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WT’s Pathways

RHYTHM AND STEALTH

RHYTHM AND STEALTH

Coach
Messages
11,299
HNY Tigers Fans

Just thought id share a bit of info about the Wests Juniors with the 1st weekend of Reps kicking off

Ill start with Lisa Fiaola

I am expecting this team to be top 4 if not definatly in the playoffs.
They have a strong forward pack with hard running prop May Fuimaono and a real speedster at fullback Munro. Possibly the best #9 in the whole state in Dawn Tui who controls the ruck and will be dangerous when they are attacking. Last years U16 Girls local comp was a decent standard with 7 teams. So some really good depth to choose from.

Tasha Gale

Team was straight mud last year and looks pretty much the same again this Season. One shinning light is 2nd rower Lucyannah Luamanu-Leiataua. Wests Tigers womens team wanted her last Season to play but she was to young. Ended up playing Harvey Norman Womens Priemership instead and held her own. Still a mud team.

SG Ball

This looks like a team that will contend for the top 4. Still some young Kids in there that can play again next year but this group has some talent. If anything, they might be a bit light on middle forwards.
All eyes will be on Makasini and rightly so. The whole attacking structure inside the 30m line should go through him. Im expecting his winger outside hime will be the top try scorer in the comp. The other centre is really good to. Glassie Glassie who is like a 2nd rower/centre holds his own. Ali at the back IMO has a little fragile defence (from years gone by) so hopefully that is sorted. I really like the prop Kohan Lewis. Doesnt do the big hits or record the most line breaks but will chase from marker, fill gaps in the defensive line and put his hand up for any kind of work. Moeke Edwards at 7 is suprising as I thought he signed with the Sharks but with Alex Isdale signing with them I think he backflipped and stayed with Wests. Big suprise is the Captain of the squad Denzel Mino missing from the game day 17. Heard he isnt injured either.

Harold Matts

Great squad!!!
Any other year I would say they win the comp but the Bulldogs team looks like the real deal. Biggest thing for me is the inclusion of a couple of 15 year olds that will play this week. The Finau twins Zeph and Kingston are the real deal. Zeph a prop and Kingston a utility. Zephania is just 15!!!! and starting prop. Close to the line forget about it. He plays in the backs in Rugby Union as well so he is probably the fastest prop in the comp. Still not sold on Lakeman ay 7. Nice Kid but i think his defence is fragile. He has been in a really great club team that have won the last 4 grand finals or somethting ridiculous like that so he has always had good players around him. Lele at 6 will help him out especially after he played the majority of the Marold Matts season in 2024. They have another good 5/8 playing centre in Josh Vella as well. Some ggod players in the squad didnt make the 17 this week so that means they have good depth.
One of those players is Izac Isdale. Alex Isdales younger brother. He looks like he is the chosen one. One of the best fullbacks in Junior footy I have ever seen!!! I remember seeing him in U9s running around the back plays with block runners. In U9s ffs lol. I expect him to get a few games this season as he is only 15 as well. Havea is Captain. He will play 1st grade within 5-6 years. He is like Cameron Murrey without the headknocks.

ANdrew Johns Cup U16s

I believe the players from this squad will go down in History as one of the best teams to come out of Wests. Possibly overtaking the 2022 Harold Matts team.
They start next week and the have som many talented Kids that it just isnt funny. Add in the 4 players that are playing Harold Matts this year that are eligable next year, this will be the team to keep an eye on.

Just a few random things i have seen from the team lists.

