Syked Greens poised for title redemption
Newcastle Herald
Thursday March 31, 2011
THE Newcastle and Hunter Rugby Union season kicks off onSaturday with Merewether out to atone for last year's play-offs letdown. Can Hamilton break an 11-year curse on defending premiers or will Maitland's young guns go one better than last year?HAMILTONCoaches: Scott Coleman, Nathan BeckettLast premiership: 2010Last year: 2nd (won grand final)Gains: Chris Stratton (Eastern Suburbs), William Soe, Aidan Kwast, Poasa Loli (Lake Macquarie), Steve Lamont (Canada), Steven Sione (Auckland), Lima Lima (North Harbour).Losses: Charl van Niekerk (Southern Beaches), Luke Briggs, Dan Palmer, Troy Kempnich (retired), Brendan Holliday (West Harbour), Monty Simes (Sydney), Alex Kahiui (England), Bell Sasula (Merewether), Jordan Kohn (Scotland), Brodie Duncan (USA).Player to watch: Steve Lamont. Tireless hooker who has returned after a year playing in Canada and travelling South America. Led the Hawks to a premiership last time he was here and slotted straight in to the Newcastle rep side. Has a similar work rate to last year's No.2 Niekerk but is a better lineout thrower.Bottom line: It is a continual theme for the Hawks. Lose a host of key players and replace them with as good or better. Of the departures, Holliday and Palmer will be the hardest to cover. Coleman and Beckett have been busy working the phones and scouring the internet. Stratton is an old-style No.7, Kwast will provide go-forward and the two Kiwis will add a spark out wide. With Holliday gone, Damien Wells will again be the go-to man in attack. It has been 11 years since a team defended the premiership. The Hawks will give it a shake but may just lack a touch of class at the final hurdle.Prediction: 3rdLAKE MACQUARIECoach: Paul EatherLast premiership: 2001 (first division)Last year: 8thGains: Clay Tapara, Kane Wetini, Cal Menzies, Lachlan Hornsby (Merewether), Chris Hunt (Hamilton), Chris Smith (Parramatta).Losses: Folau Mose (Central RL), Blake Paterson (retired), Aidan Kwast, William Soe (Hamilton), Jake MacPherson (Uni), Ofeina Hushon, Christian Desacola, Ivan Lemalama, Jarrod Clayton (Waratahs).Player to watch: Simon Tufi. Excitement machine who can play anywhere in the backline. Has represented Australian Samoa and will need every bit of his attacking brilliance to spark the Roos.Bottom line: Survival is simply the aim for the Roos after a mass exodus. The defection of home-grown rep duo Kwast and Soe have cut the deepest. Hornsby and Menzies are honest toilers and like Hunt are returning to Disneyland. Easts fans will be familiar with Wetini and Tapara, but they have hardly been sighted since the club folded. There is some good mail on Smith who should strike up a good combination with Tufi. It won't be a return to the bad old days at Boolaroo but it looks a tough task for new coach Eather.Prediction: 10thMAITLANDCoach: Geoff GolledgeLast premiership: 1999Last year: 4th (beaten in grand final)Gains: John Birrell (Manly), Dave Curry (Brisbane Souths), Tim Gibbs (returning), Greg Mckay (Brisbane).Losses: Ben Emmett, Mick Hickling (lower grades), Mick Howell (Brumbies academy).Player to watch: James Johnston. Big, strong, fast, skilful. Johnston is the prototype modern-day back-rower. Still eligible for colts, he was close to Newcastle's best forward in their march to a fourth straight Country title. At 184 centimetres and 100 kilograms, he has the frame and the game to go a lot further.Bottom line: Rugby is becoming increasingly a young man's game. The Blacks proved that last season and with the retirement of a couple of old heads, they will up the pace again. Birrell is a Nick Davidson clone and combined with Johnston form as good a back-row as any. Golledge has hinted at a more expansive game, but the Blacks' way has always been forward first. It got them to a grand final last season and given the experience and confidence they would have gained, it's