Holding’s Bits 13 April 2012
No More Hodgie
Welcome to the 2012 rugby season and the first ever edition of “Holding’s Bits”.
My name is Matt Holding. Others call me Wonderboy, but I can assure I had nothing to do with this. I blame Hodgie and Tim Richards (with the aid of refreshments) for this nickname.
I will hopefully provide you with something readable to have a glance over each week through the season in Subbies Rugby.
In doing the ‘Bits’ for 2012 I am taking over from the legend, Hodgie.Big shoes to fill, I know, but we are planning some new additions to the column and these will be cropping up over the coming weeks.
First up - each week I will offer a Trivia Teaser, with prizes on offer from time to time. This week, for two tickets to the Waratahs v Rebels match on 21 April:
WHO AM I?
- I graduated from Newington College in 2005
- I made my test debut in 2008
- I won the ‘Gatorade Bolt’ with a time of 11.10s
- I have scored 20 points for the wallabies
- My middle name is David
- I have won the ‘Chris Whitaker Aspiring Waratah Award’
Answers to: First correct gets the tickets!
2012 Preview
Pre-season had its share of excitement, with Balmain being invaded by the French, but now it’s down to the nitty gritty. Always hard to predict what’s gonna happen in Subbies, but let’s have a look, at least at some of the club movements and changes in divisions:
In Div 1, Colleagues managed to sweep all before them in 2011 and won an astounding 5 premierships. Will the Woollahra club once again be the team to beat? The promoted Hunters Hill could be the goods, but no-one with any sense writes off Drummoyne. And they like to go under the radar, but I’m hearing St Pats have recruited well.
Div 2 welcomes Petersham and Balmain into the fray, fresh from impressive seasons in Division 3 last year. St Ives will also be looking to build on their very impressive showing in Colts last season – after winning the most entertaining Grand Final of 2011.
In Div 3, big changes in the Subbies divisional structure have seen the group grow to 12 clubs. Brothers are one of four clubs who have made the step up from the now disbanded Div 4 and will be looking to cement their spot in their old divisional home. Brothers’ opponents in Round 1 are Waverley, whose new pavilion looks spectacular. I’m sure the Div 3 clubs will relish playing at Waverley No.1 this season.
Div 5has also undergone big changes, and will see the battle re-commence between last year’s Div 6 big hitters, Redfield and Maccabi. Also in Div 5 is Fairvale/Lansvale RFC, the result of an amalgamation between the old Bankstown and Fairvale clubs.
Div 6welcomesAlexandria Dukes, playing out of Centennial Park. And Liverpool hasreformed and will contest this year’s Meldrum Cup. A big congratulations to Chatswood as well, who celebrate their 100th Anniversary this year, kicking off the celebrations with a big pre-season gala day prior to Easter.
Good luck to all clubs this season, it certainly promises to be a great year. Remember you can always check all results and tables at
Also, Subbies has a Facebook page and is on Twitter: @subbiesrugby
Copying Subbies Club Tours?
From Iain Payten in the Tele: “Why do the Waratahs hold an unbeaten record in Perth? Palu divulged more than his teammates would have wished when revealing their pre-match rituals in the west. "We stay right beside a casino, a few of the boys get a bit of time off, get away from their partners and spend a bit of cash,'' Palu said.
Rugby Tweets
“Payto” is also on Twitter, and is one of a number of excellent sources there for rugby stuff. Get following!
“@iainpayten 4:19pm 11 Apr: I saw One Direction play in New Zealand last year. They lost to Ireland.”
Matt Rowley from 9:54pm 12 Apr: Check this for a decent rugby commercial ”
And finally, just to get you in the mood for rugby, if you aren’t already- see you on Wed at the Judiciary if you tackle like some of the guys in that video! – Ed.)
Cheers,
Wonderboy Holding
@subbiesrugby
Holding’s Bits 20 April 2012
SUPER HEADLINES, TT WHO AM I, WEEK ONE ROUND UP, A TACKLING ARGUMENT, WILL CARLING, TWEETS & SOME VIDEOS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED. I APOLOGISE FOR THE QUALITY OF JOKES.