Wests Kids are spread out everywhere through the Rep teams. Interesting to see Alex Isdale signed with Cronulla last year but couldnt make the Charks SG ball team for round 1. Apparantly they have some real good halves at the Sharks and he couldnt push past them for round 1. Kai O Brien in the Soufs Matts team this week. Was in Wests AJs last year at 5/8. Tyran McClean also in AJs last year is in the Raiders team for Round 1. I messaged him to say congrats and asked him if he moved there. He said no he still is in Minto but just travels down for training and games. Thats a hell of a lot of dedication!!! He said he got cut from Wests but believes he is a rep player so he commutes to Canberra 3 times a week.
I see Ashton Large is starting hooker for manly against the Wahs in Matts and Onitoni is starting 5/8 against the wahs for SG Ball. Their younger Sister plays out in Wests. She will be a Rep player in no time. She is that dam good.
Robbie Mears who coached Wests Matts in 2023 is coaching Panthers SG Balland looks like he has poached Lucas Rossi from Wests who was in HM last year, and his Son Elijah Mears who was in AJs last year is ion The Panthers Matts team for Round 1. Charlie Xeurab has also gone out to Panthers.
Max Popo just missed out on Wests Matts in 2023 so he went to Parra. He was a 5/8 here with all the skills. Fast and had a great kicking game. He is the starting Prop this week in SG ball lol.
Maddux Fui who was in Wests Matts last year is in Soufs SG Ball team.

If I hear any more news i will post
 
J

jrtiger

Juniors
Messages
31
RHYTHM AND STEALTH said:
HNY Tigers Fans

Just thought id share a bit of info about the Wests Juniors with the 1st weekend of Reps kicking off

Ill start with Lisa Fiaola

I am expecting this team to be top 4 if not definatly in the playoffs.
They have a strong forward pack with hard running prop May Fuimaono and a real speedster at fullback Munro. Possibly the best #9 in the whole state in Dawn Tui who controls the ruck and will be dangerous when they are attacking. Last years U16 Girls local comp was a decent standard with 7 teams. So some really good depth to choose from.

Tasha Gale

Team was straight mud last year and looks pretty much the same again this Season. One shinning light is 2nd rower Lucyannah Luamanu-Leiataua. Wests Tigers womens team wanted her last Season to play but she was to young. Ended up playing Harvey Norman Womens Priemership instead and held her own. Still a mud team.

SG Ball

This looks like a team that will contend for the top 4. Still some young Kids in there that can play again next year but this group has some talent. If anything, they might be a bit light on middle forwards.
All eyes will be on Makasini and rightly so. The whole attacking structure inside the 30m line should go through him. Im expecting his winger outside hime will be the top try scorer in the comp. The other centre is really good to. Glassie Glassie who is like a 2nd rower/centre holds his own. Ali at the back IMO has a little fragile defence (from years gone by) so hopefully that is sorted. I really like the prop Kohan Lewis. Doesnt do the big hits or record the most line breaks but will chase from marker, fill gaps in the defensive line and put his hand up for any kind of work. Moeke Edwards at 7 is suprising as I thought he signed with the Sharks but with Alex Isdale signing with them I think he backflipped and stayed with Wests. Big suprise is the Captain of the squad Denzel Mino missing from the game day 17. Heard he isnt injured either.

Harold Matts

Great squad!!!
Any other year I would say they win the comp but the Bulldogs team looks like the real deal. Biggest thing for me is the inclusion of a couple of 15 year olds that will play this week. The Finau twins Zeph and Kingston are the real deal. Zeph a prop and Kingston a utility. Zephania is just 15!!!! and starting prop. Close to the line forget about it. He plays in the backs in Rugby Union as well so he is probably the fastest prop in the comp. Still not sold on Lakeman ay 7. Nice Kid but i think his defence is fragile. He has been in a really great club team that have won the last 4 grand finals or somethting ridiculous like that so he has always had good players around him. Lele at 6 will help him out especially after he played the majority of the Marold Matts season in 2024. They have another good 5/8 playing centre in Josh Vella as well. Some ggod players in the squad didnt make the 17 this week so that means they have good depth.
One of those players is Izac Isdale. Alex Isdales younger brother. He looks like he is the chosen one. One of the best fullbacks in Junior footy I have ever seen!!! I remember seeing him in U9s running around the back plays with block runners. In U9s ffs lol. I expect him to get a few games this season as he is only 15 as well. Havea is Captain. He will play 1st grade within 5-6 years. He is like Cameron Murrey without the headknocks.