hard to see them not getting at least that far again.Prediction: 2ndMEREWETHER CARLTONCoach: Stacey SykesLast premiership: 2007Last year: 1stGains: Dan Kevill (Wanderers), Dan Lewinski (Sydney Uni), Sean Rudder, Ryan Lamb (West RL), Joel Burraston (Kurri RL), Jamie Lind (lower grades).Losses: Shane Laloata (Nelson Bay), Lachlan Hornsby, Cal Menzies (Lake Macquarie).Players to watch: Dan Lewinski. A Merewether junior before heading to Joeys, Lewinski played hooker in two Sydney University first-grade premiership sides alongside Phil Waugh and a host of other Wallabies. He moves to the side of the scrum for the Greens and has the extra burden of the (c) beside his name. His presence alone will be enough to have the Green Room in a lather.Bottom line: Sykes was a bull at a gate as a player and has adopted the same approach to coaching. The Greens won the opening 15 games last season and were runaway minor premiers, only to be bounced out of the finals in straight sets. Talent didn't appear the issue. Not satisfied, Sykes has added grunt in Kevill and Lewinski and lured Rudder, Lamb and Burraston from the mungoes. On paper the Greens appear almost unbeatable. They have pace, power, and experience. The biggest query is how Sykes will fit them all in. There is no doubt the former Singleton premiership breakaway has ruffled some feathers, but he will be the toast of Townson Oval if he can lead the Greens to a premiership.Prediction: 1stNELSON BAYCoach: Darren StewartLast premiership: 1999 (first division)Last year: 7thGains: Shane Laloata (Merewether), Drew McCleer (work), Joel Armstrong (returned), Joe Finn (studies).Losses: Matt Kerr (NZ), Marcus Sale (England), Kerrod McLean (work), Dylan Rowney (knee injury), Darren McSpadden (touch).Player to watch: Marty Lisiua. The old bull turns 43 in July but has lost none of his impact. A guaranteed metre eater, Lisiua earned a recall to the representative team and more than proved his worth.Bottom line: With stalwart Stewart at the helm and Lisiua leading the way, the Gropers restored pride to the peninsula last season. Again they won't offer anything fancy. They will be strong at the tackle, play hard, scrap and wrestle and frustrate teams. Laloata will give them some punch in midfield but they don't appear to have a great deal of points in them. They took giant strides last year but it is hard to see them progressing further.Prediction: 8thSINGLETONCoaches: Anthony Partridge, Steve Merrick, Scott Dalibozek.Last premiership: 1997Last year: 10thGains: Will Gresham (Sydney), Joe Andrews (Maitland), Guy Shepherd (work commitments).Losses: Ben Ham (Scone).Players to watch: Gareth Ernst. Old school halfback who seems to get better each season. Has a bullet pass and will provide direction around the ruck for a willing forward pack.Bottom line: If only Merrick and Dalibozek were still playing. The former Wallaby halfback and Country fullback have been entrusted along with stalwart Partridge with lifting the Bulls from the spoon. Shift work and seven-day rosters will provide their usual problems but there is an air of hope at Rugby Park. Former outstanding junior Gresham returns but is one of only a few fresh faces. Don't be surprised if Merrick makes the odd appearance, but not even his mercurial talents will get the Bulls into semi contention.Prediction: 9thSOUTHERN BEACHESCoach: Tim ChidgeyLast premiership: NoneLast year: 9thGains: Charl van Niekerk (Hamilton), Tyler Ostle (West Harbour), Hayden Marshall (work).Losses: Bryce Robertson (Waratahs), Peter Kelleher, Andy O'Driscoll, Cyprian Jouvre (Ireland).Player to watch: Marty Delore. Has lived in the shadow of older brothers Andrew and Michael but is poised to make his mark. After playing across the backline last season, the teenager has been given first crack at halfback where he represented NSW Combined High Schools.Bottom line: For too long Southern Beaches have been spruiking their potential. The