By Mark Cashman

The story Around The Traps had in mind when we trawled our way through the results from the NSW Junior State Championships over the King’s Birthday weekend was of the tsunami of talent that is coming through the Two Blues system.

The Two Blues won the Under 14s and Under 15s titles, many of these age groups stringing together a number of titles in recent years, but the reality of the situation is far from being as simple as that.

I’ve been told that the footy talent scouts are already circling – in the past they wouldn’t start to show interest until the final couple of years of school – and now kids in those Under 14s, 15s and 16s age groups and their parents are being actively courted.

From the Two Blues Under 14 rep squad that played through the Long Weekend, six have already been offered deals (support, school fees etc) to join other Shute Shield clubs.

Pretty much the same for that Two Blues Under 15s side with a couple already in conversations with their families to move.

I reckon the senior club is doing a pretty good job of getting their act together in the junior pathway area but they aren’t as well resourced as clubs further east.

There is an enormous amount of footy talent in Sydney’s west, more than enough to go around but it’s so important that a local pathway to achieve stuff in the game is on show.

A bit further up the coast Hunter had some good results from the NSW Country Championships winning the Under 13 and Under 15 boys, the Under 14 girls and the Under 18 boys titles.

Let’s hope that many of these not only stay in our game but also are inspired to become a Wildfire.

These junior titles are an essential part of the Shute Shield pathway and it continues to provide rugby experiences that stay with boys and girls for a very long time.

Last weekend 211 teams took part in the championships from Under 10s right through to Under 18s in both boys and girls.

Even without the U10-U12 teams running around, the titles still reached a total of 498 games over the three days.

Here’s a list of the winners from the weekend:

NSW Junior State Championships 2024
• U13 Boys – The B.J.Gregory Shield – ACTJRU
• U14 Girls – The Phil Warner Trophy – Sydney Uni-Penrith / Illawarra
• U14 Boys – The Hawton Trophy – Two Blues
• U15 Boys – The John Goddard Shield – Two Blues
• U16 Girls – The Kerry Brady Shield – Central Coast
• U16 Boys – The Chas Hansen Trophy – Randwick
• U18 Girls – The J.B.Carroll Shield – Sydney Uni
• U18 Boys – The NSWJRU Shield – Randwick

The Sydney Cups 2024
• U13 Boys – The U13 Sydney Cup – Penrith
• U14 Girls – The P.G.Taylor Cup – Sydney Uni-Penrith
• U14 Boys – The B.O.Killham Cup – Two Blues
• U15 Boys – The G.I.Ferris Cup – Warringah
• U16 Girls – The A.A.P.Cooper Cup – Manly
• U16 Boys – The A.E.Fisher Cup – Randwick
• U18 Girls – The S.J.R.U Cup – Sydney Uni
• U18 Boys – The W.M.A.Hunt Cup – Randwick

The NSW Country Champs 2024
• U13 Boys – Hunter
• U14 Girls – Hunter
• U14 Boys – Illawarra
• U15 Boys – Hunter
• U16 Girls – Central Coast
• U16 Boys – Mid North Coast
• U18 Girls – Central North
• U18 Boys – Hunter

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While we’re out west and talking about the Two Blues the club will honour members of their 1985 and 1986 Shute Shield premiership sides at Back to Parra day at The Eric this weekend when they host table toppers Warringah.

Organisers have heard from 22 of the 26 players who went back to back under the guidance of Paul Dalton in those years and it’s looming as a great day out for the club and the old boys.

Familiar names that will be there on the day include Peter Kay, who dabbles in the rugby podcasting world at the moment, John Gorman, Peter Koen, Glenn Goddard and Brad Selby.

Dalton, who now lives on the mid north coast and trains greyhounds (not sure if they are fast or slow at the moment) in his spare time, will be there while Rod Phelps from the Two Blues sides of the 1970s will be on hand.

An exhibition game between the “Parra-letics” and a Barbarians side will be staged at one point in the afternoon.

Around The Traps understands that one of the major concerns of the past players in recent weeks has been whether there will be enough beer on hand at The Eric to cope.

Only time will tell!

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We told you a few weeks back of the Norths-Gordon luncheon that is being held at the Crows Nest Hotel on the day before the two great Northside rivals clash at North Sydney Oval on June 22.

Well numbers are ticking over nicely and from what this humble correspondent understands it will be an afternoon of great memories, good food and great exaggeration.

The guest list includes Will Jephcott, Warwick Moss, Paddy Ryan, Peter Sherwood, Charlie Blunt, Norm Tasker, Murray Fox, John Taylor, Billy McKid, Michael Spalding and Greg Lindsay-Owen from there Gordon side of things.

From there Norths side there will be Reg Smith, Allen Anderson, Dick Ireland, Jerry Manuel, Dennis Turnbull, Graeme St John, Peter Carson, Dave Purll, Ian McKenzie, Vince Arena, Ron Polinghorne and Roger Cornforth.

An invitation has been extended to former Waratahs coach Darren Coleman and he’s seeing if his schedule can see him drop in. After all he coached at both clubs and delivered a premiership to the Highlanders.

Reg Smith and Norm Tasker will MC the afternoon and one of the many questions that will need to be addressed will be the identity of the Highlanders who kidnapped the portrait of John Thornett that once adorned the foyer of the old Norths club in Alfred St.

It was returned eventually and is now in the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra.

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In our previous items we spoke of Darren Coleman and it will be interesting to see where he lands after his contract wasn’t renewed – he certainly wouldn’t look out place at a leading Shute Shield club in my mind.

Seems though that the coaching situation at the Waratahs is having a knock on effect on the players and coaches with many not knowing if they are needed when there new regime arrives.

Decisions need to be made or the old horse in many cases will have bolted.

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Rugby News colleague Jonathan B. Geddes has a side hustle putting out the Warringah newsletter Rats Tales.

From the latest edition there is this item which I reproduce word for word because it’s just about impossible to improve on.

It read: “Why have Rats’ first grade players started calling a teammate ‘Ghost’.’

“Our Deep Throat has revealed it’s because the night before the Norths game the talented back took his girlfriend to a pottery class.

“And the other players were immediately reminded of the legendary pottery scene in the classic movie Ghost, starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore.

“If you don’t know what we are talking about, Google it.

“And if you know the player, you will probably never look at him the same way again.”

That’s gold!

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Around The Traps got a big data drop from the good people at Opta who collect statistic from every Shute Shield game this week.

Yes there are half truths, lies and statistics but in the look that I have had into the numbers there have been some very interesting trends.

Norths, Manly, Two Blues and Randwick emerged as the Shute Shield teams that get out of the blocks well in the first 20 minutes of each game.

On average Norths have scored 34 percent of their total points in that period with Manly getting 30 percent, the Two Blues 27 percent and Randwick 24 percent.

The Wicks though really rattle home in the final 20 picking up 36 percent of their points in that time, Norths tail off with only 18 percent but Warringah score 38 percent of their total in that time.

The other thing that comes through the numbers is the fact that club like the Hunter Wildfires, Easts and Warringah who have been running deep benches for their Shute Shield sides are the ones who come home well in those finals 20 minutes.