by Paul Cook –

A slow start to the inaugural NRC competition for the Greater Sydney Rams last year, turned into a case of ‘so near, so far’, as three wins and an ultimately costly draw meant they missed out on finals footy by a point – despite having lost one game fewer than 4th placed Perth Spirit.

A complete overhaul in both the coaching and playing ranks saw respected ex-Wallaby Jim Williams take the reins, placed in charge of a fresh-faced squad full of promising – but still ultimately raw – potential. But while a narrow loss to last year’s semi-finalists, NSW Country Eagles, in round one, imbued a positive outlook for the season ahead, it proved to be a false dawn as inconsistency, injuries and that lack of nous and know-how at the next level, left them ripe for the picking.

One win and seven losses meant the Rams were looking up at everyone else by the competition’s end, and when Rugby News caught up with coach Williams a couple of weeks ago to dissect the season, he reflected on a rewarding albeit frustrating few months at the helm, while ruing what might have been had the cards fallen a touch differently.

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Give us a brief overview of the season from your perspective?

“There were a couple of games that we let slip by a couple of points, the first one against NSW Country and also against Queensland Country and Melbourne Rising, where we actually scored more tries. That largely came down to kicking and another 15pts across those three games puts a whole new perspective on how the ladder looks. There were some tight games there and obviously, we got touched up by the Vikings and Brisbane City too, but we had a young group so consistency was always going to be an issue for us.

Important to get off to a good start in a short competition and had that 1pt loss to the NSW Country Eagles been reversed in round one, do you think things might have played out differently?

“They could have. Momentum is a big thing in short competitions and you haven’t got a lot of time to get yourself into the NRC so if we had started off with a win, it certainly would have put us in good shape, especially with such a young and inexperienced group at that level.”

A week’s bye and then a trip to Canberra to play a side that went on to reach the grand final. The Rams had some good moments but ended up shipping a few (58-26) and after three rounds you were already behind the eight-ball. Could the draw have been a little kinder in that regard?

“Not really. Like I said, with the nature of it being a short competition and the quality of some of the sides you have to play, I don’t think the draw was an issue for us, it was just a matter of consistency. Having players involved with clubs in the finals series at Shute Shield level made it difficult for us to get our combinations together and get guys going, and those kind of things didn’t help us with small mistakes and turnover ball, an area where the better teams really punished us. When you’re getting 8pts scored against you on a regular basis against those teams, it makes it very difficult to come back.”

Round Four saw a clash with Queensland Country at Forshaw Park, a big chance to rack up the first win against a side also in and around the bottom of the ladder at that point. The lead changed hands throughout the 80 minutes until Country got home in the last five. Was that game a missed opportunity?

“Yeah, it was and once again, it was down to our goal-kicking. We had blokes in the squad that do kick but obviously not on a regular basis and that was an issue for us this year. It’s something the Rams are going to need to address moving forward into the next NRC season in 2016.”

A week later, the Rams produced arguably their best performance of the season, going down by a point to Melbourne Rising, last year’s Minor Premiers. Were you left feeling pleased with the effort against one of the competition heavyweights but also frustrated that you couldn’t see it through?

“It was probably the best 80 minutes of actual footy we played all season but we lost Jed Holloway to the bin at a crucial time and having one or two players off the field for 10-20 minutes of a game, especially in the NRC, makes it near impossible to try and win or even compete and that did for us a bit that day. There was a discipline issue with us throughout the competition – I think we were near the top in terms of sin-binnings – and there were two or three games where we had a couple of players off at any one time, which obviously makes life difficult.”

The team was O and 4 going into the Sydney Stars clash at Leichhardt Oval, and really needed to win that one if they were to maintain any hope of making the finals. Again, they started well but switched off just before half-time and couldn’t get back into it after the break?

“We fell into that trap a little bit about it being the NRC and wanting to make it attractive. With such a young group and those inexperienced combinations, the result was that we were trying to score every time we got the ball instead of trying to build phases and pressure and to a certain degree, play without the ball a little bit.