arrival of Waratahs premiership-winning and successful Newcastle coach Chidgey looks an ideal fit. He will bring professionalism, structure and a support network that should get the best out of a talented player pool. NSW Country hooker Charl van Niekerk is a great signing, Ostle adds to a backline that boasts the Delore brothers, and Chidgey is bound to have a couple of other surprises up his sleeve. They might not win the premiership this season, but expect a vast improvement.Prediction: 6thTHE WARATAHSCoaches: Aloisio Sefo, Lolo MohuLast premiership: 2006Last year: 6thGains: Bryce Robertson (Southern Beaches), Bodine Luscott (Merewether), Oscar Lolohea (Lake Macquarie), Patrick Fakalata (Tonga), Ofeina Hushon, Christian Desacola, Ivan Lemalama, Jarrod Clayton (Lake Macquarie)Losses: Bleddyn Gant (Eastwood), Larry Taufua (family commitments), Lauina Lauina (retired) Kyle Curry (Central RL), Chayce Bambach (Waratah RL), Todd Gisondi (Armidale), Chris Mikulski (retired)Player to watch: Hayden Pedersen. There is no tougher person to stop one-on-one in the competition. Former New Zealand Maori and Super Rugby outside back who set the Tahs alight after arriving mid-season. Had offers to play professional rugby but has stayed in Newcastle.Bottom line: There is a sense of expectation at the Tahs. They were in the top five for most of last season only to falter over the final month. Sefo and Mohu have joined forces at the helm and former long-time coach Matt Chidgey is back involved behind the scenes. Fakalata is a power-packed hooker and is expected to be joined by a couple of country men. Former NSW Country prop Luke Troy completes a suspension in May, while the bulk of the colts side who lost in the last season's grand final have graduated into grade. All the elements are there for the Tahs to return to finals footy.Prediction: 5thUNIVERSITYCoach: Eti FilipoLast premiership: 1988Last year: 5thGains: Declan O'Flaherty (Nelson Bay)Losses: Dave Montgomery (retired), Matt Mason (Pokolbin), Andrew Laurie (Mudgee).Player to watch: Matt Dun. Inspirational back-rower is pain free after off-season groin surgery. Will miss the opening month with NSW Country commitments but once back will provide direction for the Students.Bottom line: The first month is normally a write-off for the Students as they try to form new combinations. But in a welcomed change there has been little disruption at Callaghan. Filipo is back for his second year and they have retained the core of last season's squad. They will be particularly strong at home, but lack those couple of big-game players who can make a difference in the finals.Prediction: 4thWANDERERSCoach: Dan BeckettLast premiership: 2009Last year: 3rdGains: John Totini (Canberra Royals), Joe Ebbs, Tom Lewis (Nottingham), Donald Seed (Scotland), Gerard Veitch (Timaru, NZ), Nathan Tuckerman (Waratahs), Andrew Katoa (Parramatta).Losses: Dan Kevill (Merewether), Luke Simmons (Randwick).Player to watch: Anthony Barrett. Barnstorming centre who is damaging with and without the ball. Fresh from an outstanding rep campaign, he will shoulder much of the Two Blues' hopes, especially early in the season.Bottom line: The Two Blues, who will be without a permanent home for a second straight year, have endured an off-season from hell. Star back-rower Kevill has defected to arch rivals Merewether, captain Luke Sherwood suffered a knee injury playing for Newcastle and will miss the opening five rounds, his brother Mark (knee) is not due back until round nine and Newcastle winger Paul Mlotkowski (hamstring) is out for a month. On the plus side, Totini is a former Samoan under-20 representative and adds some size to a pack led by the improving Luke Gibson and promising prop Ben Christensen. When fit and firing they have the personnel to match it with any club but much will hinge on how they get threw the first month.Prediction: 7th
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