This isn’t just the cliché you often hear about a team doing well or poorly, only to do the opposite in the second half. It’s about two Scrum Halves who have been on different development journeys at the club and both played against the ACT Brumby Runners on Sunday, March 2nd.
If you asked Ed Bell if he thought he would be playing in a trial squad against the Brumbies Runners at the start of pre-season, he probably would have quietly told you that you were dreaming. To put this into perspective, Ed played fourth and third grade last season, made some appearances off the bench in second grade, and had one 10-minute stint in 1st Grade late last season when there were numerous injuries. He was a very popular debut at the club.
Unlike most halfbacks, Ed goes about his business quietly and is much loved by his mates at the club. So, to start against the Brumbies on Sunday was an outstanding achievement and shows the work he has put in during the off-season and pre-season via the ADP program. Coach Louden said that Ed’s start against the Brumbies Runners was well-earned by a genuine clubman who aspires to play well for the club and the players around him. He won’t let you down; he did the work and typifies what can be done by turning up and putting in the effort through the player development programs.
Another Scrum Half who is a favourite amongst his peers is Olly Schmude. Olly has played junior age group representation for NSW and played last year for Colts 1. Several times, he was on the bench for second grade in 2024, but he has not yet made his debut for 1st grade. Olly came on in the second half and made his presence felt through his skills and defensive work. Coach Louden said that Olly came on and ensured the ball was being moved to the right areas of the field and to the correct Uni players while working hard in defence. Olly has worked through the club’s ADP program as well, and to play at that level as your first game in the Top Squad is excellent for his future development.
Coach Louden commented, “This is the second year we have played the Brumby Runners, and it tests our conditioning level and our mettle. We defended most of the first half and 10 minutes of this with a man in the sin-bin due to multiple team penalties. During the first half, we took our opportunities and scored some tries off the back of good gritty defence and some well-constructed play, leading at halftime. We were leading for 70 minutes of the game, and a try after the final bell saw the score blow out a little. There is much to work on, but we fared well against a professional team in several game elements under the new laws designed to open up the game. Our desire and grit to defend for our teammates set a standard we can carry into the season, and some of our attacking tries were well constructed. We are fit, and it showed against a quality opposition in 35-degree heat. We learned a great deal about each other, and the biggest improvement was in our cohesion as we got to know each other better with our trip down to Canberra.”
Nick Ryan comment, “Personnel and systems change each year, it’s the nature of our industry. But principles do not. What won us games in 1863 will do so in 2025. Strong set piece, gritty defence, discipline, ball control, field position and elite conditioning. This is what we are attempting to instil in our 2025 cohort and Sunday was a step in the right direction. A sense of opportunity drives enthusiasm, and it was wonderful to see young men such as Ed and Olly be given their chance to contribute to our 2025 story. This was an opportunity earned, not given and consistent with our philosophy that being invested with your time is a direct reflection of your commitment to the idea that we are a club first, team second and individual third – this is central to our program in 2025. Looking forward to seeing another step forward this Saturday against the Royals as a squad and unearthing new success stories for our 2025 campaign”.