2026 NSW Cup & Jersey Flegg

[Eric]

NSW Cup Notes:
Was out all day so just some brief notes while catching up with the minis...

• O'Neill back @7 is fantastic, side needs a proper 7 with Reed playing up a grade. Haele also back @ hooker.
• 0min: Error off the dropout and we go straight on attack.. Haele just launches himself like a missile from 2m out and they cant stop him.. Haele has had a great year, I'm fascinated to see whether its him or Fagalilo that is most likely for promotion next year (which I assume will happen). 6-0.
• 4min: The whole set Haele is scooting from dummy half, CST charging.. just very dangerous, and the try comes off O'Neill with a basketball overhead shot that is quite outrageous.. but lands back to Haele, Haele passes to Quinn while jumping in the aie.. and Quinn goes over.. some athletic stuff from the boys there.. 10-0. No goalkicker again this week, Kirk is doing it.
• 14min: Still trying to work this out, Toby Rumble is standing inside his 2nd rower, (so 3rd man in on the wrong side of the field) and just burns the 5/8 who is marking him quite easily... palms the winger and scores a lovely try under the sticks.. I must say Toby has the sort of speed and height that we do want from a 1st grade winger, but he tends to have a lot of unforced errors and I just cant trust him as a player, a bit like his brother Ben.. but would be nice if he stepped up cause with Williams dropping out, there isn't rly a prospect in lower grades to push some of those first graders... 16-0.
• 38min: Frothworthy stuff, O'Neill drops DMeafou under.. Daniel actually steps as he does it and runs a rly sharp angle.. gets real pace up to burst thru 2 tackles.. beating the fullback too.. one of the best moments from Daniel all year... and hes pumped. 22-0 Half Time.
• 42min: More froth, O'Neill is having a great game on his return, he runs rly hard at the line here to engage his defenders, then spins a cut-out pass to Toby Rumble, who burns his winger.. and TPH catched up in support and runs the last 50m.. beautiful team try next to the sticks... yet another easy goalkick missed but thankfully we're miles up, 26-0.
• 54min: We let in a try.. they had an overlap, Toby rushed out and sort of cut it off, but it left O'Neill to stop a rampaging forward 1on1 and he just couldn't.. 26-4.
• 58min: Attacking bomb from O'Neill, somehow TPH runs thru literally catches it uncontested and beats a number of defenders to score himself... team is really in sync.. 32-4.
• 69min: We almost hold em out but 2nd forward pass in 2 plays.. this one just 2m out from the line to a big forward is very hard to stop.. he fumbles it too but is said to have regathered.. 32-10 Fulltime.
• Another great team performance.. couple of key spine members back.. yet despite us going so well currently, and despite loving a lot of these players, I'm not sure any of the backs for example are going to make the step up to first grade... its rly frustrating.. but there is a real missing era of young backs... TPH I do love everything about him, hes like Kini-light.. but I'm not sure he is 'quite' electric enough.. even though he is absolutely a spritely mover... but maybe not enough to overcome the size limitations.. but I would like to see how he fares in 12mths time.... O'Neill had a good game.. I mean he could be used in 1sts, but Reed is better than him.. so surely ur giving reed 1st grade time instead.. the forwards keep getting the job done though, which was really the hallmark of last years success, but the backline is still performing wonderfully and to their ability and that's huge props for Talau.. as I mentioned I'm not sure there is a big extra gear there for a lot of these backs.. meaning we have noone to replace the 1st grade fellas with when they're struggling... its such a dilemma.

Note I was particularly impressed with the man of the match:
View attachment 1122

Does Tony Rumble have that many mistakes in him? Surely not as bad a Setu Tu. I thought he might make it for a while. Needs to put on a few kgs of muscle which will probably make him still faster.

 

[kogarahwarrior]

Does Tony Rumble have that many mistakes in him? Surely not as bad a Setu Tu. I thought he might make it for a while. Needs to put on a few kgs of muscle which will probably make him still faster.

Toby Rumble like his bro is an engima. Does some great things, but also messes up simple things because he’s always in two minds, though Ben was much worse in that regard. There was a a point where Toby had it tapped onto him and came infield to try and crash over because he was obviously thinking too hard instead of just pinning the ears back for the corner. That being said, the try he scored showed that he can be good when he trusts his instincts. I do think that Toby is a better player than Ben though.

 

[TheRev]

Does Tony Rumble have that many mistakes in him? Surely not as bad a Setu Tu. I thought he might make it for a while. Needs to put on a few kgs of muscle which will probably make him still faster.

The problem is this is NSW Cup vs 1st Grade.. the blow torch is so much hotter.. the defensive reads r so much more elite against the games best vs cup which is rarely that precise.. Ben Rumble would have a lot of unforced ball drops.. Toby sort of the same, looking back at my notes, my main complaints are defensive reads, he had one yesterday which at the time I thought looked outrageous.. but rewatching it maybe he did the right thing to cut off a potential 2on1, even though they scored anyway.

But curious to see Mugs opinion of Toby, hes rly the only winger sort of coming thru anytime soon.. apart from Williams but he probably needs some time. Behind them someone like Burton but hes 17, I mean maybe next year hes playing some NSW Cup... there is Kye Andrews that I like in Flegg but I dunno rly how close he is.. there is Saifiti who seems to have fallen off a cliff this year, not sure whats happened.. Demetrius I was hoping to see more of but hes been struggling to play flegg.. none of these guys seem remotely close to 1st grade...

But anyway.. I will be watching more of Toby this year, wont crucify him from mistakes of 1yr or 2yrs ago.. players develop and mature.. maybe he will too..