On this Rocky road, Elsom should be captain

Without knowing any of these guys on a personal level or how they interact with the rest of the team on a one on one level you cannot even try to speculate who would be the best captain. However I do think a forward is the best option. So just spectulating because I do not know them personally - my gut feel (through vision on TV) is that George Smith is not the right guy. Great player - just seems a bit quiet to be captain. Elsom has no prior form to even guess about his capatin skills - but I think he is more of a follower than a leader. If Sharpe was 5 years younger I would suggest he was a chance - I get the impression that going to the Force screwed his chances politically. That leaves Horwill....

Ha ha...now that would leave even Phil Kearns speechless. It reminds me of Troy Flavell who went along to watch the All Blacks play - and then was asked to play because one of the run on team was injured during warm-up. (Can you imaging the conversation...Oh, Hi Troy, you didn't happen to have any beers before turning up to watch the match did yah".)

I had actually over looked Hoiles as an option and it made me re think what he could bring to the side. If he performs well on the end of year tour, if fit and selected I would almost say he would be pretty close to being mature enough to take on the roll? He showed last season and this Super Fourteen some flashes of skill with injury putting him off his game but I have noticed he is a pretty good reader of the game and speaks well to the referee so if he can find form and have natural maturity growth from what he had shown this Super Fourteen he may be worth a decent look. Expect a big game from Chislom tonight as he has probably only this game to try and cement a position or take it from Sharpey and it would be great to have the following players, Chislom, Horwill, Mumm, Elsom and Vickerman all on the park with Chislom at 8, Horwill 5 (Sharpey), Vickerman 4 (Mumm) and Elsom 6 with Smith 7. That is a pretty imposing muscle and brain combination? Remembering that leaves Palu, Ginga, Pocock and Brown as reserves/replacements. Our backs are needing good service with Genia and Beale the sparks as they play an instinctive game which suits Barnes and Gitteau who then using Hynes (Ioanne) and Cross as first tackle breakers will feed OConnor and AA Cooper as consumate finishers. *Burgess needs another season to improve but suggest he plays both club and super fourteen The forwards, Robinson, Moore (Frier) and Alexander with Dunning; yes I know past history but he was firing before the achillies issue and someone (Deans?)must have smacked some sense into him. We have a very good side, not drop dead brillant YET with the right depth in the right position and to all the doomsayers out there this side needs ONE win which will flick the switch, its like a dragster on the start line spinning the wheels but not getting the right grip. We will beat the Boks tonight in my home state as you will find the Boks being pinged by Bryce Lawerence costing them momentum and it will unsettle this very good side enough for the Wallabies to take advantage like they should have last Saturday. Yes I will be nigel no mating it tonight on the lounge with my Wallaby jumper on and my moncule eye glass, stubbies of VB (don't sell emu export here!) supporting the boys. Thick and thin.

Well, leaving aside the obvious point that talking to the ref is usually not about reversing the current decision but instead about affecting future ones (meaning it's very hard to tell how often it has worked), I can recall one instance of a ref changing his decision. I think it was last year, a 22 restart was kicked dead and the ref (possibly Matt Goddard?) had ordered a 22 restart at the other end when McCaw pointed out the correct call was a scrum on the kicking team's 22. The call was changed.

I want a captain who can lead by example. the fearless run, the big tackle, the clear mind when under pressure.........forget talking to the ref. Since when has that ever worked? And nor should it!

Big old pete, a very good idea.

Why doesn't Robbie just play himself at flyhalf and captain the side?

Hey Stash, Not a bad idea. McCaw comes & shows W's how to adapt Hakka (?) to a Native Australian war dance. Can see the boys now in their Aborigine war paint pretending to chuck a spear.................. would rival Bok's cheer leaders. Jools-USA

Has to be Vickerman. A very serious footballer, intelligent, and heavy. Hoiles took over from George at the Brumbies . Leave him to do his thing If no Vickerman, I'd offer it to Rocky. If he took it on you wouldn't have to worry. He's tough but, like Matfield, not a hothead. Either man could make a huge change to the current Wallabies

I agree with you 100%, Vickerman is a great player. It will be handy having a player who speaks Afrikaans when playing the Boks. The pressure is mounting on these poor South Africans. They had to win the Ashes for England and now Dan Vickerman might be captain of the Wallabies. I would love to read the banter on here should Vickerman actually get the job.