ANdrew Johns Cup U16s

I believe the players from this squad will go down in History as one of the best teams to come out of Wests. Possibly overtaking the 2022 Harold Matts team.
They start next week and the have som many talented Kids that it just isnt funny. Add in the 4 players that are playing Harold Matts this year that are eligable next year, this will be the team to keep an eye on.

Just a few random things i have seen from the team lists.

Wests Kids are spread out everywhere through the Rep teams. Interesting to see Alex Isdale signed with Cronulla last year but couldnt make the Charks SG ball team for round 1. Apparantly they have some real good halves at the Sharks and he couldnt push past them for round 1. Kai O Brien in the Soufs Matts team this week. Was in Wests AJs last year at 5/8. Tyran McClean also in AJs last year is in the Raiders team for Round 1. I messaged him to say congrats and asked him if he moved there. He said no he still is in Minto but just travels down for training and games. Thats a hell of a lot of dedication!!! He said he got cut from Wests but believes he is a rep player so he commutes to Canberra 3 times a week.
I see Ashton Large is starting hooker for manly against the Wahs in Matts and Onitoni is starting 5/8 against the wahs for SG Ball. Their younger Sister plays out in Wests. She will be a Rep player in no time. She is that dam good.
Robbie Mears who coached Wests Matts in 2023 is coaching Panthers SG Balland looks like he has poached Lucas Rossi from Wests who was in HM last year, and his Son Elijah Mears who was in AJs last year is ion The Panthers Matts team for Round 1. Charlie Xeurab has also gone out to Panthers.
Max Popo just missed out on Wests Matts in 2023 so he went to Parra. He was a 5/8 here with all the skills. Fast and had a great kicking game. He is the starting Prop this week in SG ball lol.
Maddux Fui who was in Wests Matts last year is in Soufs SG Ball team.

If I hear any more news i will post
Click to expand...
love your insight mate. as always.
 
Vic Mackey

Vic Mackey

Referee
Messages
25,467
RHYTHM AND STEALTH said:
HNY Tigers Fans

Just thought id share a bit of info about the Wests Juniors with the 1st weekend of Reps kicking off

Ill start with Lisa Fiaola

I am expecting this team to be top 4 if not definatly in the playoffs.
They have a strong forward pack with hard running prop May Fuimaono and a real speedster at fullback Munro. Possibly the best #9 in the whole state in Dawn Tui who controls the ruck and will be dangerous when they are attacking. Last years U16 Girls local comp was a decent standard with 7 teams. So some really good depth to choose from.

Tasha Gale

Team was straight mud last year and looks pretty much the same again this Season. One shinning light is 2nd rower Lucyannah Luamanu-Leiataua. Wests Tigers womens team wanted her last Season to play but she was to young. Ended up playing Harvey Norman Womens Priemership instead and held her own. Still a mud team.

SG Ball

This looks like a team that will contend for the top 4. Still some young Kids in there that can play again next year but this group has some talent. If anything, they might be a bit light on middle forwards.
All eyes will be on Makasini and rightly so. The whole attacking structure inside the 30m line should go through him. Im expecting his winger outside hime will be the top try scorer in the comp. The other centre is really good to. Glassie Glassie who is like a 2nd rower/centre holds his own. Ali at the back IMO has a little fragile defence (from years gone by) so hopefully that is sorted. I really like the prop Kohan Lewis. Doesnt do the big hits or record the most line breaks but will chase from marker, fill gaps in the defensive line and put his hand up for any kind of work. Moeke Edwards at 7 is suprising as I thought he signed with the Sharks but with Alex Isdale signing with them I think he backflipped and stayed with Wests. Big suprise is the Captain of the squad Denzel Mino missing from the game day 17. Heard he isnt injured either.

