We’re into Round Three of the Shute Shield and as always the phone has been ringing hot with all the news and views from the greatest club competition in Australia. Here’s what we are hearing:

Words // MARK CASHMAN

What’s a Shute Shield derby without a few shots across the bow.

Well Northern Suburbs president GRAHAME O’DONNELL has fired a glancing blow at Gordon president MATT GLASCOTT as the two clubs prepare for the big North Shore Derby on Saturday at North Sydney Oval.

“Gordon are the defending premiers so good luck to them, but what must be niggling away in the back of their minds must be that we were the only club to beat them last season,” O’Donnell told Rugby News earlier this week.

“We showed the competition what needed to be done to beat them, but didn’t get the chance to finish the job for a number of reasons.

“As you know if we had a few things go our way in that game against Eastwood in the wet at Rat Park that grand final might have gone another way.

“Matt and I go back a long way but the friendship is going to be parked away until full-time on Saturday. His calls are going straight to message bank I’m afraid.”

President Glascott returned fire.

“They tell me had it not been raining they would have beaten Eastwood and they would have beaten us easily in the GF,” Glascott opined.

“They clearly feel they are the better team, so I guess it’s up to Gordon to prove otherwise come Saturday.

“Norths still blame Gordon for when Laurie Monaghan kicked a field goal in 1981 after the bell to relegate them to second division and they have never forgiven us for borrowing the portrait of John Thornett for a short period without asking them.”

Gotta love a derby!

FOOTNOTE: The John Thornett painting was donated to the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra a number of years ago where the security is probably a little bit higher than in the front foyer of the old Norths club back in the day.

******

You learn a lot about rugby players in this job but TYSON DAVIS threw out a beauty in Rugby News’ match program for the Warringah v Randwick game last weekend at Rat Park.

Apart from revealing that he doesn’t mind a round of golf from time to time and plays off a handicap of two, Davis said he once had an obsession with reptiles and had a room at home devoted entirely to the creatures.

“At one point I had an entire room which was ceiling to floor snake and lizard tanks,” Davis said.
Davis played his 100th game for the Rats against the Wicks and looks to be in Super Rugby shape at this end of the season which is good for all.

Rats coach MIKE RUTHVEN feels secure with Davis there in his midfield and said as much when asked.

“We know what we get from Tyson and I liked what I saw against Randwick,” Ruthven said.

******

Rugby News would like to send a shout to the couple that had their wedding reception at Woollahra Oval on the Saturday that Eastern Suburbs took on Sydney Uni in a final trial before the start of the Shute Shield.

Around about 50 people were housed in a tent at the northern end of the game and were able to look on at different times throughout the afternoon to see who was on top and looking good.

I’d never be so brave to suggest such a venue but there must have been some sort of agreement for things to land where they did.

May they have many wonderful winters together!

******

Eastern Suburbs coach PAULI TAUMOEPEAU has always been a class act but this column has got to give him a big tick for the way that he handled himself in the wake of his side’s last minute loss to Manly last weekend.

Once the dust had settled Taumoepeau made sure that he sought out Marlins coach MATT MCGOLDRICK to congratulate him.

It had been one hell of a week for McGoldrick in the wake of the Marlins 78-10 loss to Gordon in Round One and there was the expected post mortem from all at the club.

“He just said that he was really happy for me and that most coaches at some stage have weeks like that,” McGoldrick told Rugby News.

As they say in the classics, winning on Saturday arvo fixes most things!

******

There’s been a lot of noise about the opinions of Eastwood coach BEN BATGER on the selection of BEN DONALDSON ahead of TANE EDMED for the Waratahs in recent weeks.

As Batger said to this column it was never about the players involved.

“I never said that Ben (Donaldson) was a bad player,” Batger said.

“What I was talking about was the process that was used to come up with that selection.”

Hard to argue with Tahs coaches JASON GILMORE and CHRIS WHITAKER about this one but I hope that Batger continues to speak out when he has an opinion about something in our game.
Forthright opinion and oodles of honesty are needed to make our game great again.

******

Rugby News is hearing that a major re-think is about to get underway about the way that Waratahs academies are structured and run.

Many will say that it about time to try something new and that the next wave of talent needs to be playing some footy at club level.

Interesting see where that one ends up.

******

There are milestone all round the Shute Shield community and it’s always a milestone when you rack up 100 games.

Northern Suburbs will honour a couple on Saturday against Gordon at North Sydney Oval with TOMMY EVANS and OSCAR DOUGHTY notching up the ton.

Norths are not like some clubs in the Shute Shield and only credit games when you are selected and run on to start a match which makes BON ANDREWS feat of playing 600 plus one hell of an effort.

Old ‘Bon’ was still hacking around well into his 50s and always used to say that you
never retired you only were no longer were selected.

IMAGE: KAREN WATSON