Mathews and Ball 2023
- Thread starter Billy
- Start date
Defender1
Matthew Gidley
They're at Leichhardt I believe?
Frank McWilliams
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Well done
Billy
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Newcastle Knights' grand plans for junior rep teams paying dividends
"The club is in rude, good health, regardless of what any ill-informed person might want to say."
Article about us making 2 grandfinals.
Says we have never spent more on juniors.
Quotes Gardener as saying we aim to have 70% of the top squad home grown in the future.
Says the last time we won 2 junior titles was in 1992 when Andrew Johns led us to a Flegg title.
Gardener says Wests have upgraded the junior facilities and is spending money on the right coaches and trainers for the juniors.
Lists our 5 Mathews titles, 4 Ball titles and 2 Flegg titles.
It doesn't mention that this is our 6th grandfinal in Mathews since 2012 and we have 3 wins and 2 loses so far - so going for 4 wins and 2 loses in 11 years in Mathews.
Our best Mathews grandfinalists in that time IMO
1 Bradman Best (2017)
2 Tex Hoy (2014)
3 Sione Mata'utia (2012)
4 Fletcher Myers (2019)
5 Chris Vea'ila (2019)
6 Jock Madden (2016)
7 Jonah Pezet (2019)
8 Max Bradbury (2019)
9 Tom Starling (2014)
10 Brodie Jones (2014)
11 Tevita Pangai (2012)
12 Hudson Young (2014)
13 Jaron Purcell (2017)
14 Oryn Keeley (2019)
15 Pasami Saulo (2014)
16 Noah Nailagoliva (2019)
17 Kurtis Dark (2014)
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Billy
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
It's interesting that we have been the most successful team at Mathews level for the last 10 years or so, since we started spending money on juniors again. Before that I wouldn't watch Mathews because we were so far behind the Sydney clubs that it was painful to watch.
Mathews is the level where very few players are brought in from other areas, so we get weaker in Ball, Flegg and reserves as it all becomes about how well teams recruit from outside areas.
From our last Mathews win in 2019;
Jonah Pezet - now firstgrade for storm.
Max Bradbury - now development deal at Cronulla
Fletcher Meyers - now development deal at Manly
Jake Crouch - Flegg at Cronulla
Charlie Thompson - Flegg at Manly
But we have kept a few good ones in Keeley, Nailagoliva and Vea'ila.
I expect Votano and Hilliar will have some good offers on the table next week.
Mathews is the level where very few players are brought in from other areas, so we get weaker in Ball, Flegg and reserves as it all becomes about how well teams recruit from outside areas.
From our last Mathews win in 2019;
Jonah Pezet - now firstgrade for storm.
Max Bradbury - now development deal at Cronulla
Fletcher Meyers - now development deal at Manly
Jake Crouch - Flegg at Cronulla
Charlie Thompson - Flegg at Manly
But we have kept a few good ones in Keeley, Nailagoliva and Vea'ila.
I expect Votano and Hilliar will have some good offers on the table next week.
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Surely the money that Gardiner spoke about investing into juniors is also part of better $$ contracts for the likes of Hilliar and Votano. Young Mozier (sp)? the number 7 has played well these past few weeks too.
Better facilities, better coaches, must include better and more secure futures for players to want to stay and not be glitzed by big spending clubs.
Cant keep them all, but need to keep the right ones.
Better facilities, better coaches, must include better and more secure futures for players to want to stay and not be glitzed by big spending clubs.
Cant keep them all, but need to keep the right ones.
Billy
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
The problem is that some teams don't develop many of their own.
The extreme example is Melbourne. They have developed 1 or 2 local kids to NRL level in 25 years.
They don't even have a Mathews side.
They probably spend as much money on "development" as we do, but what that means to them is buying all the best 18 year olds to play Ball or Flegg from other systems, and maybe use a few locals to make up the numbers.
If there's any place where the NRL should find a way to develop locals, it's Melbourne, but the system now means they spend minimum on locals and maximum on mostly kids from Queensland.
mullenmagic
Steve Simpson
Jarome Falemoe had a bad head knock and hasn't been named for the grand final, Logan Aoake moves to centre with Kyle Colburn returning on the wing. We had at least 3 or 4 put on report as well so wouldn't be surprised if there's more changes on game day.
No changes for Harold Matts so far.
No changes for Harold Matts so far.
Jacob Davis and Noah Reed both playing Flegg for Parramatta this week also. Both from 2019 Matt’s winning side. Both promising players succeeding elsewhere also.
Billy
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
He's not having the same impact this year as last year, but I don't know why he is training with firstgrade and has been made captain of Ball if we are losing him.
What podcast?
I’m with Billy would be odd to showing him pre seasons and weekly apart of the 1st grade squad if the club hasn’t got a plan laid out for him.
Sure. A club can throw a bigger deal at him but would think he’d be finding a good opportunity here
mullenmagic
Steve Simpson
Wouldn't surprise me. If you believe Toohey the Sharks asked for him during the Miller negotiations and Knights said go ahead, Martin was the one who turned it down.
I think he's a decent prospect with his size and athleticism but outside of a few games earlier last year he never really stands out in the games I watch.
I think he's a decent prospect with his size and athleticism but outside of a few games earlier last year he never really stands out in the games I watch.