STORM SG BALL team in quaters

[roopy]

Did you see the storm v knights game roopy??

no, but i've talked to people who saw the round one game, and you won that well i'm told.
Our Ball side wasn't great this year, but we always expect to be in the top 6 or so.

 

[stormysally]

yeah i went to the storm manly game it was at gosches paddock in melbourne it was ment to be at princess park but was moved as there was a VFL match on

 

[MsStorm]

yeah i went to the storm manly game it was at gosches paddock in melbourne it was ment to be at princess park but was moved as there was a VFL match on

This is the 2nd time this year, we had to bow to the afl.
Feel sorry for the guys playing at Gosches paddock...right on the corner of one of the biggest intersections in Richmond. They deserve better than that.

 

[stormysally]

well they got a lot of people watching so i dont think they cared much

 

[MsStorm]

well they got a lot of people watching so i dont think they cared much

Oh that's good...I guess when you start playing you get so involved with the game, you forget your surroundings...

 

[roopy]

The crowds at Ball and Mathews games can sometimes be only 100 or so, but it's amazing how good a crowd they are.
When you get 1000 or 1500 crowd you get massive cheers at all the right times when some kid does something really good, because the crowd really knows what is happening - and if the ref is a goose - he really knows it by the end of the game by the way the whole crowd groans when he makes a bad call.
When going to these games you have to be of the mindset to be looking for pieces of individual brilliance and not taking mistakes to heart, because the kids do make plenty of mistakes, but they also try things that sometimes come off that you'll never see a firstgrader try.
It's a good experience, just to be able to say you saw Aku Uate, Jarrod Mullen, Kade Snowden etc play as a 16 year old and saw them develop into what they are now.

 

[MsStorm]

The crowds at Ball and Mathews games can sometimes be only 100 or so, but it's amazing how good a crowd they are.
When you get 1000 or 1500 crowd you get massive cheers at all the right times when some kid does something really good, because the crowd really knows what is happening - and if the ref is a goose - he really knows it by the end of the game by the way the whole crowd groans when he makes a bad call.
When going to these games you have to be of the mindset to be looking for pieces of individual brilliance and not taking mistakes to heart, because the kids do make plenty of mistakes, but they also try things that sometimes come off that you'll never see a firstgrader try.
It's a good experience, just to be able to say you saw Aku Uate, Jarrod Mullen, Kade Snowden etc play as a 16 year old and saw them develop into what they are now.

Very good points Roopy....thats why I made a point of them playing at Olympic Park..
I enjoy watching the u20s whenever I can for that same reason...though of course their skills are much better.

 

[roopy]

of course, the only way you'll really be able to measure how good your SG Ball side was is by how many get picked for NYC the week after they bomb out - and the Knights have a big fat zero so far, after 6 last year.
I find the best way to predict if a kid is a future firstgrader is if he forces his way into the under 20s at 18.

 

[MsStorm]

Sorry Roopy, just going back to my point why the SG can't play at olympic park, I suppose the reason for that would be the ground would have to opened up a lot earlier, etc. and of course the ground would be chopped up for the following 2 games.

I just would love to see them have a run in front of our supporters as a thank you for their season.

 

[rambo1]

Even the Sydney critics are tipping a melbourne win tomorrow.

http://www.ourfootyteam.com/news_09.php#nationalJnrReps010509a

MANLY V MELBOURNE
Story & Photo's By : pk

The big question? Can Manly keep their giant killer quest going and fly the Sydney flag in the grand final for Sydney next week?

I’m not sure they can. They have had some tremendous results of late beating competition favourites St George and then knocking off Queensland’s second best team Townsville Stingers in last week’s quarter final.

But look at their form in the normal rounds of competition.

The week before they lost to St George 50 - 20.
In round seven they got smacked by the Newtown Jets 36-10.

They also recorded losses against Penrith, North Sydney (ouch! That one would have hurt!) and a round four loss to Melbourne their opponents on Saturday 38-6.

This mob virtually scraped into the finals series. So which Manly will turn up to St Marys Stadium this week?

Melbourne on the other hand is the real deal. They field one of the biggest teams in the competition from prop forward Sepati Junior Afu who weighs in at 123 kgs out to the centres where Slade Griffin is a 90 kg rock.

They play a very structured game with Afu hitting the ball up hard and big second rowers Sam Martin and Kenny Bromwich hitting the edges.

Out wide they have amazing strike power in centres Slade Griffin and Justin O’Neill. Kiwi Griffin made the NZ under 18 team in 2008 while Townsville’s O’Neill represented Australia AIS last year.

