SOAKS STILL BELIEVE IN MIRACLES

[fulvio sammut]

Wanneroo have their best chance of rolling Palmyra this week. Apart from home ground advantage and a return to near full strength, Wanneroo will catch Palmyra at their lowest ebb of the season. Swine flue has accounted for four of their regular first graders, and a horrific string of serious injuries has also struck -Leka with a broken leg, Turnbull and Stretch with knee injuries, Warren with a shoulder dislocation, Fraser with an undiagnosed illness, Clive and Quentin with back injuries and George with a hip condition, to name a few. On top of this Kitty is unavailable due to working away, and long term calf strain and hamstring injuries have eliminated Filipa Manu for the rest of the season.

We're buggered, but on the bright side we still accounted for Perth Premiers fairly comfortably with our reserves last week. We should have an awesome second grade next year, they'll all have been well and truly blooded.

[GIGS20]

Fulvio.....as per usual......claims the underdog card early in the game!

---------- Post added at 08:11 ---------- Previous post was at 08:10 ----------

Not sying Paly aren't ever the underdog, but according to Fulvio, they never have a chance in the leadup to a match, and when they win, it's pure heart and determination.

[fulvio sammut]

I am but a humble man ...

And you're being a bit unfair - I always pick Palmyra to win when they have a reasonable chance - see the tipping ladder.

[Ecky]

So you're tipping Paly this weekend then Fulv?

[fulvio sammut]

Are you reffing it Ecky?

We could come to an accomodation ...

[brokendown gunfighter]

Wanneroo have their best chance of rolling Palmyra this week. Apart from home ground advantage and a return to near full strength, Wanneroo will catch Palmyra at their lowest ebb of the season. Swine flue has accounted for four of their regular first graders, and a horrific string of serious injuries has also struck -Leka with a broken leg, Turnbull and Stretch with knee injuries, Warren with a shoulder dislocation, Fraser with an undiagnosed illness, Clive and Quentin with back injuries and George with a hip condition, to name a few. On top of this Kitty is unavailable due to working away, and long term calf strain and hamstring injuries have eliminated Filipa Manu for the rest of the season.

We're buggered, but on the bright side we still accounted for Perth Premiers fairly comfortably with our reserves last week. We should have an awesome second grade next year, they'll all have been well and truly blooded.

All this is Fulvio speak for Pally being at full strength

[fulvio sammut]

I'm deeply hurt and offended that some of you should doubt the integrity of my posts.

Therefore, after this weekend, all gloves will be off.

[rick boyd]

Wanneroo have their best chance of rolling Palmyra this week. Apart from home ground advantage and a return to near full strength, Wanneroo will catch Palmyra at their lowest ebb of the season. Swine flue has accounted for four of their regular first graders, and a horrific string of serious injuries has also struck -Leka with a broken leg, Turnbull and Stretch with knee injuries, Warren with a shoulder dislocation, Fraser with an undiagnosed illness, Clive and Quentin with back injuries and George with a hip condition, to name a few. On top of this Kitty is unavailable due to working away, and long term calf strain and hamstring injuries have eliminated Filipa Manu for the rest of the season.

I'm very disappointed about the way that these top teams go on and on about their injuries. It sounds like they're just making excuses for when they lose....

[fulvio sammut]

I'm very disappointed about the way that these top teams go on and on about their injuries. It sounds like they're just making excuses for when they lose....

Do some people ever read their own babble?

[rick boyd]

Do some people ever read their own babble?

Oh, the irony.

[fulvio sammut]

I went down to Palmyra training tonight. Rick will be pleased. All our injured players are back on board. The Swine flu epidenic is over. Work commitments have been cancelled. We will be at full strength and everybody is jumping out of his skin at the prospect of demolishing Wanneroo.
Palmyra by 75 points. You heard it here first.

[pieter blackie]

[Hansie]

So... another regular season comes to a close...what can we take from it? Much has been said about 1st grade but what about our future - under 20's and 18's?

These guys will form the backbone of senior rugby in years to come. The numbers are woeful. 10 teams in under 20 and 9 teams in under 18, estimating 20 players per team ( optimistic I agree ) that gives us 380 players covering ages from 17 years old to 20 years old!! 3 of these teams come from one club, other clubs have struggled to front on Saturday's due to numbers. How are we ever going to aspire to contributing players to the Professional ranks on these numbers?

With AFL and Soccer in this state languishing at the bottom of their respective ladders, what are we doing to grow this age group?

What plans are there in place for next year? So many in this age group cite lack of a Pathway, surely some the funds spent to bring overseas players for 1st grade could be used to encourage more young guys into the game?

Here are some contentious questions. What if clubs had to follow ARU rules on S14 teams by limiting imports to two spots in a 1st grade team? How is a local player defined? Some say over 100K has been spent cumulatively by all clubs on imports for 1st grade. What if half of that were put to create a State Under 20 or Under 18 - a stepping block in the Pathway - ?

You may argue our skill level would drop off, sure it will, but hey, if clubs had to work hard in the local area for players, in 5 - 8 years we may actually have developed talent good enough to make it in the professional ranks...

In PSA and CSC schools alone there would be about 150 boys departing each year 12 after having played 1st and 2nd XV. Then there are boys from non-CSC and PSA Schools which may push this number to around 200 players of this wonderful game. What should we be doing to keep these guys in the game?

What about those boys in League and even AFL - hey both Gits and O'Connor, featured there before Union...maybe out there in Under 18 land in metro WA are a couple of O'Connors and Giteau's...What are we doing to find them out?