SG Ball squad

[billy2]

Looking at the SG Ball squad, only two imports, both wingers.
The most interesting is Khaele Bowen from Ipswitch. Iternet search shows he is a quality athlete excelling at long jump, has mostly played Union 7s and Union, and is the nephew of Matt Bowen.
Other import is Blaize Fuller from Dubbo. I found some great quotes about his speed in junior reports.
Some good players backing up from last year, captain and player of the year Luke Yates (lock), 80 minute second rower Jake Lawrence, Mitch Stanton backs up and has moved from second row to hooker and along with Jack Laing we have two hookers who could play as forwards, Jack Jones a big centre who was a star in Mathews.

A squad of 34 with lots of new names and same quality guys backing up - all but two are locals.

 

[Silent Knight]

It's good we're going back to our roots. Our local juniors have always been our strength. I can't wait to see how these kids develop under Graham Murray in years to come.

 

[RHCP]

A lot of good young players in the team. Quite a few who will play first grade imo.

Interesting to see who will make the cut, when is the final squad decided?

 

[billy2]

Phil Williams uses a lot of players, or he did last year.
Wouldn't surprize me is he uses most of the 34 players over the season.

 

[RHCP]

Phil Williams uses a lot of players, or he did last year.
Wouldn't surprize me is he uses most of the 34 players over the season.

Ah okay, I was under the impression they usually cut it down to 25ish.

 

[billy2]

Well the first trials will be played in a few weeks and the first games in early febuary.

Apparently Wayne Bennett attended the camp at Myuna Bay a few weeks ago, so our junior squads had two quality firstgrade coaches in Murray and Bennett looking them over and giving input to their coaches.

Mathews will have Tevita Pangai and Sione Mata'utia backing up for a second year. Both these guys scored 11 tries from 8 games in the regular season last year and they were pretty much unstopable as 14 year olds against 15 year olds.

The Ball side has lost some key players like the halves Rouse and Mann, hooker Clydesdale and powerful forwards like Ma'a, Savin, Steel, Rose and Rod Mason, but they keep inspirational lock and captain Luke Yates and forwards like Lawrence and Stevens who already have a national title, and they also pick up some very impressive players for Mathews last year and the year before like powerful centre Jack Jones and hooker Jack Laing.


I think we came 3rd and equal 1st in the regular season last year and came within extra time of pinching the Mathews title anf took Ball out. This year the Mathews side looks stronger and should be favourites IMO, while Ball could well pull off the repeat title if the improved coaching and training resources and the momentum of having several guys with a title already kicks in, but it will be hard to replace guys like Pat Mata'utia, Kurt Mann, Tom Rouse and about 5 angry forwards.

 

[RHCP]

There's some very talented players in the Ball squad this year billy, I reckon they'll give it a real shake. As far as 'five angry forwards' Hayes, Magee and Siuluai (unsure of spelling) as well as Yates can give the base of a strong forward pack. What do you think of those guys?

Who else do you rate in the Ball squad?

 

[billy2]

There's some very talented players in the Ball squad this year billy, I reckon they'll give it a real shake. As far as 'five angry forwards' Hayes, Magee and Siuluai (unsure of spelling) as well as Yates can give the base of a strong forward pack. What do you think of those guys?

Who else do you rate in the Ball squad?

i don't remember seeing the three you name in Mathews, but one guy who is not as recognised as he should be is Jake Lawrence.
We brought him down from the country after he made the Australian under 14s or so and he looked good in Mathews 2 years ago and played long minutes and did quality work in Ball last year. Both Yates and Lawrence aren't big impact players, but they both do a mountain and quality defence and more than their share of the work in attack. Eniliaki is another guy who is backing up from last year, and he was one guy who had a lot of impact.
Ball can do it again if the new recruits are good, especially these two new wingers who sound like stars, but you don't get players like the 10 or so going up to NYC every year. They won't be easy to replace.