Wet Weather
Obviously it is a bit wet around the grounds at the moment – so you club administrators can help out the Subbies staff by letting ‘em know of any changes as soon as they are confirmed.
Everybody can keep up to date on the Subbies website for inevitable changes tomorrow.
Is it Super?
This weekend sees the Waratahs take on the Rebels. The crowd might be boosted by Kurtley Beale’s return to the SFS where his Rebels will look to continue the Tahs inconsistent start to 2012. The Tele seems to think the ‘coach killing’ penalties are to blame for some of the frustrations NSW fans are experiencing! I wonder how many subbies coaches can sympathise with this.
B&F Prizes
Courtesy of the Waratahs, your club has been given tickets to be used as prizes for your club'sBest & Fairest players. That's a total of 540 tickets across five selected Waratahs matches - going to 54 Subbies players for each of those 5 matches.Thanks to the Waratahs for providingthis great prize. We hope the270 B&F winners (and their partners) enjoy some great rugby.
Trivia Teaser
Correct answer to last week’s teaser was Lachie Turner. Well done to all those who got it right (there was quite a few of you!), but Ross Kerkham was first in so he scored the tickets to Tahs v Rebels.
I had a great response from you last week - maybe it was too easy! This week I can again offer 2 tickets to a Tahs game, this time for the Waratahs v Crusaders Sunday afternoon blockbuster on April 29th at the SFS (KO 4:10pm).
WHO AM I?
- My brother’s name is Tyrone
- I once donated something from my body to charity
- My face appeared on a Rugby video game in 2005
- I was born in a beachside suburb
- I played for my country before I played a game of professional Rugby.
Once again, send your answers to me at . Third correct answer gets the tickets!
The Round Up
Div 1
Tries, tries and more tries, week one certainly didn’t disappoint! Spectators were treated to feast of points at Boronia, where Campbelltown edged a nail biter against new boys Hunters Hill with the scores finishing up at 34-33. Colleagues also notched up a bonus point 38-8 demolition of St Pats at Woollahra No.2. Drummoyne got off to a good start away at Old Iggies, the Dirty Reds wining a closely fought encounter 18-12 in the Kentwell. Knox Old Boys had a great day at Barra Brui Oval, cleaning up arch rivals Barker Old Boys in all grades and set down the marker for the rest of their campaign.
Div 2
Newly promoted Balmain stole the headlines in Div 2, with the Muzzled Wolves winning all grades against Lindfield – they were no doubt helped by R. Cross turning out at #10! The Barraclough Cup also saw a thriller down at Hassall Park where the students of UNSW beat St Ives in another high scoring encounter, 34-28. There were also good wins for Oatley and Kings Old Boys in First grade over Newport and Petersham respectively. I would also like to mention a great effort from Forest who won 4 grades against Briars. This will have prepared them well for their encounter against UNSW this weekend.
Div 3
Brothers, in Div 3 again after being banished last year, are back with a vengeance, winning 4 out of 5 grades – in the Clark Cup they taught Waverley a Rugby lesson, scoring 45 points. But before they get too cocky, reigning premiers Blue Mountains scored a whopping 62 points at Macquarie Uni in the Clark Cup. James Richey scored an impressive hat trick and David Twomey had his kicking boots on, scoring 4 conversions and a penalty in addition to his try from full back.
Div 5
Fairvale/Lansvale won their first game as an amalgamated club in the Jeffrey and Noice Cups beating Harlequins, while Redfield (up from Div 6) started well - putting 40 points past Canterbury at Redfield College. Life in Div 5 wasn’t so kind to Maccabi who lost both grades to Roseville. Rhys Brooks kicked an impressive 6 conversions in the Second Grade encounter. Sydney Harlequins and Notre Dame will both be looking to get on the board when they meet at Wentworth Park this weekend.
