By LeftArmSpinner
November 3rd 2008 @ 4:04am
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Kurtley Beale, the forgotten man of Australian rugby
At 19 years of age, having survived being thrown into the Super 14 without a backs coach in 2007 and in his first full year of Super 14 rugby, he steered a dysfunctional Waratahs team to the Final of the tournament.
To do this he had to overcome the Waratahs coaching and off-field management issues, a turnstile of half-backs and a very inexperienced backline (Burgess, Horne, Turner, Carter and Tahu).
Kurtley Beale has the greatest potential of any current provincial player in the world.
He has all the skills: footspeed, evasiveness, instinct, an excellent pass. He kicks goals and has inner toughness. His potential is leveraged by the fact that he plays fly half, the most influential position on the field.
He got a very rough deal not being selected for the current Wallabies tour. But this is nothing compared to what he has already overcome in his short life.
He has shown that he is made of sterner stuff. An Aboriginal boy at a private school is a tough gig, no matter how embracing the school and the students are.
To understand this, imagine moving to a Northern Territory Aboriginal settlement for six years at the age of twelve.
I hope that Deans has not missed this shining talent, particularly when we watch the All Black’s fielding two play makers in Donald and Carter this weekend.
Consider the Waratahs combination of Burgess and Beale, feeding Giteau, Cross/Horne/O’Connor, Turner, Mitchell and Hynes.
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fredfunk said | November 3rd 2008 @ 7:10am | Report comment
China,
Kurtley will have his day(s). Seriously though, it’s a little tough to forget someone who hasn’t really arrived… I must say that he’d get a run before Cooper in my team but maybe he needs another full pre-season at home (before he’s wallaby-bound) and that’s what he’s got. I hope 2009 can be a big year for KB!
Onto forgotten men, Scott Staniforth? Anyone remember him?
LeftArmSpinner said | November 3rd 2008 @ 7:51am | Report comment
fred, I’m with you on KB. Forgotten in the sense that he should and could have been on the plane to Europe. It was not as if Cooper had been playing much rugby.
SS has been injured and didnt tour with the Force dev team recently.
But would be a great addition to the Wallabies as an experienced utilty back. Big, fast and plenty of experience. He was in the 1999 RWC squad!
sledgeross said | November 3rd 2008 @ 8:02am | Report comment
Lefty, what about the whispers that KB will be wearing no 6 for the Penrith Panthers when his next deal runs out?
Hoy said | November 3rd 2008 @ 8:25am | Report comment
Bit of loose terminology with “kicks goals” there. lol.
Homer said | November 3rd 2008 @ 9:14am | Report comment
Horne/O’Connor are smaller than the current crop of English midfielders. Could be a problem not having any size in the middle no matter how much skill they have. There is always the need for a physical presence like Mortlock or Umaga.
Hoy, you beat me by a few seconds on that call.
Rhonda said | November 3rd 2008 @ 9:28am | Report comment
Scott Staniforth did tour with the Force team but was injured on tour.
Rickety Knees said | November 3rd 2008 @ 9:42am | Report comment
Leftie - a good point. KB did himself no favours with his injuries and lack of playing time leading up to the selections. I agree with Fred about taking him on tour before Cooper. Though now doubt quarantining Cooper from NZ was probably the motivation behind his selection.
I hope that KB shows patience and sticks with the Tahs - higher honours are inevitable.
gforce said | November 3rd 2008 @ 10:34am | Report comment
I would like to see KB prove that he can defend before he takes the next step. For every one he makes , he falls off 5.
Maybe it is just an age thing playing against the big guys and he will grow into it. If he could defend like Barnes, he would be a getting there.
Unless he gets there in defence, he will not get the call up.
Nick (KIA) said | November 3rd 2008 @ 11:58am | Report comment
“Though now doubt quarantining Cooper from NZ was probably the motivation behind his selection.”
Presume you mean no doubt. In which case, might I say “Bollocks”.
Cooper is a headless chook yet, I don’t think the ABs would have even thought about targetting him. I’m not convinced he’d even get a S14 contract in NZ.
True Tah said | November 3rd 2008 @ 12:07pm | Report comment
Nick,
weren’t the Chiefs chasing Cooper?