Harold Matts

Great squad!!!
Any other year I would say they win the comp but the Bulldogs team looks like the real deal. Biggest thing for me is the inclusion of a couple of 15 year olds that will play this week. The Finau twins Zeph and Kingston are the real deal. Zeph a prop and Kingston a utility. Zephania is just 15!!!! and starting prop. Close to the line forget about it. He plays in the backs in Rugby Union as well so he is probably the fastest prop in the comp. Still not sold on Lakeman ay 7. Nice Kid but i think his defence is fragile. He has been in a really great club team that have won the last 4 grand finals or somethting ridiculous like that so he has always had good players around him. Lele at 6 will help him out especially after he played the majority of the Marold Matts season in 2024. They have another good 5/8 playing centre in Josh Vella as well. Some ggod players in the squad didnt make the 17 this week so that means they have good depth.
One of those players is Izac Isdale. Alex Isdales younger brother. He looks like he is the chosen one. One of the best fullbacks in Junior footy I have ever seen!!! I remember seeing him in U9s running around the back plays with block runners. In U9s ffs lol. I expect him to get a few games this season as he is only 15 as well. Havea is Captain. He will play 1st grade within 5-6 years. He is like Cameron Murrey without the headknocks.

ANdrew Johns Cup U16s

I believe the players from this squad will go down in History as one of the best teams to come out of Wests. Possibly overtaking the 2022 Harold Matts team.
They start next week and the have som many talented Kids that it just isnt funny. Add in the 4 players that are playing Harold Matts this year that are eligable next year, this will be the team to keep an eye on.

Just a few random things i have seen from the team lists.

Wests Kids are spread out everywhere through the Rep teams. Interesting to see Alex Isdale signed with Cronulla last year but couldnt make the Charks SG ball team for round 1. Apparantly they have some real good halves at the Sharks and he couldnt push past them for round 1. Kai O Brien in the Soufs Matts team this week. Was in Wests AJs last year at 5/8. Tyran McClean also in AJs last year is in the Raiders team for Round 1. I messaged him to say congrats and asked him if he moved there. He said no he still is in Minto but just travels down for training and games. Thats a hell of a lot of dedication!!! He said he got cut from Wests but believes he is a rep player so he commutes to Canberra 3 times a week.
I see Ashton Large is starting hooker for manly against the Wahs in Matts and Onitoni is starting 5/8 against the wahs for SG Ball. Their younger Sister plays out in Wests. She will be a Rep player in no time. She is that dam good.
Robbie Mears who coached Wests Matts in 2023 is coaching Panthers SG Balland looks like he has poached Lucas Rossi from Wests who was in HM last year, and his Son Elijah Mears who was in AJs last year is ion The Panthers Matts team for Round 1. Charlie Xeurab has also gone out to Panthers.
Max Popo just missed out on Wests Matts in 2023 so he went to Parra. He was a 5/8 here with all the skills. Fast and had a great kicking game. He is the starting Prop this week in SG ball lol.
Maddux Fui who was in Wests Matts last year is in Soufs SG Ball team.

If I hear any more news i will post
Click to expand...

Thanks mate appreciate the insight into these kids. The NSWRL TV pass looks pretty good so hoping we can see a lot of these kids this year.

A shame to see us leaking good kids already but thats part and parcel with having a big nursery, just gotta hope we hang onto the ones we want.

I know Balmain are quietly optimistic on their sides too this year. Late last year they had an inter game trial v wests for 15 year old kids who hadnt played Matts yet and beat them 5 tries to 2 which was a big shock to everyone.

Looking forward to the season!
 
