General Warriors Harold Matthews 2024

[Viking]

I’m surprised some of these rugby elite schools allow their kids to play actually. Assumed it needed their permission, although timing doesn’t conflict with them playing first XV so assume they had no issue with it?

Most don't but some boys are so good that the schools let them play for fear of losing them from their 1st 15 program. Siale is one of those players. He was on the extended bench for the final so I'd guess that he'd picked up an injury. Or dropped.

 

[Warriorsfan92]

I’m surprised some of these rugby elite schools allow their kids to play actually. Assumed it needed their permission, although timing doesn’t conflict with them playing first XV so assume they had no issue with it?

The season doesn’t overlap, so it’s not too big of an issue. There are pros and cons to it. The athletes get to be apart of a high performance programme, so you know when they come back into the 1st XV programmes they’re fit and firing. Also, by saying they cannot play may result in them making the decision to walk away from 15s, with a clearer pathway to success in the nrl. Cons are that they develop a 13s game mindset, as union is a little more technical around the ruck, and contact areas. It can take awhile to readjust. And from a fatigue perspective, they’re essentially playing a 7 month season, of high intensity sport. They’re often pretty cooked when they return to 15s, mentally and physically.

 

[Viking]

The season doesn’t overlap, so it’s not too big of an issue. There are pros and cons to it. The athletes get to be apart of a high performance programme, so you know when they come back into the 1st XV programmes they’re fit and firing. Also, by saying they cannot play may result in them making the decision to walk away from 15s, with a clearer pathway to success in the nrl. Cons are that they develop a 13s game mindset, as union is a little more technical around the ruck, and contact areas. It can take awhile to readjust. And from a fatigue perspective, they’re essentially playing a 7 month season, of high intensity sport. They’re often pretty cooked when they return to 15s, mentally and physically.

It's the wear and tear that the schools will use as an excuse to keep boys out of rep league. When they have to win 1A games though, they'll play those superstar boys anyway regardless of workload.

Siale is the only private school rugby superstar in the Matts squad that I know of. There are other 1st 15 boys in the team but none from schools that have invested 100k into a single player like St Kents have.

 

[Beastmode]

It's the wear and tear that the schools will use as an excuse to keep boys out of rep league. When they have to win 1A games though, they'll play those superstar boys anyway regardless of workload.

Siale is the only private school rugby superstar in the Matts squad that I know of. There are other 1st 15 boys in the team but none from schools that have invested 100k into a single player like St Kents have.

Imagine they would be filthy if he picked up an injury…

 

[Viking]

Imagine they would be filthy if he picked up an injury…

Yeah. They need him more than he needs them though. It's been a 100k investment in him over the last 4 years to be clear. St Kents aren't short of money so no sympathy for them really.

 

[Beastmode]

Yeah. They need him more than he needs them though. It's been a 100k investment in him over the last 4 years to be clear. St Kents aren't short of money so no sympathy for them really.

I imagine their entire rooster are on a full scholarship

 

[Viking]

I imagine their entire rooster are on a full scholarship

Nah only a handful would be. I know some of their boys were on half scholarships though. Fee paying students are their bread and butter and have to make up a fair percentage of the 1st 15 in their last year at least otherwise the rah rah dads would send their boys to other schools. It depends on the parents income too, the private schools can't be seen to be giving money out to families who could afford to pay as the fee paying parents would get pissed off. Kings get around it with old boys scholarships so it isn't officially the school giving free rides to kids who aren't from families on low incomes.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

It would be truly amazing to see these kids stay together and tackle the SG Ball Title when they are a little older.

Building combo at this age could be monumental!

Man Andrew McFadden has the best job!

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Also naturally for TJ Ashford, does he now step up to SG Ball and coach?

It would be great for his resume if he could pull off a title and SG Ball level.

 

[Riz]

It would be truly amazing to see these kids stay together and tackle the SG Ball Title when they are a little older.

Building combo at this age could be monumental!

Man Andrew McFadden has the best job!

Should be first grade ready just in time for the Kea to come into the competition

 

[miket12]

Interestingly, Deshontayne Te Wao played at halfback for most of the games but was on the bench for the finals has a background in touch.

 

[sup42]

Blocking kids from choice is a human rights and democratic issue which schools in this mugby backwater have trodden over for a century.

