Tomahawks rejects

[mother rucker]

This is what is gonna help the growth of rugby league in the USA. The top level players not getting selected by the AMNRL Tomahawks but the Union Eagles have no problem picking them up...

http://www.rugbymag.com/usa-men/5834-clark-double-crossover-talent-at-center.html

Yeah the AMNRL knows what they are doing. Good luck with that.

 

[IowaRL]

It'd be interesting to see what sort of Tomahawks team you could come up with from all players who qualified. Care to have a try?

 

[mother rucker]

It'd be interesting to see what sort of Tomahawks team you could come up with from all players who qualified. Care to have a try?

What is your definition of "qualify"? Meaning players form the AMNRL? Now that wouldn't be a national team would it? No that is a League select side. But as for the National team. There wouldn't be any players form Iowa because they don't have any matches under there belt. And really neither does Utah. Playing a Provo Union team and loosing both matches doesn't make you a national player. But let me look at some USARL and AMNRL rosters and Ill get back to ya.

 

[IowaRL]

What is your definition of "qualify"? Meaning players form the AMNRL? Now that wouldn't be a national team would it? No that is a League select side. But as for the National team. There wouldn't be any players form Iowa because they don't have any matches under there belt. And really neither does Utah. Playing a Provo Union team and loosing both matches doesn't make you a national player. But let me look at some USARL and AMNRL rosters and Ill get back to ya.

When I say qualify, I mean players who under RLIF rules can play for America. So guys like Ryan McGoldrick and Clint Newton. Iowa has one or two guys who might make the 2017 RLWC if they keep improving like they have been.

 

[mother rucker]

When I say qualify, I mean players who under RLIF rules can play for America. So guys like Ryan McGoldrick and Clint Newton. Iowa has one or two guys who might make the 2017 RLWC if they keep improving like they have been.

Awww! Well then in that case USARL players qualify as well so Ill have to take that into account on my team selection.

 

[Fatwing15]

This thread needs to pick up some more steam!! I bet we could really put together a great roster of players who just missed Tomahawk selection or did not qualify.

I'll start by suggesting a couple Sharks out on the wing. Dan Johnson (had a great first season playing fullback, but I think he is a winger at this level at this point in his young career) and Ryan Sodono both had excellent years finishing plays on offense and saving tries on defense. And I'll also take Zac Padgett at second row, and am willing to bet that he had a more impressive season at second row than anyone in the AMNRL or USARL (he did it against tough teams every single week). Honorable Mention to Mike Romeo, He may have played more minutes that any prop in the country this summer! He went a hard 80 minutes with a smile on his face every Saturday.

Coaching the team, Tomo Thompson and Phil Shipos. Building a competitive team with no foreigners and developing a great group of young players gives them the coaching nod. (Young Players such as Kyle Gibbons, Jeff Pezature, Dean Scholfeild will push the current T'hawks) and the fact that I am clearly way biased towards the Sharks and unaware of the Names of the other coaches in the AMNRL/USARL made it a real easy choice.
So feel free to fill in the rest of the roster:
1
2 Dan Johnson
3 Casey Clarke?
4
5 Ryan Sodono
6
7
9
10
11 Zac Padgett
12
13

 

[Fingal_Pharaoh]

You lot are absolutely off your head! There is a lot more that goes into being a Tomahawk then just being in Niuy's pocket. You don't see the emails we get with gruelling training regiments and nutritional information that we adhere to so that we are physically and mentally performing at optimal conditions. Not all of us, but some of us read what you have to say and how you wish you would see Canada put it to us, this was the reason for the exclamation point last Saturday. Every guy that was apart of this Colonial Cup deserved his spot in the side and proved it in Toronto when there were 5k Canadian's cheering their country home and we didn't break and also proved it whilst grinding for 60 minutes in CT until Canada fell apart and we put the nail in the coffin. Bash all you want fellas and rip in hard because all this is for the bulletin board!

