At a time when Australian rugby only seems to stop shooting itself in the foot when it pauses to reload, Perth Spirit’s maiden NRC title serves as a timely and jolting reminder that the game does indeed exist outside the so-called heartlands.
As if the number of players to have graduated from the NRC into Super Rugby the following season wasn’t enough of an endorsement, the number of fringe and injury-afflicted Wallabies who have returned to the squad this season only further underlines the importance of the competition in the Australian rugby calendar.
Though I wrote only a fortnight ago that an all-NSW Final might be the best thing for the competition’s health and awareness in Sydney – a point I stand by – I absolutely agree with the point a number of you made at the time, that a Perth Spirit win might just be the best thing for Australian rugby in general.
And I’m absolutely rapt for the team from the west for taking the title as they did. Having spoken to coach Dwayne Nestor and several players including skipper Heath Tessmann during the season, I’m genuinely thrilled with what they’ve been able to achieve and the manner in which they’ve achieved it.
All the headlines have been for the teams on the east coast, but all the while, the Spirit have just got on with their job, working hard for each other well away from the spotlight, knowing that team success would make it all worthwhile.
They would’ve have every right to blow up at the obviously deliberate timing of the Wallabies old boys last week threatening to hold the game to ransom, and with talk of rebel national competitions that, yep, you guessed it, only involved clubs in Sydney and Brisbane.
NSW Country skipper Paddy Ryan was annoyed enough to speak up at last Friday’s NRC Final media call in Sydney, offering, “I was a bit disappointed to see that brought up. It’s the week we should be worrying about the Bledisloe, in particular the [Wallaroos], and the NRC final.”
Perth going on to win the final in Tamworth on Saturday night should serve as a reminder of the excellent development work that goes on around the country, and especially in the areas outside the traditional strongholds of the game.
RugbyWA over the last couple of years have had tremendous success in the Junior Gold Cup programs, taking out the Under-15 title in 2016 (beating the ACT), and reaching the North Conference final in the Under-17s. It followed the 2015 result in which the U15s won and the U17s lost their respective Finals, both against the ACT.
Dwayne Nestor took on the Perth Spirit coaching role this season for the first time, but he’s been overseeing elite junior development in Western Australian for more than a decade. Think of a WA player to have come through the pathways in that time, and it’s a fair assumption that Nestor has coached him at some point.
In Saturday night’s Final, the Spirit were well led by the likes of Tessmann, and Ben Tapuai, Luke Morahan, Jono Lance, Ian Prior, and Pek Cowan, guys who all made their way west to continue their professional careers.
But it was the performances of guys like tighthead prop Jermaine Ainsley, hooker Anaru Rangi, backrower Ross Haylett-Petty, and scrumhalf Ryan Louwrens that should really be noticed, as these young WA locals have all come through those crucial development pathways. All of them have played Super Rugby, too.
The inaugural Phil Waugh Medal was deservedly won by Perth opensider Richard Hardwick, by far the best the player on the field, and who was absolutely phenomenal in defence and especially at the breakdown. Western Force fans worried about life after Matt Hodgson need worry no more.
Hardwick, too, has already played Super Rugby, and has been a member of the Spirit squad since the inception of the NRC.
Namibian born and Perth-raised, Hardwick has just signed a two-year deal with the Force, and is a graduate of the same Future Force program that has also fast-tracked young forwards Kane Koteka and Harry Scoble into professional rugby. Of the eight players currently in the Future Force program, five of them have already played at NRC level, as a minimum.
“The focus on junior talent has always been here, but I think the way they’re channelling their energy through the Future Force program and developing all the young players through the Junior Gold Cup now is great,” Tessmann told me late last week.
“This period during the NRC is when you really notice the amount the amount of work going in, because although we train at night to allow for the guys who work during the day, you go down there and there’s five fields full of kids from 13 through to 17, boys and girls, and training for Sevens and even an Under-19 competition next year.
“It’s great to see the number of kids wanting to take the next step and actually being offered that opportunity as well,” he said.
It’s a major reason why Tessmann at last Friday’s media call said talk of culling the Western Force was “absolutely a bit premature.”
