Are the Waratahs recruiting from the wrong places?

'Look at the score board dude – when did Tahs win the Super Comp – who was coach.' Nearly 20 years after they won their first February Championship The Tarts winning the end of season title was the worst thing to happen to Aus Rugby. The sense of entitlement and overrating their players is still there today.

You forgot to mention Sir Stirling Mortlock, James Holbeck and Owen Finegan. Of course Marc Sterbina, Jason Madz, Francis Cullimore, Stu Pinkerton and Daniel Manu were worth signing ahead of those three hacks.

Train your lack of basic logic is quite incredible to see. Look at the score board dude - when did Tahs win the Super Comp - who was coach. That's the only year they had good recruitment that actually performed well on paddock. No single coach is responsible for every member of the total playing group. Using your stupid logic Tahs won the comp based on a poorly recruited playing squad

Yeah Potgeiter was probably the only great talent he unearthed. And even then he was capped for a top nation. Tactically and in talent ID McKenzie was light years ahead developing a workable game plan around a team with many weaknesses individually, and identifying players like Robinson, Wallace-Harrison and Samo who were completely unwanted in Australia, but making them integral parts of a good team. Between Cheika and McKenzie they seemed to cover everything, but individually they only cover about 75% each.

Cheika has always been rubbish at identifying talent and selecting, he still is (nor is he a very good technical coach). He's at his best by getting the best out of his players, though, getting them to show the extra 10% they're possible of. He's great at that.

Actually that's completely wrong. It was probably at it's worst under Cheika. The only players who made the 2014 final team that could be considered recruited by Cheika were Latu, Skelton, Chapman and Potgeiter. Potgeiter was a great recruitment. Promoting Skelton to the squad was an inspired choice. Latu was an Aus 20s player in 2012 and in Sydney so fell into his lap. The remainder were players who chose to come back to Sydney for 2012 or 2013, nothing to do with Cheika. These were Hooper, AAC, Beale, Phipps and Hoiles. Over this time he lost players who were with the Tahs system like Adam Coleman and Michael Ala'alatoa. Allan Ala'alatoa was also let to go join the Brumbies in 2014. Peter Samu with the Crusaders was also running around in Shute Shield at this time. He prioritized players like Paddy Ryan, Angus Ta'avo, Dean Mumm, Mitch Chapman, etc over these potential options.

Well NSW recruitment has clearly been rubbish for at least 15 yrs (except the brief Cheika period). Brumbies have been the main beneficaries there often picking up a Tah reject and turning them into wallabies. Tah problems have long been a deadly combo of poor recruitment, poor player development and poor team culture leading to chronic under-acheivement.

Some players don't hit their best until they are in their mid to late 20's so don't make it into under 20's and then NRC is 5 years later. The Perth Spirit team that won NRC (2017) had several "late bloomers" from clubs in Perth in it. Michael Ruru for example who got offered a Force contract on the back of his NRC form. I think the theme is that recruiters need to be on the look out from a wider source?

Isi Naisarani was "found" in the NRC and recruited to the Force this year maybe I was the only person who hadn't heard of him but he was a great pickup that came out of the NRC

yep, recruit them from club rugby and forget what schools they went to. Nobody cares on the paddock.

Best game all year, In Brief.

Wozza,@ Piru @ He did run through a fair few All Blacks in 2003 in Sydney and scored . I was there.. Rewind the tape..

Off topic but how good was Skelton on the weekend?

Sailor was potentially a great straight running inside center, he always made ground, he always recycled the ball, he even had such ability to stay on his feet and keep the ball he could start mauls, on the wing in defence he was vulnerable against the faster more agile wingers, and kicks in behind whereas he would have provided strong defence at center.. Of course Sailor was not going to make much of a passer though he would be a good decoy, his biggest value though was his security at the breakdown whereas Tuqiri and Rogers if they were isolated the opposition would get the ball off them. There was one test against SOuth Africa where the SOuth African coach counted some enormous number of missed tackle against one player, that player was Sailor.

Fionn- are you joking ?

So deluded

Tahs have always only had eyes for players from certain backgrounds which is probably what the author was getting at re the schools thing. Look at George Smith, Mark Gerrard and the guys mentioned above. Even if they sign them they don't play them. That's the problem. Maybe that'll change with the NRC. Who knows.

I rated him and I would never say he was out of his depth but also think there were better players in his position. He really needed to be a forward IMO The Tahs sure missed him when he was outed after the drug bust.

It would be nice to see recruiters, youth teams and NRC in particular casting a wider net. As I said before look at Junior league in the western suburbs, maybe even AFL teams. It would be nice if there were structures to try and include these guys. Sitileki Timani got picked out of park league to play ARC, Milner Skudder was playing reserve grade league. There must be more guys like them surely. Be nice if we put more effort into finding them.

Some nut had posted this video with 'greatest game ever played' as the title, I got it confused with the game in 99 at Homebush. I don't mind Wendell but he was always a flat track bully in rugby, like most league players, out of his depth when the s hit the f.