Either get behind us or in front of us so we can see who you are!
Peach

 

[Evil Homer]

You lot are absolutely off your head! There is a lot more that goes into being a Tomahawk then just being in Niuy's pocket. You don't see the emails we get with gruelling training regiments and nutritional information that we adhere to so that we are physically and mentally performing at optimal conditions. Not all of us, but some of us read what you have to say and how you wish you would see Canada put it to us, this was the reason for the exclamation point last Saturday. Every guy that was apart of this Colonial Cup deserved his spot in the side and proved it in Toronto when there were 5k Canadian's cheering their country home and we didn't break and also proved it whilst grinding for 60 minutes in CT until Canada fell apart and we put the nail in the coffin. Bash all you want fellas and rip in hard because all this is for the bulletin board!

Either get behind us or in front of us so we can see who you are!
Peach

No one is questioning the effort of the players who are selected, but do you honestly feel proud to be representing the Tomahawks knowing that a majority of talented players are being needlessly excluded for a pitiful, pathetic reason?

 

[deluded pom?]

do you honestly feel proud to be representing the Tomahawks knowing that a majority of talented players are being needlessly excluded for a pitiful, pathetic reason?

That might be the only way Fingal will ever get the chance to pull a Tomahawks jersey on.

 

[Fingal_Pharaoh]

No one is questioning the effort of the players who are selected, but do you honestly feel proud to be representing the Tomahawks knowing that a majority of talented players are being needlessly excluded for a pitiful, pathetic reason?

I honestly do mate! I have been playing footy in the states for the better part of a decade now and have experienced the highs and the lows of what that participation brings. I.E horrible grounds, unorganized travel, meaningless games because teams cannot field enough players, false promises and unmet expectations but to me personally when I put on that jersey I am not thinking about who is not there and who should be there, I am focused on the task at hand and the other 16 fellas I am going into battle with. I am not one to bag another player on there footballing ability but there is only a handful of guys that would even rate a mention from either camps when selection time rolls around. How do you identify talent when scorelines look like a 20/20, those talents don't always translate with the step up to the international stage. As for the pitiful,pathetic reasons, well there is a lot more to the story then the heresay that circulates on this board but only the blokes behind those close doors know and understand that it is detrimental to our game but continues to persist. I do wish for a unified code and I maybe a dreamer but I do think that something good will evolve from this as it did back in 96/97 in Aus. (15 years later and a billion dollars in hand!)
Sorry to have rambled but to answer your question, yes I feel just as honored to put the jersey on now as I did before the split during the AC in 2010.

That might be the only way Fingal will ever get the chance to pull a Tomahawks jersey on.

Good one mate!

 

[franklin2323]

No one is questioning the effort of the players who are selected, but do you honestly feel proud to be representing the Tomahawks knowing that a majority of talented players are being needlessly excluded for a pitiful, pathetic reason?

Yeah. USARL players do the same training, put up with the same terrible grounds. Yet can't play for the national team.

 

[clarency]

I honestly do mate! I have been playing footy in the states for the better part of a decade now and have experienced the highs and the lows of what that participation brings. I.E horrible grounds, unorganized travel, meaningless games because teams cannot field enough players, false promises and unmet expectations but to me personally when I put on that jersey I am not thinking about who is not there and who should be there, I am focused on the task at hand and the other 16 fellas I am going into battle with. I am not one to bag another player on there footballing ability but there is only a handful of guys that would even rate a mention from either camps when selection time rolls around. How do you identify talent when scorelines look like a 20/20, those talents don't always translate with the step up to the international stage. As for the pitiful,pathetic reasons, well there is a lot more to the story then the heresay that circulates on this board but only the blokes behind those close doors know and understand that it is detrimental to our game but continues to persist. I do wish for a unified code and I maybe a dreamer but I do think that something good will evolve from this as it did back in 96/97 in Aus. (15 years later and a billion dollars in hand!)
Sorry to have rambled but to answer your question, yes I feel just as honored to put the jersey on now as I did before the split during the AC in 2010.

