We got this email from Roar reader GaleForcePerth asking for some insight from The Roar readers:
Last Sunday 15 April, Knuckles Connolly wrote an article on RugbyHeaven. In it he said: ‘The Reds and the Waratahs have battled with injuries and form, but a number of the senior Wallabies in their ranks have been among the best performers in the competition’.
I posted a thread on Yahoo’s ‘In the Scrum’ forum entitled ‘What the hell is JC talking about?’, asking someone, anyone, to enlighten me as to exactly WHO he was referring to? To date I’ve not been enlightened. Noone on the thread seems to know. I emailed Spiro. He doesn’t seem to know. I don’t think Knuckles knows.
Perhaps the enlightened community on The Roar know: who are the senior Wallabies at the Tahs and Reds who are ‘among the best performers in the competition?’
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April 23rd 2007 @ 12:10pm
Hayden said | April 23rd 2007 @ 12:10pm | Report comment
JC’s comments also lead to the question of who will fill the Wallabies run on side in a few weeks? Is there a standout hooker at the moment? Stephen Moore might be ahead of JP.
Horwill could join Sharp/Chisholm in the 2nd row but what about No.8 and who will join Sheperdson as the other bookend?
The centres will be the most anticipated selection without one solid inside centre in teh country. Pelesasa is probably the leading contender but has a snowballs chance of getting selected and Giteaus defencive issues in the position were severely highlighted by the Crusaders. Where is Scott Staniforth when you need him?
April 23rd 2007 @ 7:11pm
GR Hamilton said | April 23rd 2007 @ 7:11pm | Report comment
Connolly is following a policy of putting pressure on every player in the squad. Certainly when read by a Western Force supporter (from the lofty view of that rolling bandwagon) it might seem to be discrediting the great performances of players from that team but if Super 14 performances were the be all and end all of Wallaby selection, Peter Hewat would have been a wallaby a long time ago. Much like Chris Latham, he has brilliance that works wonders in the free flowing Super 14 arena but has yet to develop that next level of ‘smartness’ that Latham has now developed in the test arena.
Connolly’s tactics have worked well for years and kept those superstars of the earlier Queensland teams playing at their best. These sorts of statements put pressure on every player in wallaby contention. It worked well with Gregan last year and led to improved performances by the man Eddie Jones refused to even contemplate dropping. As a result of connolly’s pressure Gregan lifted his game and other players lifted their because they thought they were in with a sniff. Connolly is refusing to let any player know they have a clear path to the green and gold jersey.
By referring to QLD and NSW players as potentially the best performed players this year, the players from the other states will no doubt feel jilted (rightly so) and will want to put in even better performances to get noticed.
Danny, your comment that Connolly is an idiot is without grounds and at best childish. Super 6 and Super 10 victories plus a couple of Super 12 minor premierships don’t happen without good governance and that is what Connolly provided the Queensland team. Personally you might not be able to share a beer with him but his successful record deserves more respect.
Connolly was always walking into a no win situation. You might call him an idiot but at least he had the balls to do it.
April 23rd 2007 @ 11:07pm
Brumby Justin said | April 23rd 2007 @ 11:07pm | Report comment
GR – i don’t disagree with some of your points but claiming S6 and S10 wins is a bit childish as well. All it proves to me is that in the fully professional era JC hasn’t been able to take a squad all the way…
With that history we should all be happy with 5th in the RWC (but with really good governance)!
Surely the game’s recent board movement’s show that from the CEO and Board to the coach politics rules over playing and winning in Australian Rugby these days.
That’s the only reason Lote and a number of other Waratahs and Reds will be there.
April 23rd 2007 @ 11:15pm
GR Hamilton said | April 23rd 2007 @ 11:15pm | Report comment
Justin,
Given the state of the Wallabies, particularly the front row, when Eddie Jones left I imagine that 5th in the World Cup coupled with good governance (ie development of younger generation of players) would have been a good result. Connolly was destined to be judged only by the team’s result in this world cup.
Please don’t mistake me for a Lote fan. Far from it. Does anyone remember Mark Stcherbina?