Comments on: Mark Gerrard should be welcomed back to Australia

By: ohtani's jacket

ohtani's jacket — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 15:00:49 +0000

Well, NTT beat Toyota Jido Shokki 38-35 today to book a place in the All Japan National championship, so I might get to see a bit of Gerrard before season’s end. They were outscored five tries to four but held an advantage in penalties. Gerrard came off the bench again and scored a try almost straight away.

By: chris

chris — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 04:03:12 +0000

Radike and CauCau would be a great asset to a team :p

http://rugbydump.blogspot.com/2008/04/radike-samo-at-his-best-in-2004.html

By: mattamkII

mattamkII — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:43:24 +0000

Cool, but my point is, Union snobbery is annoying.

Oh but my real point is Mark Gerrard isnt that good.

By: rugbyfuture

rugbyfuture — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:35:59 +0000

except when it was found out he played league all the mungos go “aw we can live without them, they’re nothing to the game” just like gasnier and all the rest, and as with the case of rogers and sailor and possibly now tuqiri, when they come back, they’ll go on about how much of a superstar they are and how big the game is because they’re there.

By: mattamkII

mattamkII — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:19:52 +0000

Travis….please keep pushing Gerrard’s league back ground! If you paint him as a mungo it wont be long before they turn on him and we have month after month of post about how “over rated” MG is.

By: Jameswm

Jameswm — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:12:34 +0000

Mr Sports I had to laugh at your comments about Brumby kickers having their kicks charged down. You’ve got Giteau back this year, don’t you?

By: Jay

Jay — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:12:47 +0000

John Lang summed up players salaries best – ‘I dont think a 1 bedroom house in paddington is worth $1m, but if thats what you want, thats what you have to pay for it”.

By: GM

GM — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:00:23 +0000

Hopefully we don’t go into an inflated Super 15 player market again like when Western Force came in (Giteau). $400k for 20 games is way overs for someone who won’t play for the wallabies.

By: katzilla

katzilla — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:10:21 +0000

He was awesome at S14 level and is probably worth a go again for any of the teams bar NSW.

Its a bit unfair because it wasn’t just any old flanker that run him down, stole the ball then cleared it with a great kick.
Mind you Joeli Vidiri didnt last much longer at the Blues after being run down by Rodney Soialo on a clean break.

By: Wavell Wakefield

Wavell Wakefield — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:23:05 +0000

Totally agree.

By: The Other Reds Fan.

The Other Reds Fan. — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:10:23 +0000

If I was Mark Gerrard, I would use my talent to take his young family to enjoy the culture of Europe for a couple of years, preferably France, like Gaznier. You only live once and you’re only young once. Imagine giving the gift of a second language to your children while playing footy. Set yourself up financially and come back and buy a share in a business like a McDonald’s franchise. He has had a good time here and you can’t go back. He would only return for a shot at the World Cup and we all know that he won’t make the Wallabies again. Let’s usher in the youth that we have.

By: Short-Blind.

Short-Blind. — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:09:33 +0000

Ah um – ‘best fullback’ in OZ last year? Yes he was OK but limited in attack (speed) and prone to brain explosions. His boot and positional play kept the brumbies afloat longer than they should have but overall, a slightly above average S14 player at best and only had one good year with the Wallies in 2004 prior to losing the speed- as pointed out by some of our kiwi posters. I cannot see how Cameron Shepherd is not recognised as the best OZ fullback going around… when fit …
He scores tries regularly through good timing, speed, excellent fend and finishing ability, has solid defence and a kick that is up there with Gerrads. He is my OZ WC fullback if fit and continuing in the same form. ps I am not a Force fan!

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 07:22:30 +0000

Without doubt the best fullback last year among the Australians.

HIs international career ended when McCaw ran him down from behind in a test match. Great boot, awesome step, reads the game well, but a tad too slow.

By: Hansie

Hansie — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 06:45:02 +0000

Gerrard’s return would be very welcome. I don’t know why he was overlooked by the national selectors in recent years, especially given his form (particularly his strong kicking game) for the Brumbies. But he is a fullback, not a #10. The Brumbies tried him at #10 and it didn’t work. He doesn’t have the passing game for a fly half.

By: Comrade Bear

Comrade Bear — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:39:14 +0000

Better players = Better Product = More $$ = More players able to stay in Aus perhaps??

By: Gatesy

Gatesy — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:40:30 +0000

If memory serves, the Brumbies tried him at No 10 in the old APC (the previous year to the ARC) and he was all at sea.

By: Bob

Bob — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 03:28:18 +0000

Agreed! Nobody cares if he played league 10 years ago. He has chosen Union, so get over it.

By: Big Kev

Big Kev — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 03:27:44 +0000

hear hear

By: Harry

Harry — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:55:37 +0000

You’ve nailed it there as to why the Aus selectors were down on him.

