I only managed to see about ten minutes of the game whilst I was on the train from Manchester. How did Harry Smith and Ethan Havard play?
I only managed to see about ten minutes of the game whilst I was on the train from Manchester. How did Harry Smith and Ethan Havard play?
This raises serious questions: Our youth are better than the Aussies. Saints youth team regularly beat Aussie club youth in Australia. But when they turn adult, Aussies progress further and better, whilst ours don't develop as much. Why is that? Is it our system?
PEDs ?
Because the Aussie kids then play in the Toyota cup (think it is) which is a step up from Academy level and gets national exposure. So this enhances their progression on the way to first grade.
Our kids may get signed and, if they do, they either don't play or get sent on dual-reg to the back of beyond. So their progression is stunted and while the Aussies then have a conveyor belt of ready made talent we just get a few kids who overcome the obstacles our structure puts in front of them.
"Never write off the Saints!!"
Was Welsby goalkicking?
To be honest, our youth is not better than the Aussies! This Australian School Boys squad is NOT the strongest squad that can come out of Australia. As the title of the squad suggests, these are the ones who are still in education. Yes they are signed to NRL clubs (all but one of the squad are contracted to clubs) but players who are on apprenticeships or with clubs full time etc are not released for the tour. The equivalent of Welsby and Simm from Saints who are on full time 1st team contracts and others from other Super League squads full time would not be included in this Aussie squad. The England squad obviously does include Super League contracted players. There are some VERY SPECIAL players back home in Oz who havent come on the tour.....
Also the Saints Academy tour squad are not playing the best teams available in Oz either....sorry to put a bit of a dampener on the test results and Saints tour results but thats how it is. Still a great test series and some good players on show and results for the England squad.
I saw a replay of the first test and the scrum half for England was outstanding. Seems to be a lot of ‘headless chickens’ playing in the halves at that sort of age group but he looked really composed and kicked brilliantly.
Steve Prescott MBE (1973-2013)
V
I watched the game on Sunday morning, both tests are now available on you tube. I'm going to disagree on Havard, I thought he was the best forward on the field. He was on from the start until the 28th minute and came back on at minute 52 until the end. That's a very long spell for a (middle) prop forward, the most by any of the props from either team especially when you consider he was 1st year academy this year and has only just turned eighteen years of age.
With the reduced interchange rule an athletic forward like that could be invaluable.