“We needed to get down to their half and put pressure back on them, but that composure to kick it back down there, chase and defend, was lacking. It was a case of inconsistency, a lack of patience in building pressure and not sticking to our structures and we paid the penalty for that. There are certain teams that know there are certain times when you need to play without the ball and be attacking with your defence. It is quicker at this level but I think you need to be able to do that at all levels of the game and it’s something that we didn’t master throughout the season.”

Finally, in game six, you get that all-important first win against the North Harbour Rays. I would imagine there was a bit of celebration after that one?

“We were backing up as well from a Sunday game into a Thursday game and we’d picked up a few injuries against the Stars, guys like Fili Tufui, who was playing really well. So we were bringing in players all the time who simply hadn’t played a lot of footy for six weeks. But in saying that, given the short turnaround and those players coming in at such short notice, I was very proud of them that night. It wasn’t a spectacular game, the conditions didn’t allow for it, but I was very proud of the boys going out there and getting that win.”

Having broken the duck, were you disappointed that the team couldn’t go on and grab another win after that or was there simply too much of a mismatch against Perth Spirit and Brisbane City in the remaining two rounds, given their rosters?

“We had a four day break and got the boys back in on a Monday ahead of the Perth match but I think the preceding Sunday/Thursday schedule – particularly at that time of the season – really took its toll mentally on the boys.

“The conditions were pretty harsh that day, it was very hot and the ground was as hard as rock but it was simple things that undid us on the day. We’d spoken before that game about getting back to basics and making sure we held the ball, stuck to our game plan and didn’t turnover ball but we didn’t do any of those things and it turned into a try-fest. The City game was pretty similar and obviously a disappointing way to end the season.”

Injuries are part and parcel of the game but missing someone like skipper Jed Holloway for three games was crucial. He scored six tries in his five appearances, led the team superbly well and was obviously a huge loss?

“Having the likes of Jed and Fili Tufui missing for three games each, and Hugh Roach was in and out too, just made life a lot more difficult for us. Siliva Siliva stepped in at hooker and did a really good job there but we lost Jai Ayoub for the last few rounds as well and had to move Paul Asquith around the backline positions and it’s just difficult to get any combinations and any kind of flow into a competition like the NRC when you’re constantly changing. We had around 10-12 injuries across the squad so we had to bring quite a few players in and that made it hard for us to really compete and play consistently well at that level.”

It’s fair to say that goal kicking was a major Achilles heel with a final tally of just 16 from 34 (47%). Can you put that down to anything in particular?

“It was just one of those things. We had plenty of guys who had been kicking but probably not on a regular basis in the Shute Shield and it’s about getting that week-in, week-out consistency as a kicker. It’s certainly something the Rams will need to look at for next season, not on the premise of picking a guy that can just kick goals and not do anything else, but by staying on top of it through the Shute Shield season to make sure that they have a quality footy player as well as a quality goal-kicker when the NRC comes around again.”

Your first time coaching in the NRC – did you enjoy the experience?

“Yeah, I loved it. It’s a little bit difficult without the budgets and the set-up etc and we had a few issues with moving around four different venues and with coaching that were a challenge. They’re things from a logistical point of view that the ARU need to address on a support basis, making sure that the Sydney teams especially, have what they need in order to create a more level playing field.

“The other franchise-based teams have stable set-ups with a lot of support and a consistency about what they’re doing and when they do it. It’s an area that needs to be addressed and from my perspective having coached at that level, you certainly want to be in the best environment that you can. I learned a lot about thinking on your feet as situations came up left, right and centre but I really did enjoy being a part of it and getting to work with such a young group.”

Is the NRC a competition that is gaining momentum or is there still some work to be done and if so, in what areas?