Tiger Ted

Tiger Ted

Bench
Messages
3,318
Vic Mackey said:
Good 1/7/9 which alone can go a long way to winning games in these divisions. Interested to see how Logan Brooks goes, dynamic ball runner. IM not big on Tannous but the club gave him an NRL pre season, Haywood looks very good.
Click to expand...
Re Tannous like many kids at Balmain who have been selected in development squads & junior rep teams it’s based on who u know not merit.As I’ve said previously the running of Balmain juniors has been farcical for a no. of yrs & very much a microcosm of the club under the abhorrent previous administration
 
Vic Mackey

Vic Mackey

Referee
Messages
25,467
Tiger Ted said:
Re Tannous like many kids at Balmain who have been selected in development squads & junior rep teams it’s based on who u know not merit.As I’ve said previously the running of Balmain juniors has been farcical for a no. of yrs & very much a microcosm of the club under the abhorrent previous administration
Click to expand...

from what I’ve been told they are aware of this and are trying to phase it out. Some of the old boys (I.e Siro) gone and Bronson Harrison running the pathways now. Sacked both coaches from last year with new guys from outside the district now in. Wests Tigers also invested more money.

Tannous seems like a club pick, similar to Sukkar WTs gave him a deal just to keep the Balmain side happy. Marcs older bro Mikey was better than him imo and if he didn’t make it (admittedly Covid and then an ACL hurt him) then I can’t see Marc making it.

A club like Balmain will rarely challenge for titles, the aim is to produce an NRL quality player every couple of years. They’ve done pretty well the last decade with Brooks, Moses, Papenhuyzen, Doueihi, Suli, Pole, Illias, Seyfarth etc
 
Last edited:
RHYTHM AND STEALTH

RHYTHM AND STEALTH

Coach
Messages
11,299
Vic Mackey said:
Thanks mate appreciate the insight into these kids. The NSWRL TV pass looks pretty good so hoping we can see a lot of these kids this year.

A shame to see us leaking good kids already but thats part and parcel with having a big nursery, just gotta hope we hang onto the ones we want.

I know Balmain are quietly optimistic on their sides too this year. Late last year they had an inter game trial v wests for 15 year old kids who hadnt played Matts yet and beat them 5 tries to 2 which was a big shock to everyone.

Looking forward to the season!
Click to expand...

I went and watched the Pathways during the Schoold holidays last July. Wests 14s and 16s Girls played Group 3 combined.
Absolutely smashed them.
Then the Boys 13s 14s and 15s played against Souths Pathways and Cronullas pathways.
In 2023 they played the exact same teams but this time around were a year older.
The U15s played their strongest team against Cronulla. They were awesum. Clinacle and were getting long range line breaks and totally dominating in the forwards and the backs were to good. These Kids are in the AJs squad that i mentioned in yesterdays post. 5 of them are in the Matts squad.
Last Seasons U14s were also good, however there is in my opinion a lack of depth in the halves. They have big mobile forwards but lack direction in the games that I saw. Still time for those kids to develop so i reckon there is no panic.
Last Seasons U13s which is their first taste of pathways footy were horrendous. I really think the Juniors in that age group are so many levels behind Souths and Cronulla. Unless they have a huge growth spurt or just reach unreal development stages this season, they will be in trouble by the time they reach Matts
 
Tigerm

Tigerm

Coach
Messages
11,203
RHYTHM AND STEALTH said:
I went and watched the Pathways during the Schoold holidays last July. Wests 14s and 16s Girls played Group 3 combined.
Absolutely smashed them.
Then the Boys 13s 14s and 15s played against Souths Pathways and Cronullas pathways.
In 2023 they played the exact same teams but this time around were a year older.
The U15s played their strongest team against Cronulla. They were awesum. Clinacle and were getting long range line breaks and totally dominating in the forwards and the backs were to good. These Kids are in the AJs squad that i mentioned in yesterdays post. 5 of them are in the Matts squad.
Last Seasons U14s were also good, however there is in my opinion a lack of depth in the halves. They have big mobile forwards but lack direction in the games that I saw. Still time for those kids to develop so i reckon there is no panic.
Last Seasons U13s which is their first taste of pathways footy were horrendous. I really think the Juniors in that age group are so many levels behind Souths and Cronulla. Unless they have a huge growth spurt or just reach unreal development stages this season, they will be in trouble by the time they reach Matts
Click to expand...
Any future Internationals on the horizon? hahaha
 
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