Parramatta Eels Juniors

[Poupou Escobar]

We had a dominant Harold Matts team in about 2004 and only about four dudes played first grade. The problem with Harold Matts is that most clubs don't bother spending much money on players at that age, and so the competition isn't real strong. SG Ball is where the real 'development' (talent poaching) begins, which is why we hardly ever win it.

 

[T-Boon]

We retain most of our 16s right through to grade. The problem is they do not develop. Something goes wrong between 16 and 20. Penrith appears to be the opposite, they have had a lot of success over the last 10 years in particular in developing the youth.

 

[hindy111]

We retain most of our 16s right through to grade. The problem is they do not develop. Something goes wrong between 16 and 20. Penrith appears to be the opposite, they have had a lot of success over the last 10 years in particular in developing the youth.

Id argue that only since Guss has gone that its changes. They where big on all these talented Jnrs fizzle out to nothing.
I have a theory that out west there perhaps is a different culture. As apposed to a boy on the Nth Beaches where is a higher chance he has better influences around him.

 

[hineyrulz]

We've won the Harold Matts that many times....Unfortunately it has done f**k all for our future.

Yep congrats lads. How many will go on to be poached by other clubs who offer the game nothing. We are just a breeding factory for other clubs.

 

[Chipmunk]

Yep congrats lads. How many will go on to be poached by other clubs who offer the game nothing. We are just a breeding factory for other clubs.

How many of our Harold Matthews players in the last 10 years have played first grade for other clubs without playing Under 20s for us?

I'd suggest it's a pretty low number.

 

[Noise]

Yep congrats lads. How many will go on to be poached by other clubs who offer the game nothing. We are just a breeding factory for other clubs.

I think it is more our fault than everyone elses. We are either a) picking big kids who can run over the top of other teams in the 16s but can't go on with it when they are older when others catch up, b) not developing them properly from age 17 and up to become first graders or c) not identifying the best harlod matts players and signing them up early before other teams do

 

[Chipmunk]

I think it is more our fault than everyone elses. We are either a) picking big kids who can run over the top of other teams in the 16s but can't go on with it when they are older when others catch up, b) not developing them properly from age 17 and up to become first graders or c) not identifying the best harlod matts players and signing them up early before other teams do

I'd put my money on A.

 

[hineyrulz]

I think it is more our fault than everyone elses. We are either a) picking big kids who can run over the top of other teams in the 16s but can't go on with it when they are older when others catch up, b) not developing them properly from age 17 and up to become first graders or c) not identifying the best harlod matts players and signing them up early before other teams do

You are probably right mate, but doesn't really matter we are only in the the comp to produce juniors for the teams that offer the NRL absolutely nothing. We are a breeding farm and nothing more.

 

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

I think it is more our fault than everyone elses. We are either a) picking big kids who can run over the top of other teams in the 16s but can't go on with it when they are older when others catch up, b) not developing them properly from age 17 and up to become first graders or c) not identifying the best harlod matts players and signing them up early before other teams do

Yeh, I largely agree. I think that unless you are really good at it, having a big junior base can actually be a disadvantage in today's market. You can get distracted by numbers, parents, people who worry about what race/culture the players come from etc. . Smart operators at clubs without big junior bases can (as long as their scouts are up to it) focus on a smaller number of players who show the signs of being footballers, and sign em up early.

 

[rugby league fan]

I Agree With Most Comments On Here. This Years Parra SG Ball Side Had 19-25 Players A Year Young & To Finish Top 5 This Year & Convincing Winners Over GF ist Illawarra 40-10 It Says Alot About Parramatta & There Development Programs. Im Hearing Alot Of This Years Year Young SG Ball Team Will Be Playing 20s Next Year. 2016 Parra Seemed To Go Against The Grain & Decided Not To Pick Size Like They Have In Recent Years & Picked Players More On Mobility Sacraficing Size, It Obviously Worked.. Also Look At Parra Recruitment Last 2 Years Alot Of Kids From The Country & Not Parra Juniors Have Been Identified, Parry,Turnbull, Dressler, Duggan, Schneider, Brown, Hall, All Good Kids, I Think Anthony Field Has Done A Great Job With Recruitment & I Look Forward To Seeing What Happens Over The Next Few Years

 

[Poupou Escobar]

We retain most of our 16s right through to grade. The problem is they do not develop. Something goes wrong between 16 and 20. Penrith appears to be the opposite, they have had a lot of success over the last 10 years in particular in developing the youth.

They develop. The problem is we usually don't sign enough future first graders from the country/Queensland/New Zealand into the system, as do clubs like the Roosters.

If all those kids poached from outside Sydney for SG Ball were available from Harold Matts then our team wouldn't look anywhere near as strong against them.