Please tell me you are stoned.

Hey what about Richie McCaw? He's right there in the action, he's got plenty of years left - always consistent...and he's got the experience. Robbie Deans loves him, and they've worked together in the Crusaders and the All Blacks (when Deans was assistant coach).

I agree. I'm not saying rush him in (see my comment above) but, interestingly (and I'm NOT being tongue in cheek) I think his decision to take some time away from the Wallabies studying - i.e. NOT earning big dosh in Europe - at pretty much the height of his powers shows the mark of the man. Some may say why award the captaincy to a man who obviously doesn't put the Wallabies first. I think differently. Can he return (to Oz and to form) in time for the World Cup?

The captain is the only one who can speak to the ref. So the 'formal' captain must be a forward who is close to the rucks and set peices and then point out issues to the ref like Mccaw and Smit does. You can have an informal captain in the backs to call the plays, determine strategy and even rev up guys. Larkham used to be the informal captain calling plays and determining strategy whilst Eales and Gregan were the formal captains. Barnes should be the informal captain, Giteau is a great runner but Barnes has a better idea of controlling a game and calling plays like when he goes for a field goal. I would have as captain Horwill, he did a good job communicating with refs at Qld. Vickeman would be better but that is a pipe dream.

I am a fan of Horwill. Loved his work last season. He led the poor Reds from about a mile in front of the pack. He has been quite this year there is no doubt. I do like his leadership, more so than the other contenders mentioned.

I like the suggestion of Vicks as Captain actually.He was the leader of the NSW forward pack and was until he left for england the lineout general for the Wallabies. He'd actually do a pretty good job. Either him or Elsom. He didn't want the Captaincy of the Tahs. He may not be one of those mouthy Captains but as long as he leads from the front then I'd be happy.

Nup. Elsom is not the right choice as captain. My view is a guy has to show a history of leadership in order to become captain. Elsom has not shown that yet. Not in Australia anyway. And even at Leinster...well lets just say I think the guy prefers to put his head down and get on with it rather than worry about anything else. Unfortunately nobody else has either. I've commented on the captain dilemma before - unfortunately we have a dearth of leaders at the moment and hence no-one REALLY putting their hand up for captaincy. I'm hoping Barnes learns how to preserve his body a bit (perhaps with a move to 10?) and shows some real leadership in Sydney... and then Melbourne. :) I'm also hoping Horwills girlfriend stops sleeping with him so that we will see some of the angry mongrel return... and that he also steps up in the leadership area. Remember this was a guy who was once an undisciplined tyro. When he learnt to control his aggression he became VERY good. Now the pendulum seems to have spun too far and he is following in Sharpes footsteps. Giteau seems to be stuck in the 'young rebel' phase. I'd also love Elsom to develop his leadership as well but consider he is going to the brumbies behind incumbent Wallabies captain and incumbent Brumbies captain and Giteau. Doesn't bode well. Moore seems like a loveable young country boy to me. Robinson just seems loveable. I reckon one of Vickerman, Barnes and Horwill will be our next captain. Vickerman HAS shown leadership here in the past but I think would need to come back and re-establish himself first. I doubt anything will be before the next World Cup... but I'd love one or two of the players to come out and surprise us all.

As a warm up, Rocky is also full forward for the Eagles against Richmond

How's a win in Perth going to "etch your name in sporting history"?? They're on the bottom of the table 0 from 3 - get real!

The captain would need to be a player that can command Gitteau, Barnes and Elsom yet lead by example for Smith, Moore and Brown. I would have either a dual captaincy with Elsom and Gitteau, Barnes as vice but if having one only there is only two choices, 1) Vickerman as he is the consumate all rounder both in voice and ability and I can remember him grabbing a forward at a lineout and more or less lifting him into position as the player was not standing where he was required. He is an equal to Matfield and plays to win anyway possible. 2) Cross may be the dark horse, a player who I think given added responsibility will come out of his shell and play to his potential. Not seen as a great talker but I have a gut feeling he is a helluva lot better than he has shown in the past and hopefully this Saturday night will force him to shine? Cheers