By Sam Ryan

I’ve been lucky enough to be involved with Rugby News for 10 years now after taking the reins from the great Jim Davis. 

It’s a fantastic gig and my love for grassroots rugby grows every year. But for a little bit in recent months, I enjoyed it a little less. 

There’s been a whole lot said about Easts and their run to this year’s premiership and for the most part, I’ve tried to stay Switzerland. 

For reference, I grew up playing for Burraneer and then Southern Districts. We were taught to hate Easts first, then pull our socks up and run out next. 

But I do think a lot of the narrative around Easts has been a little misdirected for the most part. 

There’s a points cap and a salary cap in the Shute Shield and it’s slightly ambiguous to say the last. From all reports, things will be tightened up over summer. 

But the reality is no player, or players, as good as they were, won Easts’ this year’s premiership. A club wins Shute Shield competitions and Easts have built slowly towards this year’s result for most of the last decade. 

From my recollection, Easts employed a full time colts’ coach - former Tahs’ assistant Pauli Taumoepeau - for the first time in 2015. 

They watched how well Sydney Uni and then Randwick had done over recent years and they did their best to replicate a program that not only helped results, but kept as many good kids playing rugby as possible. 

Since then, Easts have played in a plethora of colts and lower grade deciders and won their fair share of trophies over the years. 

It’s pretty clear to me that that was the leading contributor to Easts’ most recent first grade premiership. 

10 years ago, there was no way in the world that Teddy Wilson and Jack Bowen - throw in Darby Lancaster for good measure - play for Easts straight out of school. 

The club didn’t have the runs on the board to retain and/or attract the best young players available. But they did, just as Uni, Randwick, Eastwood, Gordon and Warringah (and slowly the rest of the Shute Shield), had done and built up a really successful colts’ program that helped kids on and off the field. 

That’s the difference and for clubs that haven’t played as many finals as they would have liked in recent times, I think that’s the answer. 

Credit needs to go to John Murray and then Dave Allen, and to the many coaches, volunteers and off field staff that worked tirelessly over the last decade to turn things around at Woollahra. 

Ben Batger, and Billy Melrose behind him, were exactly the right men to get things right at the top. But the real work was done below and before them and anyone that doesn’t see that, in my opinion, is silly or spiteful. Maybe both. 

Over summer, I hope all rugby clubs look at what Easts have done at a colts level and learn from it. 

It only helps keep more good kids playing and supporting rugby. Which is the priority, from my view. 

The SRU will also learn from 2024. If you haven’t met Kerry Brady, I can understand why you might think things this year were a little off. 

But before throwing stones, ask anyone that does know Kerry and you’ll quickly realise you’ve got it all wrong. 

Rugby is great and the Shute Shield is its' best vehicle. Let’s remember that and come back in 2025 with an aligned focus to keep as many kids as possible playing and supporting our great game. 

If we do that, who knows where the premiership trophy heads next.