Perth absolutely deserve their moment in the sun, and their NRC win should be being celebrated nationally. But we all know that no-one does self-interest and politick quite like Australian rugby.
And the shame of that is that when certain figures within the game would rather keep the blinkers on and look inwards, the one limb that everyone seems ready to cut off might just be doing the whole rugby development thing better than anyone else.
Republican
Guest
.........the buffoon would display far less ignorance than yours good self Mike, to be sure. So what planet do you hail from? You clearly need to educate yourself on the history and DNA of the indigenous code in respect of the nations capital. There a numerous publications I can refer you to on the subject if you are sincerely interested, while it is NOT AFL it is Australian Football. Briefly, the code has been supported robustly here since its inception over 100 years ago and especially so in the 50's through 80's when most of its inhabitants followed the VFL, many of us hailing from Melbourne and it was indeed the number one footy code during this period evidenced by the support through the gate at the local ACAFL every weekend.
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
Nicely said Digger and absolutely spot on, but you do realise that we cannot have an intelligent unbiased post on the site? :) I'm not sure if there is a tipping competition for the EOYTs, so perhaps the DiggerCane can predict how many matches will the AB, SB and WB lose over the next 6 weeks? :)
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
Nicely written Brett and some very good points about the rewards of having a viable Rubgy program working from juniors and going UP. Nice article by our Brettman on the Aussie Rugby site about the final and in general the NRC competition to date. Read here http://www.rugby.com.au/news/2016/10/23/08/13/nrc-grand-final-review This years NRC was so much better in that most games were on Saturdays or Sundays. If you are going to spread the word in the rural areas (a great idea) then the crowds (mum, dad and the kids) will show up on weekend afternoons, providing there is some local prior promotion. Even the Tahs have twigged to this with more Sunday arvo matches. The final was a disaster in crowd numbers but a success in viewers. I think some more thought needs to be put in there for it had to be a Saturday afternoon game. Sadly the Real Rulers of Rugby (RRR) aka Foxtel wanted to show the Women's Aus vs Kiwi game so the match got put AFTER the Bled match, a guarantee of no crowd. One major problem was the NRC getting airspace in the main stream media when the two major competitors were playing their finals. Even so its pretty infuriating that most of the MSM (Fairfax I'm looking at you) have for their own reasons totally ignored the NRC. So Brett, we thank you for your time and efforts in feeding us minions the NRC news. If only there was more like you. Many Thanx :)
Nomad
Guest
Exactly i enjoyed the final on Fox and great to see a western upset - just days after the rebellion from the "its all about Sydney" brigade! I didnt realise that WA had so much success at junior level... that speaks a lot for their development paths. thanks for that info Brett.
Republican
Guest
........another departure from the Brumbies, this time Larkham. I reckon their axing from the Super comp is imminent and the inner sanctum are fully aware.
Digby
Roar Guru
A bit late to this but the whole debate around the origins of the players is absolutely mind boggling. It flat out does not matter, what matters is that the best players are given an opportunity to progress up the ranks, ultimately benefiting the Wallabies. Imagine for a second if restrictions were applied in NZ, the Hurricanes and Blues would have stockpiled so much talent it would have been ridiculous. The Chiefs squad had 20 players not hailing from their catchment, let alone the highlanders. Some areas are bigger than others and the talent has to be spread, simple really. WA is obviously benefiting from Rugby exposure and it needs to continue. Its a no brainer.
Republican
Guest
.....the Brumbies are a mess financially and administratively. Their team manager has now departed as well as Picklock announcing his this week. I think they know that the writing is on the all but I hope I am wrong.
Bakkies
Guest
Who cut and paste articles from the Sydney press.