All of those problems signify an unorganised management which led to the break up in the first place. The teams wanted more organisation and more communication and instead of manning up and admitting that the AMNRL (whatever the f*ck that stands for) could be run better by another, Niu cuts them off and they were forced to leave. More than half the competition left.

It is not just heresay on these boards, considering spinnerhowland frequently posts here. Not that this is his personal medium for whinging, but he keeps our information accurate.

Not to mention the occasional leaked email from Niu that has confirmed his selfish attitude.

We do not attack players or their efforts at all. If anything you guys deserve more praise for working hard in a minority sport that gets little attention. I/we have a problem with an administration that is actively blocking the progress of a sport that they are suppose to be promoting.

It is selfishness in its purist form.

 

[Evil Homer]

I honestly do mate! I have been playing footy in the states for the better part of a decade now and have experienced the highs and the lows of what that participation brings. I.E horrible grounds, unorganized travel, meaningless games because teams cannot field enough players, false promises and unmet expectations but to me personally when I put on that jersey I am not thinking about who is not there and who should be there, I am focused on the task at hand and the other 16 fellas I am going into battle with. I am not one to bag another player on there footballing ability but there is only a handful of guys that would even rate a mention from either camps when selection time rolls around. How do you identify talent when scorelines look like a 20/20, those talents don't always translate with the step up to the international stage. As for the pitiful,pathetic reasons, well there is a lot more to the story then the heresay that circulates on this board but only the blokes behind those close doors know and understand that it is detrimental to our game but continues to persist. I do wish for a unified code and I maybe a dreamer but I do think that something good will evolve from this as it did back in 96/97 in Aus. (15 years later and a billion dollars in hand!)
Sorry to have rambled but to answer your question, yes I feel just as honored to put the jersey on now as I did before the split during the AC in 2010.

Fair enough, I know I would be pretty dirty and ashamed if I knew I was being selected for an international side based on 'loyalty' and off-field decisions rather than my on-field performances, but maybe that's just me.

Regarding your last paragraph though, we've heard time after time from AMNRL sympathizers on here that 'it will all come good in the end'. No, it won't come good unless people make it happen. All we hear from the AMNRL is talk and no action, and there is literally no excuse for excluding players regardless of the political situation. How would you feel if you lived in Jacksonville and were forced to sit out the year in order to be eligible to be selected for your country? It isn't the fault of those players, but they are being needlessly punished because one man can't get over his own ego. And if the people involved know that it's wrong, then there is no excuse for them not to do something about it. Honestly I'm tired of hearing cliches and vague statements, if Niu said so then this situation could end tomorrow. And if you are someone that Niu is willing to listen to, then FFS put some pressure on him to do the right thing. Yes, he has tarnished his legacy and will probably never recover credibility in the international RL community, but that doesn't mean it is too late to do the right thing and consider all American players for Tomahawks selection.

 

[Fatwing15]

Fair enough, I know I would be pretty dirty and ashamed if I knew I was being selected for an international side based on 'loyalty' and off-field decisions rather than my on-field performances, but maybe that's just me.
.

People seem to forget that the Tomahawks did just beat Canada. Nui doesn't just select puppets with no talent. There are some EXCELLENT players on the Tomahawks right now, and I bet you NONE of them feel ashamed or embarrassed for getting the chance to represent their country. I would be proud and excited for any of my friends or teammates to get selected. It is stupid to question a person like Fingal Pheroah's ability on this board, the guy made the Tomahawks and was part of a team that got a nice win he should be very proud. I don't know who he is, but there is no way you should disrespect his abilities because whether you agree or disagree with the selection process, the coaches definately put together a good team. Every everyone selected for that team has a bunch of talent and deserves to get a chance to play on that international level. Now if the AMNRL really is selecting guys with very little talent who just keep their mouth shut and play by the rules, then you might see me actually get to suit up! :crazy:

Don't get me wrong, I would love to see the USARL players gain eligibility. I would also like to see a concrete selection process that included full contact try-outs. I just don't think anyone should bash a guy and question his skill because he was selected to play for the Tomahawks.