I watched Afu play against Newcastle last week and I thought he seemed to be carrying an injury with his leg heavily taped and was used very judiciously by the Storm coaches.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Manly: Fullback Sione Ala, Half and ex Bronco Gary Riccardi, half turned hooker Malcolm Parry and I like the look of their viking-looking prop Magnus Stromquist from Narrabeen Sports High School.

Melbourne: Centres O’Neill and Griffin, prop Afu, second rowers Martin and Bromwich.

PK’s tip: The Manly fairytale will end on Saturday with a big win to the Melbourne Storm

 

[Noa]

Sorry Roopy, just going back to my point why the SG can't play at olympic park, I suppose the reason for that would be the ground would have to opened up a lot earlier, etc. and of course the ground would be chopped up for the following 2 games.

I just would love to see them have a run in front of our supporters as a thank you for their season.

You'll see a few of them get a run in U/20's once SG Ball is finished.

One of my concerns though is what do the rest of them do for top class league for the rest of the year.

 

[roopy]

You'll see a few of them get a run in U/20's once SG Ball is finished.

One of my concerns though is what do the rest of them do for top class league for the rest of the year.

If they were in NSW they would be playing Arive Alive cup for their school for the rest of the year and trying to make the Aussie schoolboys side - oh yeah - and doing their HSC if they have a spare minute.

 

[melbourne_belle]

If they were in NSW they would be playing Arive Alive cup for their school for the rest of the year and trying to make the Aussie schoolboys side - oh yeah - and doing their HSC if they have a spare minute.

There are a lot of Victorian boys in the SG Ball team, so I am guessing the poor buggers will have to go back to their VRL teams.

 

[Noa]

There are a lot of Victorian boys in the SG Ball team, so I am guessing the poor buggers will have to go back to their VRL teams.

Do you know Belle if the best players will get toghether with the Storm to receive elite level coaching and physical conditioning. This will be critical in continuing there PD.

I wonder if it might be best in the short-term for the Storm to direct the best 30+ players to 5 or 6 selected schools and let them play each other twice for the rest of the year once SG is finished.

Wonder how far away we are from fielding a Harold Matts team.

 

[roopy]

There are a lot of Victorian boys in the SG Ball team, so I am guessing the poor buggers will have to go back to their VRL teams.

Realistically, only one or two of any SG Ball side have a real shot at being a highly paid professional footballer, so the whole thing is set up to allow kids turning 18 to have their most important year at school fairly free for study, although many of those who go to sports high schools will do year 12 over two years, which gives them two chances at making the Aussie or NSW schoolboy squad and allows them to get a better HSC.

 

[melbourne_belle]

Do you know Belle if the best players will get toghether with the Storm to receive elite level coaching and physical conditioning. This will be critical in continuing there PD.

I wonder if it might be best in the short-term for the Storm to direct the best 30+ players to 5 or 6 selected schools and let them play each other twice for the rest of the year once SG is finished.

Wonder how far away we are from fielding a Harold Matts team.

I'm not sure whats going to happen, but I assume going by previous seasons development programs they will still train with the Storm and then play with a VRL team on the weekends.
Thats the problem though I am unsure if the VRL have a colts comp this year, because at the moment it is a bit up in the air.
Last year they had a 16's, colts U21 division and Seniors, this year they have 16's, reserves and seniors.
These players might be playing reserves this year, some of the Storm under 20's that didn't make the 17 are playing for the Altona Roosters Reserve team.

 

[stormysally]

Just to let you know some of the boys in the SG ball team have made the under 20's josh jerome sam martin and justin oneil started in the sg ball team and are now playing in the 20's i think there may be a few more

 

[girvie]

Here is the Melbourne team for this afternoon's game:
1 Robbie Kurth - Vic
2 Young Tonumaipea - Vic
3 Justin O'Neill - Qld
4 Slade Griffin - NZ
5 Eddie Faamausili - Vic
6 John Aldridge - NSW
7 Matt Currie - Qld
8 Jordan McLean - NSW
9 Lucas Grech - Vic
10 Matt Constantinou - Vic
11 Sam Martin - NSW
12 Kenny Bromwich - NZ
13 Jerome Henry - NSW

14 Herschel Gideon - Vic
15 Aaron Laasia - Vic
16 Luke Waiti - NZ (via SA)
17 Sepati Afu - NZ
18 Theo Stuart - NZ
19 Duane Butler - Vic
20 Cameron Hansen - Vic

 

[stormysally]

anyone know where we can find live or just the score

 

[roopy]

Knights fans have been giving updates from the ground, but i think they are all off home now that the Knights have lost Matts.
For those interested - Parra beat Wests, Dogs beat Knights in Matts.

The site that should list the scores first is this one - but i'd look about 2 hours after the game.

http://www.ourfootyteam.com/09_sg_ball_cup.php