RWO Game Day Thread - Grand Final - Sunday 27th September

[justabaraker]

You have to wonder what the future holds in store for Baulko.
They seem to have put all their eggs in the one basket of a flag today, to justify all the pain that 2015 has brought them. For a team with such strong pedigree and accelerated learning programmes, today they looked, well, pretty insipid, held together with sticky tape, and didn't seriously look like winning.
Some of their big names were virtually unsighted....Reed, Dimery, OConnell, Charleston, John Vlatko, Stubbs...was Kruger even playing ?
And they turned it up bigtime after the fifteen minute mark in the last when they really needed to stand up.
So what awaits ? They have major off-field issues to deal with, they will lose players now, and their magooes are nothing special in terms of providing the next generation. And they have the knowledge that they couldn't even compete at season's end with all the expensive cattle that they had on display.

And I'd put in a final shoutout to Frank K, retiring after 512 they say. I thought he did a fine job today.
Paging Harvey Wallbanger....come out of retirement because you are required. You can have all the NorWest Jets games if your a good boy !!

[Mug Punter]

You have to wonder what the future holds in store for Baulko.
They seem to have put all their eggs in the one basket of a flag today, to justify all the pain that 2015 has brought them. But today they looked, well, pretty insipid, held together with sticky tape, and didn't seriously look like winning.
Some of their big names were virtually unsighted....Reed, Dimery, OConnell, Charleston, John Vlatko, Stubbs...was Kruger even playing ?
And they turned it up bigtime after the fifteen minute mark in the last when they really needed to stand up.
So what awaits ? They have major off-field issues to deal with, they will lose players now, and their magooes are nothing special in terms of providing the next generation. And they have the knowledge that they couldn't even compete at season's end with all the expensive cattle that they had on display.

It just goes to show the absolute folly of their NEAFL foray.

In contrast Penno are a club that are built form the ground up with a huge junior culture. They should be the template for every district club in Sydney.

I get the impression North Shore are trying to go down that route now and their U19 victory today should hopefully give them some major talent to bring through the grades if they are managed correctly, they'd be hoping for at least three additional wins in 2016

[saviour01]

Yeh penno look the goods as a club. Hopefully at st george we get a div 4/5 side. Hard to bring new players or keep a lot of 19s when they have to play div 1 which is a pretty decent standard these days.

With north shore, its easy to keep your 19s side together when your seniors are @@@@ house and have no chance. There was 8 or 9 guys playing seniors finals at st george instead of 19s. North shore did thoroughly out class us, but chuck the 5 rising star nominations, plus guys like preesey and even tomlins who have been playing seniors for the past 2 years then who knows.

Would laugh hard if ece loses most of their players (surely the do) and misses finals next year.

[unconfuseme]

Maybe the cheques didn't clear on time?

[chatovadafloor]

Maybe the cheques didn't clear on time?

Nothing to worry about clearing

[ShortHalfHead]

Interesting finals series. 10 comps, 2 minor premiers taking the silverware.

PD: Pennant Hills (3) Def East Coast (1)
D1: Sydney Uni (5) def Pennant Hills (3) - Balmain (1) and UTS (2) both not making GF
D2: Blacktwon (2) def Camden (1)
D3: Sydney Uni (2) def UTS (1)
D4: Wollondilly (3) def Mac Uni (1)
D5: UTS (1) def UNSW (3)
19's1: North Shore (3) def UNSW (2) - Penno (1) not making GF
19's2: Wests (2) def Parramatta (1)
WD1: Newtown (2) def Sydney Uni (1)
WD2: Gosford (1) def Penrith (4)

Well done to all the premiers. Penno looked to have a very young side in their win and set for a big 2016. The amount of PD players in Penno's two yesterday also interesting and thought they would win easily. On the other hand, East Coast looked ordinary. Only losing two games all year, the first and last.

[Footy Barista]

Well done to Penno its safe to say no one gave them a chance and I think it showed what champion team can do to a team of champions.

Its safe to say the ECE year was a complete wastes for their "superstars" they "came back down to win a comp" and they didn't , nothing short of failure of a season.

Another questions needs to be raised of the Sydney Afl, why on earth was the Grand Final on a Sunday? and why at Henson park, watching it streamed looked like we went back 10 years...... I can imagine all games would have been different if they were at blacktown.

[nugget]

Another questions needs to be raised of the Sydney Afl, why on earth was the Grand Final on a Sunday? and why at Henson park, watching it streamed looked like we went back 10 years...... I can imagine all games would have been different if they were at blacktown.

Have to agree with this. Can anyone answer why the hell it was at Henson on a Sunday? I've asked a few people (not many admittedly) and no one seems to have a reasonable answer. Wasn't a great crowd out there and the surface is not great (OK but not great). Shouldn't we be playing the Premier GF at the best venue?

[Jupiter]

Have to agree with this. Can anyone answer why the hell it was at Henson on a Sunday? I've asked a few people (not many admittedly) and no one seems to have a reasonable answer. Wasn't a great crowd out there and the surface is not great (OK but not great). Shouldn't we be playing the Premier GF at the best venue?

I asked someone this question as I attended with a couple of old buddies for a look. They said that the clubs were given the option of 2 wet weather rounds and the GF at Henson or 1 and GF's at Blacktown last week - apparently clubs said 2 and Henson. Personally I didn't mind the tight physical style played (windy in 19s and Div 1 in particular). Congrats to all teams and Premiers in particular.

[Norris Lurker]

Because it was a week later than normal, Blacktown was unavailable because they're preparing cricket pitches for the Matador Cup series. No idea why it was a Sunday.

[Footy Barista]

Were we back in 2008 ? North shore winning the under 19s and Penno rolling ECE at Henson.

The ground had the Rugby League markings through it and the presentation was done not facing the streaming for the camera.

Was poor organisation but im sure it didn't matter to those involved, just as neutral spectator nothing made sense about Sunday game at Henson.

[Norris Lurker]

The presentations for the earlier games they were facing the grandstand; but they faced away from it for Premier Division. Also meant there was sun glare in all the premiership presentation photos. Don't know why that happened.

[ShortHalfHead]

The presentations for the earlier games they were facing the grandstand; but they faced away from it for Premier Division. Also meant there was sun glare in all the premiership presentation photos. Don't know why that happened.

It just seemed to me that the massive Penno contingent didn't congregate at the side of the stage as is normal, but behind it and Sydney AFL decided to not try and move them. Did look rather silly as I am sure that the internet viewing audience and those that remained in the stand, or outside the fence would have liked to see the players faces and not their arses.

[saviour01]

Yeh, just seemed like they wanted to get it started and both teams were in the middle of the ground. As one of the 100 or so watching on youtube i didnt care at all. I doubt too many did care which way the presentation was as its really only a minor detail.

I much prefer henson to blacktown but i didnt get why they were all sunday games.

[The Student]

Yeh, just seemed like they wanted to get it started and both teams were in the middle of the ground. As one of the 100 or so watching on youtube i didnt care at all. I doubt too many did care which way the presentation was as its really only a minor detail.

I much prefer henson to blacktown but i didnt get why they were all sunday games.

There was some sort of rugby league trial match there on Saturday - hence the line markings. I'd say it was booked in advance for that.