Spiro Zavos said | November 3rd 2008 @ 12:57pm | Report comment
I believe that the fact that Quade Cooper was eligible for selection for a NZ Super 14 side was influential in him being given this tour. Kurtley Beale has been much more impressive that Cooper in their senior rugby, so far. There is the chance for Beale next Super 14 season to play consistently at first five-eighths, with Luke Burgess at half back. This was the combination that destroyed the Auckland Blues so memorably at the SFS this season.
Beale’s play, though, needs to mature. To date he has played the first-five role rather like a rugby league playmaker, trying to put something on every play. This is fine for RL as the playmaker gets the ball towards the end of a set of six after a number of hit-ups. But in RU there are, in theory, unlimited tackles.
If you watch Daniel Carter he just moves the ball on or kicks and waits - and then strikes with a break, generally after a series of phases, or with a telling pass, rather like Peter Sterling in his great days with the Eels.
Beale is prodigiously talented. This can be a bit of draw-back, for a five-eighth, as it was in the case of Carlos Spencer. It may be that full-back is the best position for him to express these prodigious talents. It is also a position where there is not much tackling in the important channel near the set piece. Beale’s tackling, like Cooper’s, is quite poor.
A backline with Beale at full-back and occasionally playing at first receiver in the opposition’s red zone, Luke Burgess at half-backs, and Berrick Barnes and Matt Giteau as the five-eights would provide all sorts of chances for strong runners in the outside backs and loose forwards to cut good sides to pieces.
2011 perhaps?
True Tah said | November 3rd 2008 @ 1:20pm | Report comment
So now we are picking players to stop them being picked up by the ABs instead of their actual rugby playing ability?
Homer said | November 3rd 2008 @ 1:33pm | Report comment
Conner could beat both Cooper and KB. If/when Giteau leaves the Force Conner will be starting or back-up 5/8 behind Daruda. He plays very much like Giteau and could be the real deal. Mind you Barnes is still very young as well and I think with Lucas at halfback that Queensland could have a backline combination to rival Lynagh, Horan, Little in a few years time (alright not that good but a very good combination). Lucas, Cooper, Barnes has three good kickers, great individual flair and all of them can take the ball to the line. With Turinui guiding them this year and pace like Ioane on the wing they could be the best backline in Australia next year.
In this environment Cooper will flourish as the weight is off his shoulders whereas KB still has a lot to prove and only an inexperienced Tahu or Carter outside him.
Nick (KIA) said | November 3rd 2008 @ 1:53pm | Report comment
I’m unsure about the Chiefs chasing Cooper TT. I hadn’t heard that.
My opinion is based on what Cooper’s shown so far at S14 level, and the implication that NZ might be interested in him for the ABs (which may be me incorrectly reading what the osteopathic one was meaning - maybe he was meaning for S14). I’d still maintain that they shouldn’t be interested in him - there are better options, including S Donald and James Wilson from Southland who they have actually signed for ‘08.
I think there are plenty of better inside backs than him in Australasia currently, which seems to be the consensus here too. I’d rate Beale better than Cooper, but I think Barnes is the best available 10 currently playing in Aus colours. Giteau is great with ball in hand but his kicking especially and distribution (popping the ball to supporters on his shoulders excepted) is not up to being a world class 10, IMO.
True Tah said | November 3rd 2008 @ 2:01pm | Report comment
Nick,
I agree, I think NZ generally has better fly-halves than Cooper running around, and I feel another season in Super rugby and hopefully no injuries, Beale will get a chance to shine.
Andrew B said | November 3rd 2008 @ 8:50pm | Report comment
I guess I echo many of the comments here. Beale’s time will come. He is definitely a quality player. It’s a bit tough comparing his defence to Barnes, who would be one of the best tacklers in the S14. Beales strength is what he offers on attack. Deans will work out if and how Beale works in with the Wallabies plan.
LeftArmSpinner said | November 4th 2008 @ 9:02am | Report comment
Hoy, ahoy, he was the goal kicker for the finalists. I didn’t say he was Lynagh or others but he is doing a lot of things very well.
Size counts, but, Horne’s ferocity in the tackle and footspeed more than made up for his less than developed frame.
KB is no fool. He has good management, has seen both sides of the fence and his mind, aspirations and his mates are on the rugby side.
His stats for defence were short of Carter for 5/8 but as good as any of the other S14 5/8’s.
I would prefer he did less tackling rather than more. Give it to the bigger guys who wont be needed in attack and so KB can be fresh for the attack.
