Olá amigos
I open today with a heavy heart in acknowledging the passing of Brian Johnstone (24th March 1934 – 11th July 2024), long standing stalwart and life member of the Club.
Brian joined the Dirty Reds at the end of 1952 and played in the backs as a half, fly-half and full-back until 1966, tallying 239 games for the club including 73 in first grade.
He became the Club’s Delegate to the Sydney and NSW Rugby Unions, and served on the Executive Committees of those Unions as well as the Australian Rugby Union during the period up to 1985.
Brian was also elected Club President in 1987 and 1988, and provided strong support and leadership in all Club deliberations.
In recognition of his service to both Club and Rugby, he was acknowledged with Life Membership in 2008.
Vale.
I hope the sun is shining and the winds have died down in your world this week. The rugby gods know we need a bit of a break as certainly the winds of disappointment, discontent and injury were blowing pretty hard through our club last week, with only the Colties saving our proverbial hides from a complete ‘blue rinse’ at the hands of the Waverlians from Upper Bondi. And what else can I say? Look, congratulations must be offered to Waverley, as on the day when the DDR traipsed to Bondi Heights, to face the competition leaders across so many grades, they pretty roundly handed us our backsides. Some may not like me being so forthright. But I’m not sure what else we expected to find when fronting up to spread of teams who, across the board, have performed so well all year, especially when we took only quivers half full of arrows and seemingly hearts only half committed to use what little we brought along. Thus we went to play table-toppers ill-prepared and as a result we ‘got done’. But, in the words of my Old Man, “What’s done is done Boy, all I can change is what happens next.” So with that, let’s stare the match reviews in the face to learn what lessons we can, and then pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and then go head-long into the fray again as we set ourselves for Lindfield at home this coming weekend.
Sutherland Cup (5th Grade) – Forfeit 28-0
Yep, you read that right. We told Waverley we would bring a team, and so there must have been 15 names on a team sheet somewhere, but the best we could manage was about 9 lads on-field prior to kick-off – with about half of those being Juddo’s masquerading as Sutho’s anyway. So the pin was pulled on that sad & sorry state of affairs before it got messy. Maybe I’ve just always been lucky, but that was a first for me, as in now 45yrs of playing rugby, I’ve not ever been in a team actually on-field to then have the game declared a forfeit. That said, a scratch match of sometimes 7’s and sometimes 10’s did ensue to give everyone a run at least, and all I’ll say there is that whilst our lads were valiant, it was a good thing the match was forfeited to post only a 28-0 score.
The forfeit puts the Waves Brekky Club at 9 from 9 for 44pts as they continue on their merry way and good luck to them. Alternatively, it also leaves the Red Sutho’s on 1 win from 10 starts for 13pts and so 5th on table, 3pts ahead of Hunters and 5pts adrift Lindfield, this weeks opponents, in 4th. So yes, it makes this upcoming weekend critical to the Red Sutho’s season if there is any aspiration to make the semi’s, but the good thing about that is that every day is a new day and there is little in life as unpredictable as a game of 5th grade. So grab your boots and grab your bits lads, let’s get it on.
Judd Cup (4th grade) – Lost 64-0
The Red Jugheads came to Upper Bondi with 2 wins from 9 starts for 17pts and 5th on ladder to face the undefeated 10 from 10 Waverlians, comfortably ensconced in 1st placed. To be honest, the mood among the Red Men beforehand was not great and the warm-up was hardly seamless or conducive to a surfeit of confidence going into the clash. But it was what it was and regardless of the circumstances, the lads took the field and set-to with the opening whistle.
Frankly it’s difficult to say anything positive about a scoreline like that, so I’ll just be methodical. Scrums were generally an even contest and whilst a couple ‘got ugly’ in each direction, all clearances went with the feeds. Similarly, lineouts were about even, if not slightly in Red favour. Wind made throwing a nightmare to anywhere but front options, and so it was hardly surprising that both sides dropped 2 or 3 of their own throws. Generally the damage was done in three places: firstly, the Waves deployed a smart kicking game, leveraging the wind well, to consistently pin the DDR inside our own quarter. Secondly, simple missed tackles by Red Men then gave too many midfield breaks to an opponent all to capable in exploiting such opportunity. And thirdly, we wasted our own ball through breakdown turnovers via a combination of poor ball security and inaccurate cleanout to give away what little possession we had. Given those realities, it is of no real surprise that our opponents scored 10 tries, and that there was then some strong words in a pretty despondent dressing shed afterwards.
