Firepower RugbyWA Academy Announced

The third intake of the Firepower RugbyWA Academy has been announced today, with giant Sydney teenager Valeni Tiatia and former Australia A Schools hooker Ben Whittaker named as interstate recruits by Academy coach Geoff Townsend...

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just to let anyone know interested there are about 7-8 players trialling with the academy at the moment. Training has being pretty hectic, 5 days a week each session 2 hours, with optional extras.

Regards
Zack

I like the philosophy, It seems, they've built a player group with the sort of depth they would want to see eventually in the academy, and now are starting to fill that up with juniors. Just the way you would do it after ten years in the comp.

Zack - are the guys in the Academy in college or something too, or is it rugby all the time?

Valeni Tiatia: 18 year-old, 196cm and 114kg

Ben Whittaker: 18 year-old, 189cm and 105kg

JAYSUS!!! :eek:

Time I picked up the "Preferred Beef Supplier" gig I think!!!

Well done to the local fellas, absolutely delighted for you, go well :cheers:

Now I'm confused. Didn't they announce a while back that Stannard and Longbottom had secured senior contracts?

Senior Rookies perhaps?
But yeah Shasta, I was under the same impression.
Maybe it is just words to fit the squad into the structure...I dunno.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Em-Forcer

Zack - are the guys in the Academy in college or something too, or is it rugby all the time?

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Yeah most of boys are at uni/tafe and otherwise working pretty much full time aye..sessions usually go about 2 hours a day but as mentioned before there are optional extras you can do..hope this helps

Zack

Really pleased to see Timani's name there, but no Ratu...just how bad was the injury?

Either a season ender (thus no point in putting him on the long-term injured list) or he wasn't considered right for the team.

I'd be a bit surprised if he was turned down based upon what I saw in the APC though. He was big and fast but looked a little rusty. You'd think it'd take more than that for him to miss a contract.

Agreed - I heard he was a bit injury prone, but I wouldn't have thought that would have scared them off. At his age it may just be poor training technique, and wingers of that size and speed aren't so common you just ignore them.