Div 6
The Meldrum Cup in Div 6 always provides some very exciting Rugby and this season started with a bang. Liverpool and Alexandria Dukes both recorded wins in their opening encounters as newly formed/reformed clubs. Some of the Subbies crew made it along to McKay Oval and witnessed quite possibly the first ever Meldrum Cup match day program - needless to say it was read cover to cover! The topic of big wins comes up again as Dundas Valley poured on 66 unanswered points against Chatswood, whilst Sydney Grammar Old Boys topped that, winning 70-15 against Burraneer at Reg Bartley Oval.
Contributions?? Where are you??
If anyone out there in subbies land is heading to matches on the weekend and would like to contribute to the ‘Bits’ feel free to send me your stuff Any eyewitness accounts can always come in handy and I will never turn away any funny stories from the game. [The Editor might! – Ed.]
The ‘Spear’ Tackling argument
I came across this video whilst browsing. It is an interesting comparison of two similar tackles, but from two different eras. The first tackle was no penalty…good tackle…play on; the second by Digby was deemed illegal and earned him 5 weeks on the sideline. This video was posted in response to a Green & Gold Rugby article, ‘call me old fashioned by what a bunch of soft cocks.’
Striking a balance between player safety and recognising that rugby is still a contact sport is surely the only way to approach this debate, if it even is a debate. Football codes are battling to ‘out do’ each other and be attractive to fans. Safe play is not only the only acceptable way to base decisions but it also something that will never be reversed. If we want junior participation rates to keep up with other codes, rugby has to not only be a safe sport but SEEN to be a safe sport. It is imperative that the men behind the scenes come down hard on those who do the wrong thing. However – and this is equally important - consistency is the key. It will be interesting to see if Digby’s suspension sets a precedent for similar tackles for the rest of the season and beyond.
Tweets
Annoyed(@willcarling): Bloke on train thinks he is in Olympic 'type-a-thon'. Never heard someone hit the keys so loudly!! SHUT UP! It is not impressing anyone!!
Energy Drink(@BalmainRugby):Remember Tang? Before the days of Gatorade, this was the tonic of the gods for pre-game hydration.
Don’t miss this...
For those of you who didn’t get to see this crazy try, have a watch! I watched it at least 5 times and still can’t believe they got it down.
Hodgie’s Jokes (he’s not actually sending them in, but we’re blaming him for the quality.)
Facebook recently announced they would pay $1 Billion for Instagram. Idiots! They could have downloaded it for free.
My mate just ‘tweeted’: “spending the night in with my girl”…I couldn’t help but chuckle. My Girl is a crap film!
The Hospital Chart Diaries:
'The patient has no previous history of suicides'.
'Patient has two teenage children, but no other abnormalities'
'She stated she had been constipated for most of her life, until she got a divorce' [The ex-husband is feeling much better too! – Ed.]
I hope you all enjoyed the opening weekend of the season and the wet weather training this week.
Cheers,
Wonderboy Holding
@subbiesrugby
Holding’s Bits 26 April 2012
MICHAEL LYNAGH, WEEK 3 ROUND UP, ‘THAT TACKLE ARGUMENT’, REFEREEING, TRIVIA TEASER, AUS v NZ, TWEETS & DAD JOKES.
Michael Lynagh
Subbies Rugby wishes Michael Lynagh a speedy recovery after he suffered a stroke last week.
The Wallabies have set up a page directing fans to where they can send their support to the much-loved former flyhalf:
Here is a reminder of THAT dramatic ’91 World Cup Try that defeated the Irish:
B&F Prizes
Remember, your club has been given tickets to be used as prizes for your club'sBest & Fairest players. That's a total of 540 tickets across five selected Waratahs matches - going to 54 Subbies players for each of those 5 matches. Thanks to the Waratahs for providingthis great prize. We hope the270 B&F winners (and their partners) enjoy some great rugby.