Bakkies
Guest
The south coast is south of Goulburn
robel
Roar Pro
Interesting you claim the Force can't fund itself. How about the Brumbs who are in debt an order of magnitude more than the Force received for their naming rights (and are not in debt). Or the bailouts to the Reds and Tahs in the last 3-8years amounting to quite a few millions, or the ongoing money pit that is the Rebs who are receiving an additional $6mil over 5years from last year on top of the normal funds. The Force is vital to to WA and Australian Rugby, far in excess of the pittance and help it has received over the last 12 years since its inception.
robel
Roar Pro
Excellent response Sheikh. There is far too much ignorant commentary of the "localness" of the composition of the Force/Spirit, too the extent that players like DHP, RHP, Godwin, etc are are never refered to as WA players, always so and so from Zim or X from RSA despite them having learnt a significant amount of their rugby here. Pretty much all of this commentary is from people who have never stepped west of the Darling to see for themselves what is happening here. I might add that this is mostly despite the treatment of WA Rugby by the ARU rather than because of it. I had several mates visit from Vic a couple of years ago, they were dads of young rugby players there, but were astounded at the spectacle of Britannia Park on a winters Saturday morning.
Mike
Guest
Canberra was never any where an AFL city in the 60's and 70's. And anyone who says so is immediately relegated to buffoon.
Mike
Guest
There's hardly any junior Rugby south of Goulburn now Gatesy. And once you get to the Riverina it is non existent bar carnival days and the odd school visit. Very tough market down there for Rugby mate.
Sheikh
Roar Rookie
The Spirit side is listed here: https://www.rugbywa.com.au/perth-spirit with local club affiliation. 13 of the players were called up from the Pindan league and another 5 were already in the Force Future (EPS). 18 players are listed as Force players (note: Coleman didn't play for the Spirit this year) of which half made it into the Force via promotion from club rugby. So more than 25 of the Spirit players made it in via the Pindan league. Now that includes players born in WA, players born elsewhere in Australia and players born outside Australia. Take these two examples: 1) Ross Haylett-Petty was born in South Africa and his family moved to Perth when he was 5. 2) Michael Ruru is a Kiwi who came to Perth for work. He played local club rugby, promoted first to Premier grade and then to the Spirit, and has just signed a Force contract. He's not a foreign marque player the Force have signed, he's worked his way into the team through the local pathway. Do you call neither, one or both of these two as local players from Perth? Neither were born there, although RHP learned his rugby in Perth and Ruru improved his rugby in the West. Arguably, both could be put down as 'local' talent.
Trevor Higgins
Guest
Although I agree with your sentiment that the ARU needs to move away from its "traditional" base for the growth and survival of the game. The question needs to be answered, how many players in the Perth team are local juniors from Perth? If the answer is > 10 then yes cop that the ARU. If however these players went through the usual private school system, then were contracted to the Force and by default played for Perth in the NRC, then you provide support for the ARU and their narrow minded approach
Republican
Guest
......to be sure. It will be a glacial like growth while Union remains a niche code throughout the nation and non more so than in non Union states i.e. Vic and WA. I simply like to remind everyone of this fact at moments i.e. these, when the hyperbole reaches fever pitch as it seems to have here in respect of WA state of the Union. The fact remains throughout all brands today, growth is not conditional to GR anyway. A codes cultural story of historical patronage is virtually irrelevant at the elite tier. So while the Perth Spirits spoils may present the opportunity to exaggerate the DNA of the game there, it should be promoted in the context of those traditional Rugby states who made this all possible. We now have a situation whereby a traditional Rugby territory in the ACT and Southern NSW, is likely to be usurped by WA at the Super Rugby tier, for Sanzas bottom line commercial gain. This is wrong and incredibly disenfranchising to heartlands of respective codes around the nation but alas it is all too common and certainly not exclusive to Rugby Union.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Except looking at the Rebels contracted locals, the majority (Leota, Siliva, Tuipolotu & Sa'aga) were actually born in Melbourne. My family heritage is Serbian and so is my surname. You may be shocked to know that me and my father have never even been to Serbia.
ScottD
Guest
Thanks very much Beagle. I have also signed it. It needs 30,000 I reckon and it should get there within 3 weeks at the current rate
andrewM
Guest
I am one of those rare WA beasts - A locally born West Aussie who played Rugby. Yes, expats make a massive part of the WA population whether they be saffas, kiwis, welsh, irish, scottish or english. The important thing to note however is many of those expats stay - and have kids, so regardless of their heritage, they are providing the next generation of rugby players - and thus growing the game.
Republican
Guest
.....not an advocate of Trump but can understand why many disenfranchised blue collars in the US have got on board. Clearly globalisation has failed them while the same fiscally dominated philosophy is failing sport at this tier as well.