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There's absolutely no reason whatsoever they can't find a handful of players capable of playing in League 1. Wingers would be fine, a good FB should be able to adapt, a big, hard worker should be able to play prop, and maybe there's an outside shot at a RU scrum half playing hooker. But you'd need good coaching to make it work, by which I mean someone prepared to teach these guys and have the patience to see them make mistakes but learn from them. Basically, doing everything Brian Noble refused to do. League 1 is forgiving enough for that to happen - if the rest of the squad is good enough and has the right mindset.

"Just as we had been Cathars, we were treizistes, men apart."

Jean Roque, Calendrier-revue du Racing-Club Albigeois, 1958-1959

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3 hours ago, nadera78 said:

There's absolutely no reason whatsoever they can't find a handful of players capable of playing in League 1. Wingers would be fine, a good FB should be able to adapt, a big, hard worker should be able to play prop, and maybe there's an outside shot at a RU scrum half playing hooker. But you'd need good coaching to make it work, by which I mean someone prepared to teach these guys and have the patience to see them make mistakes but learn from them. Basically, doing everything Brian Noble refused to do. League 1 is forgiving enough for that to happen - if the rest of the squad is good enough and has the right mindset.

that's true rugby league is an easy game to learn you receive the ball run forward try to beat the man offload the ball or get tackled you don't have to learn how to scrummage in the ruck or pack jump in a lineout the hardest part is to remember to play the ball when you stand up

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Realistically it makes sense to this approach League 1 is a good breeding ground for a better phrase for clubs to try local talent some might have played in NCL or their local leagues. Both Welsh clubs (West and North) are about development of Welsh RL. Coventry is doing great with West Midlands and Newcastle with the North East. Doncaster with South Yorkshire and London Skolars with the North London area

Even Rochdale put it in their plans of development bringing through NCL players as part of their strategy for recruitment. The other clubs are clubs on a current bad spell but you could argue that Keighley picks up Bradford and Hunslet Leeds nicely leaving the 2 Cumbrian teams (Barrow & Workington) so from the outside if you looked at the work the clubs do off field and the locations of them you would presume League 1 was there as a devlopment league. Which it could easily be although the ambitious chairman would have something to say but I am sure they are more ambitious than being in the Championship they want Super League. Realistically we could use League 1 as a development league for teams dotted around the country and split the championship into Conferences quite easily. 

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20 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

En Anglais 

Wasn't that what Mr Perez did at Toronto?

I recall all the euphoria on these pages, I have spoken to people who were in attendance at those 'auditions', big Athletic looking lads was reported along with not really suitable for RL, but obviously that was Toronto who were to impatient to utilise them.

Will Ottawa do as they say,  only time will tell. 

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5 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

 

Will Ottawa do as they say,  only time will tell. 

maybe if they just concentrate  on ottowa and see if they can find lads who want to represent their own city rather than what  tororonto did  going into america to find players

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10 hours ago, nadera78 said:

There's absolutely no reason whatsoever they can't find a handful of players capable of playing in League 1. Wingers would be fine, a good FB should be able to adapt, a big, hard worker should be able to play prop, and maybe there's an outside shot at a RU scrum half playing hooker. But you'd need good coaching to make it work, by which I mean someone prepared to teach these guys and have the patience to see them make mistakes but learn from them. Basically, doing everything Brian Noble refused to do. League 1 is forgiving enough for that to happen - if the rest of the squad is good enough and has the right mindset.

There's lots of good reasons, an adult who's never played RL at any level has almost zero chance of playing even at League 1 level against guys who've been playing RL since they were kids.  Maybe an RU pro level player might have a slim chance of converting.  It's a waste of time if the actual intention is to find players for the first team squad.  If it's a marketing tool then fine.

 

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10 hours ago, nadera78 said:

There's absolutely no reason whatsoever they can't find a handful of players capable of playing in League 1. Wingers would be fine, a good FB should be able to adapt, a big, hard worker should be able to play prop, and maybe there's an outside shot at a RU scrum half playing hooker. But you'd need good coaching to make it work, by which I mean someone prepared to teach these guys and have the patience to see them make mistakes but learn from them. Basically, doing everything Brian Noble refused to do. League 1 is forgiving enough for that to happen - if the rest of the squad is good enough and has the right mindset.

Sorry but I've seen this said so many times (see Toronto discussions). League 1 is not forgiving at all and I don't agree at all with the assumption that players who are 'good athletes' can just move across and start playing RL. It is a much tougher sport than people realise and it is a common misconception that for example a good RU winger will be good in RL. They are completely different roles. 

I say this as someone who has seen Coventry Bears move up into to league one and had to learn that most RU converts just don't cut it if you want to be competitive in league 1. A player can have all the pace and ability you want but soon disappear once they take a couple of hit ups into an experienced RL pack. 

