15 ‘Shute Shielders’ graduate to Super Rugby for 2012by James Knight. Tuesday, October 4.
In a sign of how important the Shute Shield competition is to the strength of the Australian Super Rugby franchises, 15 of the 25 players awarded contracts for 2012 under the ARU’s new funding initiative cut their teeth in Sydney club rugby.
 Manly lock Cadeyrn Neville, a rugby novice two years ago, now heads to the Rebels in search of a Super Rugby debut. Photo: www.seiserphotography.com
After the heavy toll of injuries on many of the franchises this year, the Extended Playing Squad (EPS) system sees the ARU support an additional five players on each franchise’s core playing roster, bringing the number of players available for selection up to 35.
The system is a mixed blessing in particular for Manly, who can flaunt a strong player development program with five of their players picking up contracts, but with all of them coming from their forward pack, the club will often have to make do without them during the season next year.
The Rebels will have two Marlins in their playing squad, with prop Eddie Aholehli and lock Cadeyrn Neville securing places after performing well on the Rebels development tour to the UK. Warringah hooker Luke Holmes and Sydney University halfback Nick Stirzaker also join the Rebels.
Aholehli’s front row teammate, hooker Elvis Taione will head to Perth to join the Western Force, alongside another Warringah front rower in prop Salesi Manu and Norths outside back Sam Wara.
Back rowers Dylan Sigg and Tevita Metuisela are the final two Marlins heading to franchises under the EPS scheme, with Sigg heading to the Brumbies and Metuisela joining the Waratahs.
The Brumbies will also have Norths front rower Scott Sio and Warringah forward Scott Fardy in their squad, while the Waratahs also have a strong association with Southern Districts, with halfback Grayson Hart and back rower Lopeti Timani staying in Sydney. Uni flyer Nathan Trist and Randwick prop Lotu Taukeiaho round out the five players for the Waratahs.
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| Shute Shield Round 1 - April 14, 2012 | | Warringah (0) | v | Gordon (0) | @ | Pittwater Rugby Park | | | Penrith (0) | v | Easts (0) | @ | Nepean Rugby Park | | | Norths (0) | v | Eastwood (0) | @ | North Sydney Oval | | | Souths (0) | v | Parramatta (0) | @ | Forshaw Park | | | Sydney Uni (0) | v | West Harbour (0) | @ | Sydneu Uni Oval | | | Randwick (0) | v | Manly (0) | @ | Coogee Oval | |
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