note Cabra loosing Francis mate again big shoes one area though we were stronger then the opposition. Another big loss !!!1 Although in saying that appart from Bulls, Windsor and Cabra not that many quality centres im the comp.

Spoke to people at Cabra. They are still confident Ross Brown will be at the club this year. He apparently trialed with them yesterday in Shellharbour. No one from the club has spoken to George Azi

 

[Cabra4eva]

Yeah wrong club. Apparenlty Mounties are going to sign him. Sorry for the info. Suppose that sort of thing happens when its third-hand. Although can pass on from second hand info Mounties downed Nelsons Bay 34-22 and 38 - 0. Just dont seem to know much about these guys but along with Erina they have to be the dark horses with Cabra, Bulls, Wenty and Windsor the obvious favourates.

 

[Nfed]

In contrast to Campbelltowns poor start last week against Shellharbour, the other 2 new sides had trial wins on the weekend. The Western Reds beat Sydney Bulls 32-22 in Perth, after the Bulls led 12-0 and 18-12 at the first 2 breaks but ran out of stem. Cronulla Caringbah beat Cessnock 26-22 with a try scored after the final siren.

 

[Nfed]

RLR states that Cronulla Caringbah has lodged an application with the NSWRL to be known as Southern Sydney Sharks.

 

[Nfed]

Daniel Russell, who played for Mounties last year, is now playing for Gateshead Thunder, UK, where he joins other recruits, Netani Suka (Wests) and Kevin Neighbour and Lewis McPhail (Shellharbour).

Todd Barrow, a centre for Belrose and Manly P/L, has joined Blayney.

 

[Nfed]

Trails this saturday:

Sydney Bulls vs Mounties at Ruse Park, Bankstown 2.30pm
Cabramatta vs Belrose at Cabra 5pm
Windsor vs Erina at Windsor 6pm

Windsor will also clash with Erina in 17's, 19s and A grade commencing at 1.30pm.

 

[Nfed]

The Sydney Bulls beat Mounties 32-10 today at Ruse Park. The hame was played in 3x20 minutes with the Bulls coming out with all guns blazing to lead 22-0 at the first break. Coveney got one back for the visitors just after the break when Dean Vicelich fell off a straight forward tackle in the red zone. Vicelich made a few busts with the ball today but nothing approaching his 60 metre try in Premier League last Friday night.

The Bulls scored twice more in the second session to lead 32-6 at the next break. The final session was an arm wrestle with nothing registered until Burns got a consolation in the final seconds of the game.

Sydney Bulls 32 (B Finn, S Jolly, M Butler, D Vicelich, D Barakat, C Salem tries, N Wynn 4 goals) beat Mounties 10 (J Coveney, J Burns tries, D Dalton goal)

Bulls rested from this trial were Adam Tippett, Charlie Farah, Paul Winterstein, Chris Smith, Wes Naiqama, Suli Koroi and Puna Rasabaule while Adnan Saleh is out injured.

Mounties played nearly all the same squad that were beaten 26-10 by Wests P/L two weeks ago.

 

[Nfed]

Cabramatta beat Belrose 42-40 at Cabramatta today. Belrose were quick out of the blocks posting 3 tries in the first 15 minutes for a 16-0 lead. Cabra got back into the game on the back of some Samuel Aiga brilliance but Belrose moved away again to lead 26-16 at half time.

The second half consisted of a 20 minute quarter and then a 25 minute quarter. Belrose coach Camroux made wholesale changes at halftime and Cabra responded by posting 24 unanswered points to lead 42-26 at the final break.

The return of the starting lineup saw Belrose get back on top to score 3 more tries but goalkicking counted against them, allowing Cabra to hold on.

Belrose went into the game without their 4 forwards that have NRL experience wnd Cabra fielded some of their second tier players as Richard Parker abd some other first choice players did not participate.

I dont have the result of the early game between Campbelltown JBC and Cabra A Grade but needless to say if Campbelltown did win easily their JBC experiment would be looking very dicey.