The blue victory puts the Waverlians at 11 from 11 with 51pts and out of sight as table toppers whilst Drummoyne are 2 from 10 on 17pts for 5th. The upcoming adversaries Lindfield are 3rd on table with 7 from 10 for 30pts and so are positioned as a significant test for the Red Juddo’s on the upcoming weekend. Again, what’s done is done and cannot be undone. All I can change is what happens next. So what’s it gunna be lads?
Whiddon Cup (3rds) – Lost 21-12
Coming into the match on the back of 2 quite tight and disappointing losses, the Red Widows were 3 from 9 for 18pts and 5th on table, and so all things being equal were due for a win. However they were running into the 9 from 10 and 1st placed Waverlians, who had been given a cracking start to their day by insipid Red performances. So whilst the Red spirits were up, it was also going to be an uphill battle for the Thirsties if they wanted to drink the wine.
Comments from Supercoach Scully were unusually somewhat scarce afterwards, but essentially the Red men actually dominated most of the match, but that wasn’t then reflected on the scoreboard. Basically an opening pie to Cal Boland went unsauced and was then overtaken by a pair of sauced pies to the Blues. Ben Austin took a pie back, duly sauced by Nic Scully, but a closing pie and sauce to the Blue, on-top of another disallowed pie to the Red Men (the 3rd in 2wks), made the result not just three losses on the trot, but also the third loss for the red Thirsties in somewhat controversial circumstances.
Points went as 3pts to Cal Boland, 2pts to Ben Austin and 1pt to Tom Sidgreaves.
The loss leaves Waves at 10 from 11 for an unassailable 49pts in top spot whereas the Red Widows are 3 from 10 on 18pts in 5th spot. That means that not only do the Red Widows need to win all three matches from now until end of season, but they also need some other results to go there way to lock-in a semi spot. However, those elements are outside the lads control and they must focus on what they can, and that begins this coming weekend as they face up and tear into Lindfield, who with their 5 from 10 for 26pts, are currently in 4th spot.
Barbour Cup (Colts) – Won 19-10
With the previous weekends win over the Blue Goats, the Red BaaBaa’s were 3 from 9 for 16pts and in 5th spot on table, while the Waverlians were 2 from 8 for 9pts and so last on table. As such the Red BaaBaas were shaping to be critical to the day, not just for themselves to revenge the first round loss to the Waves, but to stay in-touch with the Top4, and to put some self-respect back into a ‘bloody average’ day for the club as a whole. And with thanks to the Rugby Gods above, they did not disappoint.
Comments from Supercoach Rowdy were that after losing narrowly in the first round the boys were keen rectifying that ‘anomaly’ and so were ‘up for it’ from the start. That said, in keeping with the blustery breeze, the first half was a scrappy affair, typified by the cheese served to the Blue 7 for high tackling, but things improved in the second half. Tries to Will Hobson, Luke Qalovakarua and Peni Saurara, with 2 conversions to Nick Long, were enough to out-do the two unsauced pies to the Blues, and the lads were pleased as punch (as were the rest of the club) to make it two wins in two starts.
Best on ground was Josh Rhodes who took 3 points, Luke Q took 2 and Will Hobson took 1.
The win squeezes the lads into 4ths spot on table with 4 wins from 10 starts and so 20pts, a solitary 1pt above 5th placed Colleagues on 19pts. Accordingly, the upcoming foray against Lindfield, currently in 6th with 3 from 11 on 13pts, is vital for the potential 5pts on offer as the business end of the season hovers into view. So go get after it lads, show what you can do and keep your destiny in your own hands.
Burke Cup (2nds) – Lost 19-15
Coming off a mini-run of victories (2 from 2), the Red Burkies came into Saturday at 5 from 9 for 23pts and so 4th on table. That said, the upcoming opponents Waverley were top of the table with 9 from 9 for 41pts and looking to be a mighty challenge. So saying that the Red Burkies were the underdogs, and the Waverlians were the clear favourites, was an exercise in the obvious. But the gods do love a battler, and so the Red Burkies were confident of tipping over their more fancied opponents, if they played their cards right. However it was not to be.