 

[Evil Homer]

People seem to forget that the Tomahawks did just beat Canada. Nui doesn't just select puppets with no talent. There are some EXCELLENT players on the Tomahawks right now, and I bet you NONE of them feel ashamed or embarrassed for getting the chance to represent their country. I would be proud and excited for any of my friends or teammates to get selected. It is stupid to question a person like Fingal Pheroah's ability on this board, the guy made the Tomahawks and was part of a team that got a nice win he should be very proud. I don't know who he is, but there is no way you should disrespect his abilities because whether you agree or disagree with the selection process, the coaches definately put together a good team. Every everyone selected for that team has a bunch of talent and deserves to get a chance to play on that international level. Now if the AMNRL really is selecting guys with very little talent who just keep their mouth shut and play by the rules, then you might see me actually get to suit up! :crazy:

Don't get me wrong, I would love to see the USARL players gain eligibility. I would also like to see a concrete selection process that included full contact try-outs. I just don't think anyone should bash a guy and question his skill because he was selected to play for the Tomahawks.

I haven't bashed anyone. The fact is that all the players on the Tomahawks roster were selected because of the club they play for rather than their on-field achievements. Regardless of whether or not the players have ability, and I'm not doubting they do, none of them can truly say they deserve selection because the selection process is not fair. If I was a player that was selected for the Tomahawks, I would be asking serious questions about why I was playing in a severely weakened team with a majority of talented players excluded for seemingly no reason.

The actual talent of the players on show is irrelevant to this argument. If I was able to gain selection in a fair process, then and only then would I feel like I had earned it and be legitimately proud to represent my country. Until this situation is rectified, sadly the Tomahawks are just a joke team that nobody will take seriously. And if the players don't like that, then they should say something to David Niu because he's the one that is hurting them and everyone else with his own selfishness.

 

[deluded pom?]

I did the bashing in a flippant response to FP's original rant. FP hit the nail on the head in his second post on this thread when he confirmed that decisions regarding the AMNRL and the Tomahawks are made behind closed doors.

"there is a lot more to the story then the heresay that circulates on this board but only the blokes behind those close doors know and understand".

Sorry you took the hump FP but you did ask for it.

Fatwing, I didn't bother to check the clubs represented in the USA v Canada game last week but there were only three teams that had players selected for game 1. Are you trying to tell me that all the talent in the AMNRL is focussed on those three teams and a couple of guys in Hawaii who play two or three games of RL a year tops? If it is then that's a poor show. If it's not then it's politics. Which is it?

 

[gyallop]

Pom can you let me know when the public selection meeting is for the English world cup team is so I can head along and have my say. I am in Sydney tomorrow for the GF might pop into League Central and sit in on the ARLC board meeting as well.

 

[IowaRL]

Well, this ended up a little more inflammatory than what I intended. I was hoping for a simple exercise in working out, other than those who make the squad at the moment, who would be a Tomahawk if all were considered. I know no one from my team would make it, maybe if there was an under 20's Tomahawks we'd get someone in, but that would be about it.

 

[Steve Davy]

People on here should remember that most rugby league players in the USA have no interest in the politics. I was involved in the USARL and I am glad that it was the USARL rather than the AmNRL. However, had the only team in town been with the AmNRL, then I would have joined that team.

Most AmNRL players are not interested in the sporting body, just the game. Same with most USARL players. I happen to be far more impressed by what I have seen of the USARL, but let us not detract from the effort of any players.

 

[Evil Homer]

Pom can you let me know when the public selection meeting is for the English world cup team is so I can head along and have my say. I am in Sydney tomorrow for the GF might pop into League Central and sit in on the ARLC board meeting as well.

You can also bet that if England or Australia selected their national squad from two or three teams and excluded the majority of players as a result of a petty squabble surrounding one man's ego, that there would be outrage and that one man would almost certainly be removed from the sport.