There is still the odd player who is able to adapt and move across but the percentage of players capable of it is much lower than you would think. 

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6 minutes ago, Tre Cool said:

There's lots of good reasons, an adult who's never played RL at any level has almost zero chance of playing even at League 1 level against guys who've been playing RL since they were kids.  Maybe an RU pro level player might have a slim chance of converting.  It's a waste of time if the actual intention is to find players for the first team squad.  If it's a marketing tool then fine.

 

100% agree. See above 👆

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10 minutes ago, Tre Cool said:

There's lots of good reasons, an adult who's never played RL at any level has almost zero chance of playing even at League 1 level against guys who've been playing RL since they were kids.  Maybe an RU pro level player might have a slim chance of converting.  It's a waste of time if the actual intention is to find players for the first team squad.  If it's a marketing tool then fine.

 

that's got nothing to do with it all down to the individual back in the 70's a 20 year lad who had never picked up a rugby ball played two games  with his mate at a local ru club for a laugh got signed  he played for FEV  and hull in the top division 450 games in total  and ended up playing  for yorkshire and england so hopefully ottowa can pick up a local ladmade of the right stuff

just a thought why don't they sign the lads on who have been playing rugby league  for the wolverines 

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1 hour ago, POR said:

that's got nothing to do with it all down to the individual back in the 70's a 20 year lad who had never picked up a rugby ball played two games  with his mate at a local ru club for a laugh got signed  he played for FEV  and hull in the top division 450 games in total  and ended up playing  for yorkshire and england so hopefully ottowa can pick up a local ladmade of the right stuff

just a thought why don't they sign the lads on who have been playing rugby league  for the wolverines 

The late great Charlie Stone is that man!

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1 hour ago, POR said:

that's got nothing to do with it all down to the individual back in the 70's a 20 year lad who had never picked up a rugby ball played two games  with his mate at a local ru club for a laugh got signed  he played for FEV  and hull in the top division 450 games in total  and ended up playing  for yorkshire and england so hopefully ottowa can pick up a local ladmade of the right stuff

just a thought why don't they sign the lads on who have been playing rugby league  for the wolverines 

Thats in the 70s in fairness, when top flight footballers smoked at training and being a professional rugby league player meant nothing like it does now. And even by the 70s standards thats a rarity you describe. 

That said Ottawa should be looking at the Wolverines and top level Canadian RU players (sevens and internationals etc.).

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10 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

Thats in the 70s in fairness, when top flight footballers smoked at training and being a professional rugby league player meant nothing like it does now. And even by the 70s standards thats a rarity you describe. 

That said Ottawa should be looking at the Wolverines and top level Canadian RU players (sevens and internationals etc.).

IT meant everything to those who were playing !!!!!!

 

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4 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

Thats in the 70s in fairness, when top flight footballers smoked at training and being a professional rugby league player meant nothing like it does now. And even by the 70s standards thats a rarity you describe. 

That said Ottawa should be looking at the Wolverines and top level Canadian RU players (sevens and internationals etc.).

Simple question Tommy, if Ottawa with quite a few home grown lads struggled to win many games what would you expect the club to do, or put another way what course of action would the investors and fans want?

Secondly, if they did get into the Championship against seasoned professionals would they still pursue this 'local' theme.

Before you answer, I think the plan would be no different from Toronto's or any other team anywhere for that matter that they and quite rightly so will have the desire to play at the highest level possible, it is what sport is all about challenging yourselves against the best and that is as it should be. 

Mr Perez, I don't believe he is any different and what he says of his intentions I think will contradict what he will actually do in reality.

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7 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Simple question Tommy, if Ottawa with quite a few home grown lads struggled to win many games what would you expect the club to do, or put another way what course of action would the investors and fans want?

Secondly, if they did get into the Championship against seasoned professionals would they still pursue this 'local' theme.

Before you answer, I think the plan would be no different from Toronto's or any other team anywhere for that matter that they and quite rightly so will have the desire to play at the highest level possible, it is what sport is all about challenging yourselves against the best and that is as it should be. 

Mr Perez, I don't believe he is any different and what he says of his intentions I think will contradict what he will actually do in reality.

Answered your own question Harry. Though I think they'll have a broader scope of recruitment than the fairly one-eyed Rowley and Noble recruitment at Toronto.

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12 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Simple question Tommy, if Ottawa with quite a few home grown lads struggled to win many games what would you expect the club to do, or put another way what course of action would the investors and fans want?

Secondly, if they did get into the Championship against seasoned professionals would they still pursue this 'local' theme.