Comments from Supercoach Woz were focused on the fact that the Red Burkies took more positives from the match than negatives. In-terms of the match as it was, perhaps it was the pressure of the occasion, but the first half saw poor options and unnecessary penalties given away, and so the lads had only made life hard against a team known for playing high possession footy. Thus the score at oranges was a disappointing 19-0 against the good guys. However the second stanza saw the Red Men correct their posture, return to the paddock seemingly a different team and so turn everything around. With pies to fan favourites Fitzy and Jimmy Vuniwa, Drummoyne finished the game camped on the Waverley tryline and hammering away in-search of what would be the winning pie, only to come up short for time as the final whistle sounded. While disappointed to lose, Supercoach was nonetheless philosophical afterwards, noting that against the benchmark teams it is always easier to chase than to contest, but also somewhat buoyant in commenting the Red players walked away now knowing they’re capable of defeating any opposition on their day.
Best for Drummoyne were the irrepressible Kisa, Tom Warr and dynamo James Leong.
The loss puts the Red Burkies at 5 from 10 for 24pts and so 4th on-table, a mere 3pts in-front of 5th placed Forest. Therefore, in light of the finals series now rapidly approaching, it is imperative the lads have a solid week of training, get their house back in order and roll out next weekend against the 1 from 11 for 10pts and so stone motherless last Lindfieldians to put them soundly to the sword and take the 5pts on-offer to consolidate a spot in the top bracket of the table. Get it done lads.
Summary
And so there ends the Lower Grade Review of the day we went to Bondi Heights in 2024. Essentially, things started badly but got better as the day wore on for the middle graders, as while 5ths and 4ths were not good, 3rds and 2nds were more than just competitive and consider themselves unlucky to have not won, but it was Colties that flew the flag with pride and so deserve our admiration (Thank God). All that said, acknowledgement must go to the Waverley Club. They are top of table across nearly all grades for a reason – they play good footy. And they demonstrated that all day long with aggressive, clinical displays of generally well disciplined, accurate and intelligent play.
The final weeks of the competition are closing in now, with fixtures against Lindfield, Mosman and Forest on the calendar, and no grade assured of a semi final spot as yet. In-fact, most of us a fighting for our chance and in general are also needing other results to go our way to make it to semi’s. But that said, no one is out of the picture either. So it’s boots on and mouthguards in lads. Get your heads screwed on and your backsides to training, and lets make a proper push at semi’s, if not for yourselves then for the club and your mates, in a most auspicious year.
First Grade is yet to come and I’ll leave that encounter to the scintillating and dulcet tones of Kenny Stevenson.
Boire le vin
Nutta.
1st Grade V Waverley at Waverley – Loss 25 – 13
Coming off a fine win the previous week the Drummoyne first graders were confident when we travelled to Waverley Oval for the Round 11 clash.
On what was a cold and very windy day the result did not go our way and unfortunately our No 10 Jackson Parfitt sustained a very serious ankle dislocation and broken leg mid-way into the first half. Jackson underwent surgery Saturday night and has advised that he is settling into his recovery.
With the wind behind them in the first half Waverley kept playing for field position but once again it was the tenacious Dirty Red online defence that prevented the opposition crossing the line. Reds No 9 Ben Halmarrick opened the scoring by kicking a penalty goal to put the Reds in front.
The game was being dominated by defence and in particular outstanding low driving tackling from No 6 Zech Browden and Ben Faavae who returned after a few weeks away. Both teams kicked penalties and it was 6 all at half time.
The second half resumed after a long break waiting for the ambulance for Jackson and the Drummoyne coaches were confident that if we used the wind, our attack and strong defence would prevail.
However, Waverley had other ideas and after 7 penalties in a row against us the referee awarded a penalty try to Waverley and the game turned and it went the oppositions way thereafter. Two runaway tries followed before a penalty finally came our way following red card to Waverley for a high shot but the game was gone.
Inside centre Visesio “Junior” Amituanai played his best game in the Red jersey this season with some damaging defence and breaking though the maul with the ball and scoring next to the posts. Dead Eye converted and there was hope of a comeback but we ran out of time.
The disappointment was obvious in the sheds however the team have confidence in themselves and remain in the hunt to make the top 4 come the semifinal time in 4 weeks.
Ken Stevo
3 points – Junior
2 points – Zech
1 point – Ben Faavae