Trivia Teaser
Well done to Alex Ryan who bagged the tickets to the Tahs v Crusaders this Sunday afternoon! The correct answer was of course George Smith.
The last two weeks I have gone for a ‘WHO AM I?’ but many of you are just too good!
This week I ask: Who will score the first try this Sunday afternoon in the Tahs v Crusaders game at Allianz Stadium? (KO 4:10pm).
I will take answers up until kick-off. If more than one correct answer is received the winner will be picked out of a hat. Remember, send your answers to , and get your tips in!
It’s gonna be a blockbuster afternoon of rugby on Sunday:
2.00-3.00pm:NSW Rugby Skills Clinic & player signing session
3.00pm:Curtain raiser – Qantas Men’s Sevens v New Zealand Sevens
4.10pm:HSBC Waratahs v Crusaders kick off
FULL DETAILS ON WARATAHS WEBSITE BY CLICKING HERE
Round Up - Week 2
Div 1
A tremendous effort by Colleagues on the weekend saw them overcome Mosman at Rawson Park in 5 grades! Their biggest win came in the Kentwell and Sutherland grades with the Woollahra boys claiming 30 and 40 point victories. The Dirty Reds of Drummoyne had a fruitful afternoon as they also won 5 grades, dominating against Hunters Hill at Drummoyne Oval, with only 2nd grade slipping up. Campbelltown have shown they are a force to be reckoned with in the opening two rounds, they won on home turf this time beating Old Iggies 36-14. St Pats recovered from opening day disappointment against the reigning Kentwell premiers by overturning Knox 24-3.
Div 2
Lots of points at Old Boys Ground this week as Kings were beaten 42-31 by Oatley in the Barraclough Cup, KOB’s own version of events are also available:
Balmain again impressed, this time winning away at Newport 29-10 and the muzzled wolves are setting the early pace in the Div 2 Club Champs. UNSW continued a victorious start to the season when they matched up against Forest, revamped David Phillips the venue. Briars responded from losing 4 grades in Round 1 to score wins in the Barraclough, Blunt and Richardson Cups. The Lindfield and Petersham clash was cancelled and consequently will play for double points the next time they meet.
Div 3
A massive 53 points was the difference at College Oval as UWSH demolished Hornsby on a bad day at the office for the Lions who lost 4 grades. UWSH on the other hand, clearly loved the rainy weather; they also scored a 34-0 victory in 2nds! Hills impressed at St George, racking up wins in the top 3 grades. There was a close encounter at Lapstone Oval, where Blue Mountains beat Waverley 18-16. Brothers v Merrylands and Hawkesbury Valley v Blacktown were both rained off. These fixtures have been postponed until the 26th May, so put the dates in your calendars Ladies and Gents.
Div 5
Clearly nobody in Div 5 was doing the rain dance as all games went ahead. However, There was all change in the Jeffrey Cup as Maccabi scored their first win, notching up 40 points against Rouse Hill. An eventful encounter at Wills saw Canterbury get over the line 5 times and get two in the bin as they scored a 34-22 win over Killara-West Pymble. The R’s continued to blossom, Redfield and Roseville winning in both grades for the 2nd week running! The Redfield boys will certainly fancy their chances of continuing that run this weekend when they face Notre Dame at home. Sydney Harlequins easily disposed of the Crusaders in Round 2, putting 45 points past the Notre Dame boys.
Div 6
The Dukes of Alexandria ran in 9 tries against Chatswood at Beauchamp Park, life in Subbies Rugby must be pretty enjoyable at the moment. What about Sydney Grammar Old Boys?!?! They have already scored 122 points in two games. I guess it was all that summer cross country they did…29 points again for Liverpool and another back to back win for a new entrant to the Meldrum this year, they beat Clovelly at Burrows Park. Burraneer also did well to bounce back from that big loss to Grammar on the opening day by beating Manly Savers at John Dwyer Oval.
Bad Decisions!
So some of you complain at some of the decisions made each weekend around the Subbies Competition, but it happens even at the highest level!