There is no defence for it. Merely accepting what is wrong is how it has always been - will be, does not make it acceptable.

I refuse to accept this shit. One day children will be free from coercion and bullying into choosing the prigs sport.

 

[Beastmode]

Blocking kids from choice is a human rights and democratic issue which schools in this mugby backwater have trodden over for a century.

There is no defence for it. Merely accepting what is wrong is how it has always been - will be, does not make it acceptable.

I refuse to accept this shit. One day children will be free from coercion and bullying into choosing the prigs sport.

If you sold your soul to a preppy private school on a full scholarship, as the headmaster, i wouldn’t be too keen on letting you play the rival sport and risk getting hurt … that’s why I was surprised to see names from St Kents, Grammar and WLBS on that list.. pretty sure they would need permission from the school, so it’s already a huge breakthrough in my books and hopefully we get to see more representation going forward

 

[miket12]

If you sold your soul to a preppy private school on a full scholarship, as the headmaster, i wouldn’t be too keen on letting you play the rival sport and risk getting hurt … that’s why I was surprised to see names from St Kents, Grammar and WLBS on that list.. pretty sure they would need permission from the school, so it’s already a huge breakthrough in my books and hopefully we get to see more representation going forward

PNBH didn’t allow league when I was there in the late 80’s…. and looking at their website, still don’t.

 

[sup42]

If you sold your soul to a preppy private school on a full scholarship, as the headmaster, i wouldn’t be too keen on letting you play the rival sport and risk getting hurt … that’s why I was surprised to see names from St Kents, Grammar and WLBS on that list.. pretty sure they would need permission from the school, so it’s already a huge breakthrough in my books and hopefully we get to see more representation going forward

Oh I am sure you are right, which is why it is wrong.

If you invest in a child athlete, and it turns out they are better at a different sport to the one you recruited them for...or they realise they hate that sport and love another....then who has the right to determine that kids future?

The Children themselves must ultimately choose in a democratic society that adheres to the human rights code, otherwise it is a form of ownership of children themselves, and ownership of their choices, their futures.

The law in this country is supposed to protect Children from entering into business contracts that threaten to place adult contractual obligations upon them.

Yet we turn a blind eye to this institutionalized prejudice towards one sport. Our own sport. We find excuses for the perpetrators of an unjust system that ultimately tells Children they may not freely engage in an activity that is healthy, for no other reason than it is not the preferred sport of some Adult in power in the NZ schools system.

I guarantee you that were a scholarship child shown to be developing Olympic class sprinting ability that these Schools would release them from Union expectations to protect them from injury, and gladly back the pupil to be a future Halberg recipient and medalist.

Anyway It is not just the scholarship kids getting blocked.

 

[Damo]

PNBH didn’t allow league when I was there in the late 80’s…. and looking at their website, still don’t.

You can play League now, Ngani Laumape played League when I was there at the same time as him. Not sure if it was actually told to the Staff actually in hindsight lol

 

[Rick O’Shay]

PNBH didn’t allow league when I was there in the late 80’s…. and looking at their website, still don’t.

No Colleges or High Schools allowed league in the '70s. There was a reason back in the day that League was played on Sundays.

Yawnion Saturday, League Sunday. Same guys but Sunday wasn't a college sport day

 

[John Nick]

No Colleges or High Schools allowed league in the '70s. There was a reason back in the day that League was played on Sundays.

Yawnion Saturday, League Sunday. Same guys but Sunday wasn't a college sport day

I went to a large Auckland Grammer school and got to 1st 15 level while playing League in the morning or Sunday.
I wasn't enjoying it and when I decided to take League up our Headmaster said he was going to block me from getting leavers CV or what ever it was called back then.
He was an ex AB and I found out later he was the honorary Patron of the League club that I was playing for.
Bit of irony there.

 

[Beastmode]

I went to a large Auckland Grammer school and got to 1st 15 level while playing League in the morning or Sunday.
I wasn't enjoying it and when I decided to take League up our Headmaster said he was going to block me from getting leavers CV or what ever it was called back then.
He was an ex AB and I found out later he was the honorary Patron of the League club that I was playing for.
Bit of irony there.

DJ Graham. RIP.

 

[John Nick]

DJ Graham. RIP.

Noop. Try again