Before you answer, I think the plan would be no different from Toronto's or any other team anywhere for that matter that they and quite rightly so will have the desire to play at the highest level possible, it is what sport is all about challenging yourselves against the best and that is as it should be. 

Mr Perez, I don't believe he is any different and what he says of his intentions I think will contradict what he will actually do in reality.

The key to them continuing to source Canadians and feeding them into the first team squad or the wider sport is to give those that are either no longer up to the required standard or not yet developed to the required standard a team in which to play. That could come in the form of a reserve/feeder team playing in the USA RL competition, a UK based academy (in an expansion area) that could play in the academy league or a DR/loan arrangement with a League 1/ Regional league level club. It could be a combination of those three but without it the likelihood would be that such an approach would be abandoned once they seek to compete in the top half of the Championship and higher. Given the lack of this associated with TWP to date the establishment of such development pathways would hopefully be a condition of entry and continued participation in the RFL/SL systems.

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42 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

if Ottawa with quite a few home grown lads struggled to win many games 

Harry, it’s never going to be quite a few. What will happen is 10 will be signed to a tryout deal, half will be cut before the season starts (normal here in any sport), then up to 5 will get squad numbers, coming off the bench in games v Skolors, West Wales, Coventry. Assuming promotion is achieved these 5 will go through the tryout process again, and maybe, just maybe one or two stick longer term, that will not only depend on the players, but how well they are coached. If that happens, and there are still several road blocks which I pointed out in my last post in this thread, then it would still be a more realistic attempt at development than what went on in Toronto for the past 3 years, even if it ends up failing to produce anyone of SL standard, and I think we all agree on that!

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2 minutes ago, Oldbear said:

Harry, it’s never going to be quite a few. What will happen is 10 will be signed to a tryout deal, half will be cut before the season starts (normal here in any sport), then up to 5 will get squad numbers, coming off the bench in games v Skolors, West Wales, Coventry. Assuming promotion is achieved these 5 will go through the tryout process again, and maybe, just maybe one or two stick longer term, that will not only depend on the players, but how well they are coached. If that happens, and there are still several road blocks which I pointed out in my last post in this thread, then it would still be a more realistic attempt at development than what went on in Toronto for the past 3 years, even if it ends up failing to produce anyone of SL standard, and I think we all agree on that!

Agreed OB It's not about getting SL standard players it's all about getting some lads from ottawa playing  the game and if  they only get to league 1 or championship standard and ottawa get promoted to SL there's nothing stopping them playing for other clubs in a league where they comfortable with it's all about participation 

canadians playing the game 

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7 minutes ago, POR said:

Agreed OB It's not about getting SL standard players it's all about getting some lads from ottawa playing  the game and if  they only get to league 1 or championship standard and ottawa get promoted to SL there's nothing stopping them playing for other clubs in a league where they comfortable with it's all about participation 

canadians playing the game 

Where else could they play POR? Canadian Lads coming over to England to play for a L1 club, it's not lke a fev lad getting in the car to go and play for Hunslet is it.

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2 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Where else could they play POR? Canadian Lads coming over to England to play for a L1 club, it's not lke a fev lad getting in the car to go and play for Hunslet is it.

NO  but they could come over be given a job and  just have some fun as young lads in another country before going back home 

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3 hours ago, POR said:

that's got nothing to do with it all down to the individual back in the 70's a 20 year lad who had never picked up a rugby ball played two games  with his mate at a local ru club for a laugh got signed  he played for FEV  and hull in the top division 450 games in total  and ended up playing  for yorkshire and england so hopefully ottowa can pick up a local ladmade of the right stuff

just a thought why don't they sign the lads on who have been playing rugby league  for the wolverines 

well I was only alive for 1 year of the 70s and I didn't watch any RL until 1996 but I suspect it was a very different, slower game in the 70s.    And I have no idea how many adults who had never played RL made a success of it at pro level then. But I 100% believe it will be nearly impossible for a lad who's spent his childhood playing amateur RU in Canada or played NFL/CFL at college to compete at League 1 level, even with the best coaching in the world.  He'll get annihilated.

If they're serious about bringing Canadians through they need to start a good junior scene and get some good youngsters playing the game regularly from a young age against decent opposition and then be very patient.

Like 10 years patient.

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10 hours ago, POR said:

NO  but they could come over be given a job and  just have some fun as young lads in another country before going back home 

Two of my eldest sons former provincial RU team mates are doing just this in France, they earn a part time wage from RU, then work in bars (or did, pre Covid!) to supplement the rest. They are 21 and using this as a 2-3 year thing to see and live in another country and have some fun before they go back to the drudgery of a real job. Why couldn’t a couple of players from Canada do the same in UK, Aus, France but playing semi pro league, probably not for a few years but sometime in the future and again at least it would be trying, unlike what happened these past 3 years!

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