By: Harry

Harry — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:47:24 +0000

Should never have left in the first place – the worst example of talent departing to the backwater of Japan (except money of course, they cream it I understand) although Fairbanks and McMenimem aren’t far behind. All 3 shoudl be playing S14 and S15 next year.
I think Gerard’s main weakness is lack of pace, sadly never regained the zip of 2004 (when he was awesome) after a series of bad injuries, but has all the other attributes to be a fine 15 and utility player. Agree with other posters that he played very well at 15 for the Brumbies last year.
Would it make too much sense for Queensalnd to sign him? Of course it would … we’ve got … Rod Davies !
Someone above wants to ban all players who go OS from playing for the Wallabies once they go … strongly disagree, in this day and age players are free to ply their trade where they wish. I do agree that if they want to be picked in the current season then they first have to play S14.

By: Wylie

Wylie — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:23:54 +0000

Bring him back to the Brumbies – Mortlock will be gone and he can play fullback with AAC at 13. He was tried at 10 and it didn’t work.

I would have loved to see him play for the Wallabies a bit more but I don’t think the selectors ever forgave him for being run down my Richie McCaw.

By: Damo

Damo — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:49:18 +0000

I like Gerrard. And I have seen him play well at 10. I Like your idea Spiro but sometimes the commentators opinion might get in the way of it happening. I think whispers in coaches ears might be more effective than public statements. Though I think it has some merit

By: Who Needs Melon

Who Needs Melon — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:31:39 +0000

As far as the ‘shape’ of the team goes, I’d like to see a guy with a decent boot on him given a run at fullback. After a string of fullbacks with good boots – Burke, Latham, Walker, Larkham – we are really missing this dimension in our team. Perhaps thats Gerrard – only a stint there in the Super 15 would show us whether or not he’s up for it.

I’d be just as happy if someone else came along since, as others have pointed out, Gerrard always had some cons to go with his pros. And although he’s not yet over the hill, he’s not going to get any fleeter of foot.

I would like to see AAC at 13 and Digby on one of the wings. Although AAC is getting better at 15, I think 13 is still his best spot. And although Digby is getting better at 13, I think wing is also his best spot.

I would be completely against trying Gerrard at 10.

By: Nick P-G

Nick P-G — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:25:32 +0000

Wouldnt Samo be about 36 by next season?

By: ohtani's jacket

ohtani's jacket — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:07:07 +0000

Is Gerrard playing better rugby in Japan? Who would know? NTT have a chance to qualify for the All-Japan Championship this weekend, which would give them a first round match-up with Tokai University and a bit of TV coverage.

The way promotion/relegation works these days is that sides wanting to be promoted spend cash and sides who’ve been relegated turn amateur, so while NTT got the job done it’s not much of a story.

By: ohtani's jacket

ohtani's jacket — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:43:57 +0000

He’s been coming off the bench for JP Nel, though I’m not sure if it’s a straight positional swap.

By: Hammer

Hammer — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:41:35 +0000

Exactly – a solid S14 player – who hasn’t got what it takes to take the next step up – mind you the Wallaby squad has quite a few of these types already in it – so what’s one more …

.. and as for Latham – really ? … do the ARU / Rebels really what to be clogged full of ex players who are past their sell by date … or say a Hewitt / SNK – who really wasn’t up to in the first place

By: mattamkII

mattamkII — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:36:10 +0000

Funny, my memory of MG was a solid Super 14 player with an amazing ability to cock things up…and he’s slow for 11,14 or 15.

He never really did much at test level either… in fact, I remember his kicking game being more off than on when in green and gold.

By: mudskipper

mudskipper — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:33:09 +0000

I remember Brumbies CEO Fagan saying last year stating when Gerrard that he welcome… Personaly I’d like to see him back at the brumbies and back in the Wallabies as a utility back… He is still young and has plenty to offer Australian rugby.

As for the infamous Ospreys match. Knuckles Connelly talked him up before the match and then didn’t support him in front of the press after the match…. He didn’t graciously back the young player after the loss in the press. It was one of the most pitiful displays of Wallabies coaching I’ve witnessed.

It wasn’t solely Gerard’s intercepted pass play which delivered the loss. They suffered an early blow against the Ospreys when blindside flanker Hugh McMeniman was stretchered off with his neck in a brace after just 10 minutes following a pile-up and sent to hospital. Furthermore both Horwill and Shepherdson were yellow carded.

Gerrard said after nine seasons of Super rugby, he was ready for a new challenge.

“My family and I have loved our time at the Brumbies and in Canberra and we’ll always consider ourselves members of the Brumbies family,” Gerrard said.

“(My wife) Larisa and I have always wanted to experience a different culture and our children are at a good age for us to do that now.

“I definitely wouldn’t rule out the possibility of returning to play in Australia and pulling on the Brumbies strip again.”

Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan remains optimistic that Western Force back James O’Connor will fill Gerrard’s position.

By: Maddog

Maddog — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:26:55 +0000

Travis,
This is not a League post. Stop trying to hijack it.
Gerrard is a rugby player and that is the topic of dicusson. If he decides on a switch, then by all means jump in…but for this conversation you have nothing valuable to add at present.