“What they’re trying to do in terms of building the game and moving it along is great and the rule changes have certainly opened things up. But there needs to be a greater competition across the board. Whether that means you eventually make the Shute Shield stronger or you look at the current NRC format because those guys that are really good club players and want to push themselves need that opportunity and that pathway. The NRC is an excellent idea but there’s obvious issues with support and financial assistance that need to be addressed and if they are, that will give us a better quality of competition moving forward.”

If you could change one thing about it, on or off the field, what would that be?

“Just that support network and the set-up structure and maybe a little bit more guidance from the ARU around player availability, access to players and the ability for players to go and play with the team of their choice. That would give us a more level playing field.”

Cohen Masson dives home against the NSW Country Eagles – Photo: J.B Photography

Best/most pleasing performance of the year?

“I think backing up for the Rays game after having had a really good performance against Melbourne and then letting ourselves down against the Stars. To back up on a Thursday night after that and get a win was very pleasing. The quality of footy wasn’t the best but the attitude was spot on. Jake Douglas had been with us a few weeks and hadn’t had an opportunity but he came straight in that night and was excellent, so because of the turnaround, the previous loss and the changes, that was the standout performance for mine.”

Worst/most frustrating performance of the year?

“That Stars game the Sunday before. Coming off such an excellent performance against Melbourne, it was just really disappointing to not back that up and to let ourselves down with our attitude.”

Player/s of the Year?

“Guys like Jed Gillespie were good all year, Jed Holloway and Hugh Roach when they played and Cohen Masson was massive for us throughout, he was excellent. Also, Jono Hayes, he’s a great guy, loves his footy and loves his club and when he got his opportunity, I thought he really lifted up his footy. But I think Paul Asquith was probably a standout.

“He’s a genuine footy player and I’ve said it before, he reminds me of Stephen Larkham, he’s that good. He can play anywhere in the backline, he’s only slight but he can hit like a train and he can take a hit, he’s got the right attitude and he’s ready to push onto that next level so hopefully, something will come up soon for him.”*

Rookie of the Year?

“I’d have to say Cohen Masson. He had a really good club season with West Harbour and came through really well. He’s still quite raw and needs to work on a couple of things in his football and in his carrying but from an attitude point of view and his aggression, things you must have as a no.7, he certainly had those. He’d be my Rookie of the Year.”

Most Improved Player of the Year?

“Jake Douglas was one, he had to wait a while for a chance but was excellent when he got it and Fili Tufui was another standout. He’d had a good season with us at Southern Districts and he worked hard and was improving all the time but I thought he really stepped up to the next level. Considering he’s only been playing football for a couple of years – he has a basketball background – his rise across the year was highly impressive.”

Final thoughts?

“We had some good, young props like Matty Gibbon, Sam Needs and Cameron Orr get some game time and that gave them some really good exposure. That’s what it’s all about because it really does open up their eyes to how they need to go about being a better footy player, how to play at that level and that was a big part of this group coming together. The realisation that they can compete and have a go is one thing but you need to be able to do it week-in, week-out and that’s what top level football is all about.

“Hopefully, if there was anything the boys took away from the experience, it was that – what they need to do to get to that next level. It’s not about training twice a week, it’s about maybe getting to training earlier for your club, putting in a further 10 minutes at the end and doing something else during the week for another half hour or so. If they understood that and can move forward with that, then I think the catchment area for rugby from Parramatta down to Southern Districts will improve and you really want to see all those sides competing for the final six. Hopefully, the boys have learned a lot and that can transition into club rugby and more importantly, into the Rams having a stable squad for next year’s NRC.

“There was also a massive turnover of staff from last year and we basically had to start over again and I don’t think the Rams can afford to do that every year. There needs to be greater consistency and stability on both the playing and coaching fronts and there needs to be a greater emphasis on trying to attract players first and foremost. We need to be re-signing the players we want for next year so that everyone knows what they’re doing and what the situation is because we need to improve, we need to work hard and we need to be successful.”

*Paul Asquith has just signed for the Melbourne Rebels