Cooper is good, no question, but not as good as KB and not as advanced or experienced.
Spiro, funnily enough, he came to underplay his hand at school boy level in his final year, and was a better player for it. As much as he needs to adapt, so do the Tahs backs need to adapt to playing with him, running lines and onto the ball. He has a great pass, and with Burgess inside, will have time also.
He could play fullback but his passing game would then be under-utilised.
Re Barnes, just a year ago, after injures in S14 2007, and an average ARC, he couldn’t get a start on the RWC tour until injury intervened. He has proven to be a very good player but, what could KB have done if given the same opportunity on this tour?
I think we need to make some decisions in the backs, and stick to it for an extended period. For me it is Burgess, Beale, Giteau, Cross/Mortlock, Hynes, Mitchell and AAC.
matta said | November 4th 2008 @ 9:56am | Report comment
point here… Horne and Barnes were the best two tacklers from Australia in the S14 …also two of the smallest.
ulysses said | November 4th 2008 @ 10:11am | Report comment
LAS - agree with you with one small note of caution - is he really fit? KB always looks to be carrying a bit of condition as they say. Lets hope we see him in fantastic shape for the start of 09 S14.
JohnB said | November 4th 2008 @ 10:17am | Report comment
I saw 3 of Cooper’s games this year - he does good things, and he does bad things. They seemed to about balance each other out from what I saw, which isn’t a recipe for long term success. However, I think in picking someone his age you are saying that the good things he is able to do inidcate that he’s got some real ability, let’s try to harness that while trying to cut out some of the other stuff. If you get to the point where the good is outweighing the bad consistently and by a fair margin, you’ve got a worthwhile player. If you don’t, you can say it was worth trying and let’s look elsewhere.
While I haven’t seen Beale play this year, that “some good, some bad” comment sounds like it applies to him also. But hasn’t he been injured and isn’t that he wasn’t picked? If he (or Cooper for that matter) goes well next S14 then clearly there’s an opening at 10 (and 15). But it’s not unreasonable to look for the good performance in S14 first.
LeftArmSpinner said | November 4th 2008 @ 3:25pm | Report comment
KB’s condition is there for all to see, but he doesnt fail late in the game. JohnB, beale is much better performed than Cooper. does lots of good things and few bad things.
Having two good aussie back lines (NSW and Qld) going head to head would be great. for me, NSW would be better, but an interesting contest in S14.
Deans said in the paper today of the young guys:
“Until they get that apprenticeship time under their belts - and most of the apprenticeship happens through the week, not on the weekend in a game - they’ll remain as that.
“So their entry is most likely to be off the bench because the critical thing for them is that, when they do get some involvement, they do well.
“And that accelerates their growth.”
Hmmm, Beale would have benefitted significantly from this. Instead, they took crock Tuqiri, who, at best will only be available for 4 of 6 games.
Where does Tahu fit in to all of this??
The Link said | November 4th 2008 @ 3:46pm | Report comment
“in his first full year of Super 14 rugby, he steered a dysfunctional Waratahs team to the Final of the tournament.”
dysfunctional? that’s a bizzare comment.
I can only assume you’re talking about off field issues.
Tahs have been the best and most consistent Aussie side in S14 since 2005
True Tah said | November 4th 2008 @ 4:12pm | Report comment
Lefty,
Palu was our best player this season, the man was unstoppable and hes a forward.
I know you were a back, but deadset I think you’re putting too much praise on a back there.
The success of the Tahs this season had everything to do with having a tough set of forwards and less to do with some good backs.
LeftArmSpinner said | November 6th 2008 @ 12:52pm | Report comment
Dysfunctional, off the field and with the coach, rumours that the players took over the coaching, etc.
Palu was great and clearly beale benefitted from having a dominant pack but he still had to get the job done and he did. Second season in, the opposition would have found the weakness if he had it. Its all relative. The forwards were dominant for the most part, the backs inexperienced across the park, except for Tuqiri. And Beale was in the critical position of 5/8. Interestingly, Barnes spoke today of having to learn to run the forwards as well as the backs in the game.
I clearly remember KB giving very forceful instruction to other more senior players.
LeftArmSpinner said | November 7th 2008 @ 11:39am | Report comment
i have just read that Ben Alexander has not played for 4 months and never started a professional game of rugby!!! Well, why didnt they take Beale?