By Jonathan B Geddes

RANDWICK backrower Joel Ellis is a local lad who is one of those players worth their weight in gold to any genuine Shute Shield contender.

A product of great rugby nursery Waverley College in the heart of Galloping Greens territory, Ellis played with Randwick Colts, won a premiership in fourth grade, worked his way through the thirds, the seconds and finally into the top side.

On Saturday Ellis reaches a special milestone when he plays his 100^th grade game for his beloved club in Randwick’s Shute Shield clash with Souths at Forshaw Rugby Park.     

This season new coach Shaun Berne tapped the hardworking plumber on the shoulder, appointing him first grade skipper. It has proved a shrewd decision as he is a key reason why the team is currently sitting flush in sixth spot on the ladder and emerging as a real threat.

With the imminent arrival of several quality players from the MRL in America, it is no pipe dream to say the team led by Ellis will give the competition a real shake-up in the run home to the finals.

“He has waited his time and done the hard yards as a No.7,” Berne said of his skipper.

“He just rips in every week and puts his body on the line for the team, leading from the front as captain.”

Ellis follows in the footsteps of a lot of famous rugby names who have skippered Randwick through the years.

“I think any of those last captains would look at Joel and see the way he plays and be very proud that he is the captain this year,” Berne said.

A REAL CLUBMAN            

ELLIS’S durability is demonstrated by the fact that he has played almost minute of  the 13 rounds so far.

“He has just been a warhorse,” Berne said. “He is doing a great job considering all the injuries we have had.”

Ellis’s story is not seen in the Shute Shield nearly as often as it once was.   

“He is a local junior who grew up not far from Coogee Oval and is a local plumber with his family business,” Berne said.

One anecdote sums up the type of  bloke that Ellis is. 

“When the club needed to move a fridge earlier in the year Joel was there with his truck helping to move it – that’s who he is, he epitomises the club,” Berne said. “And he is proud to say he is fourth grade premiership-winner.”

LA CONNECTION PAYS OFF

RUGBY News can reveal Randwick’s finals hopes will be boosted considerably in coming weeks with several key additions arriving from the United States.

Randwick’s previous coach Steve Hoiles signed a number of Randwick players when he was appointed coach of Los Angeles in the MLR.

Berne hopes to welcome back former first grade skipper Ben Houston and centre Nick Chan in the next week or so, while hooker Ben Sugars will be on the bench this Saturday.

In another big acquisition, former Queensland Reds prop Dane Zander, who was also playing with LA, is joining the club.             

“The Randwick players have talked him into coming down to Sydney to join the back end of our season,” Berne said.

The club’s LA-based players have also convinced their halfback Tas Smith, a former Sydney University No.9, to make the move to Coogee.          

In addition, Jack Barrett and Michael McDonald are back from the Waratahs.

THE EXPENSIVE TOLL  

BERNE is looking is for more consistency from his side in the business end of the season.

“We have good weeks and we have bad weeks, but that’s probably a lot of teams in the Shute Shield this year,” Berne said. “There’s a couple of consistent teams but the rest of us are a bit hit and cold.”

A big turnover of players from last season and the heavy toll of first graders have been two key factors Berne has had to deal with.

The casualty list includes three shoulder reconstructions and three knee constructions in first grade alone.

“It is exciting because it gives the next person an opportunity but it means your squad struggles to get the cohesion you need playing alongside each other, ” Berne said.

 “I am not crying foul because there are other clubs with similar situations that have lots of injuries as well, but that has definitely affected our consistency.”

Randwick will look to consolidate their spot in the top six in the Souths game.