Shute Shield Season Preview: SYDNEY UNIVERSITY with Chris Malone
by Paul Cook -
Rookie 1st grade coach Chris Malone was stuck between a rock and a hard place when he stepped up from 2nd grade to take the reigns at Sydney University last year. A failure to win the Shute Shield Premiership with the star-studded side he had at his disposal by season’s end could only be the fault of the new coach. Win and it would be because he had the best team in the competition.
While there can be no denying that the Students side that did lift the title last September was arguably the strongest in living memory, their victory detracted from the great strides taken by Malone and his coaching team in terms of the team’s style. While their continued success has resulted in much ire in club rugby circles in recent years, it was perhaps the methodical way Uni's well-oiled machine went about its rugby that irked many.
Not so under Malone. Uni were rebo