 

[billy2]

Christian Name Surname Position Club​

Nic Andrews - halfback - Singleton Rugby

Mitchell Barnett - Centre - Wingham
Khaele Bowen - Wing - Ipswich
Blake Chaffey - Fr Row - Raymond Terrace
Trae Clark - Fullback - Taree
Jayden Eneliko - Fr Row - Raymond Terrace
Lachlan Fitzgibbon - Lock - South N’cle
Blaize Fuller - Wing - Dubbo
Nephi Hamon - Wing - East Maitland
Matt Hay - Centre - Macquarie United
Josh Hayes - Fr Row - Central Charlestown
Jed Hill - Sec Row - Wests N’cle
Jack Jones - Centre - Raymond Terrace
Sam Keenan - 5/8​

​

th, halfback - South N’cle​

Josh Kiem - Fr Row - Cessnock
Jack Laing - Hooker - Wyong
Jake Lawrence - Sec Row - Camden Haven
Duncan McLaughlan - Fr Row - Wyong
Aiden Magee - Fr Row - Lakes United
Jake Mamo - Centre - The Entrance
Tim Marsh - Wing - Wests N’cle
Dalton Peel - Fr Row - East Maitland
Jarrad Rotumah - halfback - ​

​

South N’cle​

Brad Russell - Lock - South N’cle
Ricky Schein - Utility - Raymond Terrace
Jarrod Smith - Hooker - East Maitland
Jay Smith - Utility East - Maitland
Mitch Stanton - Hooker - Macquarie United
Ben Steven - Sec Row, Centre Erina
Josh Trotter- Whitlam - Lock, Sec Row - Terrigal
Tim Vujic - Sec Row - Central Charlestown
Steve Widders - Fullback - South N’cle
Luke Yates - Lock - Wests N’cle​

Ben Edwards - Utility - East Maitland

​

 

[billy2]

My side from that lot.

Steve Widders - livewire little fullback
Khaele Bowen - just to see why we bought him and if he looks like uncle Matt
Jack Jones - big, strong, hardrunning centre who played for Aus at under 16s level
????
Blaize Fuller - to see if he lives up to the hype
Sam Keenan - livewire little bloke
Jarrod Rotumah - has a bit of X factor
Jayden Eneliko - powerful impact prop
Jack Laing - big hooker who could play second row - good defence and ball distribution
????????
Jake Lawrence - hardworking and fit second rower
Josh Trotter-Whitlam - big guy with impact
Luke Yates - captain and player of the year last year - late inclusion in the NSW under 18s last year and went well - if he stays fit he could be the best Ball player since Greg Bird and go right into NYC at the end of the Ball season.

 

[RHCP]

Widders, Rotumah and Keenan all play together and they are real talents. They talk about club combinations with the Queenslanders, the Souths team is near unstoppable in their division. Hopefully it will translate into the SG Ball side, because that's 3/4 of a brilliant attacking spine.

I'd have Fitzgibbon in there - second rower in the Steve Simpson mould and has a good combination with Keenan.

Unsure of who will fill the 2nd centre spot - as for front row, it depends on what the coach wants. Hayes (played Matts last season) won't provide as much impact but he's rock solid and has a ton of heart. McLaughlan is HUGE and would go well off the bench, same for Magee (minus the HUGE part).

 

[ballbag]

Dont discount Dalton Peel, a Cessnock junior who was poached to play at East Maitland a few years ago who also played Newcastle Rebels U18's last year as a frontie and also another Cessnock junior in Josh Kiem who had a late start to this years Matt's campaign, he along with Josh Hayes and Luke Yates played integral parts in the Matt's charge at the end of the season. Kiem is a year young but signed a two year deal at the end of the Matt's season

 

[billy2]

Halfback will be interesting.
If Phil Williams has proved anything in 2004 and 2011 it's that he can coach a halfback.
In 2004 he 'discovered' Walsh, Dureau and Mullen, and in 2011 he turned Kurt Mann from a fullback into a halfback good enough to represent Qld, and when he was injured he moved Rouse to halfback and he was Ball player of the year and NSW rep.

I wouldn't be surprized to see Khaele Bowen be moved to the halves like Mann was last year. It sounds like he is a very natural athlete like his uncle. Also this Nic Andrews won't be coming over from Union for fun - he must have some natural talent that caught someone's eye.

 

[billy2]

Mathews kicks off in 15 minutes.
Tough start to the season with an away game at Penrith.

Halfback for Ball is Tyrone Walsh - younger brother of Luke.

 

[billy2]

Knights are down 20-6 with about 20 minutes to play.

 

[billy2]

lost the Matt 38-6
Penrith will be hard to beat this year, but we traditionally get better and better as the season goes on.

Ball should be more even.

 

[billy2]

Follow the game on twitter

https://twitter.com/#!/nswrl

 

[Frederick]

Ball lost 22-10

 

[murraymob]

score line decieving was a wet day.And penrith got a intercept right on full time under the post.Very even between the 2 teams most the game.I would be very suprised if both are not the come finals time

 

[Panther_Daz]

score line decieving was a wet day.And penrith got a intercept right on full time under the post.Very even between the 2 teams most the game.I would be very suprised if both are not the come finals time

You weren't even there?