Don't get me wrong, there is some outside recruitment (Travis Turnbull has been with us for a couple of years) but look at the Roosters' junior rep teams. None of those kids are from Coogee.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I Agree With Most Comments On Here. This Years Parra SG Ball Side Had 19-25 Players A Year Young & To Finish Top 5 This Year & Convincing Winners Over GF ist Illawarra 40-10 It Says Alot About Parramatta & There Development Programs. Im Hearing Alot Of This Years Year Young SG Ball Team Will Be Playing 20s Next Year. 2016 Parra Seemed To Go Against The Grain & Decided Not To Pick Size Like They Have In Recent Years & Picked Players More On Mobility Sacraficing Size, It Obviously Worked.. Also Look At Parra Recruitment Last 2 Years Alot Of Kids From The Country & Not Parra Juniors Have Been Identified, Parry,Turnbull, Dressler, Duggan, Schneider, Brown, Hall, All Good Kids, I Think Anthony Field Has Done A Great Job With Recruitment & I Look Forward To Seeing What Happens Over The Next Few Years

Good stuff. Also, YOUR CAPS LOCK IS ON.

 

[Delboy]

The development programme has changed in the past 2 years under the direction of the NRL coach

The mix has to be what he wants in terms of engine/motor and size, even the players recruited from the local junior league have been re prioritized under Fields, size is not the major pre requisite, mobility, engine and toughness is a big factor. This is done knowing that the juniors can grow into the right size given time and support, in other words big guys at 16 are not necessarily the biggest at 19/20.

 

[Obscene Assassin]

I Agree With Most Comments On Here. This Years Parra SG Ball Side Had 19-25 Players A Year Young & To Finish Top 5 This Year & Convincing Winners Over GF ist Illawarra 40-10 It Says Alot About Parramatta & There Development Programs. Im Hearing Alot Of This Years Year Young SG Ball Team Will Be Playing 20s Next Year. 2016 Parra Seemed To Go Against The Grain & Decided Not To Pick Size Like They Have In Recent Years & Picked Players More On Mobility Sacraficing Size, It Obviously Worked.. Also Look At Parra Recruitment Last 2 Years Alot Of Kids From The Country & Not Parra Juniors Have Been Identified, Parry,Turnbull, Dressler, Duggan, Schneider, Brown, Hall, All Good Kids, I Think Anthony Field Has Done A Great Job With Recruitment & I Look Forward To Seeing What Happens Over The Next Few Years

Yeah when I spoke to Steve Dresler he told me a few of the boys that had already moved up to training with the NYC team. Dresler along with Josh Carr, Josh Curran, Tui Afualo and Filia Utoikamanu with the last 3 still being eligible for SG Ball next year. The final 3 whilst they will be missed we'll be served well with Duggan, Kei, and Doorey looking likely to take their positions next year.

A few boys to watch out for in the district reps next year are: Austin Dias 18 year old from NZ rugby convert who is around 6'6" and Brayden Daley from the Territory who's pretty tall but came down to us at around 130kgs. Both were in our development squad this season. And given their height and some other boys that we've recruited externally and those we've selected from internally there is a definite focus on height.

I've seen one of our recruits for the HM squad next year and he seemed to be 6'5".

 

[Chipmunk]

The development programme has changed in the past 2 years under the direction of the NRL coach

The mix has to be what he wants in terms of engine/motor and size, even the players recruited from the local junior league have been re prioritized under Fields, size is not the major pre requisite, mobility, engine and toughness is a big factor. This is done knowing that the juniors can grow into the right size given time and support, in other words big guys at 16 are not necessarily the biggest at 19/20.

This seems to be the right philosophy.

 

[Forty20]

Delboy is spot on. There has been a massive shift in recruitment philosophy over the last two years. We are finding a much better balance between outstanding athletes and genuine footballers. Our District Representative squads were actually regularly noted as undersized throughout the season but they always punched well above their weight.

The club is well aware of our failure to convert Harold Matthews and even SG Ball success into longer term value and has hopefully taken the steps necessary to change the equation.

 

[T-Boon]

Another recruit from outside the district in that category (skill, fitness, not necessarily massive) is Jesse Cronin. It is good that they are addressing this.
I think we started getting a bad reputation for development around the time we signed and then failed with Pat O'Hanlon and Albert Kelly.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

At least those guys played first grade, and not just at our club.

 

[Parra47]

Delboy is spot on. There has been a massive shift in recruitment philosophy over the last two years. We are finding a much better balance between outstanding athletes and genuine footballers. Our District Representative squads were actually regularly noted as undersized throughout the season but they always punched well above their weight.

The club is well aware of our failure to convert Harold Matthews and even SG Ball success into longer term value and has hopefully taken the steps necessary to change the equation.

I posted about this last year, the need to not focus on just athletes, which we seemed to be doing, but the need for players with genuine football smarts. I'm glad the club is moving in this direction. Great news for our junior development.

 

[Obscene Assassin]

You have to be a good athlete to be a good footballer though. You can't be a footballer if you don't have at least some athletic skill.