Wallabies squad announcement: Michael Cheika unveils young, inexperienced side for June Tests

Love the guy but he is Brittle. Can't stay off the injured list long enough to get noticed. Was awesome at FB for the Reds.

Dempsey is a Ghost.

He has played to games at a reasonable level. Players should be selected on current form.

Cooper, It is easy for me to say Banks over Folau because we are comparing apples and oranges. Folau is clearly an 11/13 and should never have been put at fullback. It is like putting Kepu at 4 because he can run with the ball. I don't think Kepu is bad because he can't jump in a line out, it's just not his wheelhouse. And no, I would select Kerevi or TK at 13 over Folau.

@ Wozza, Part of A number 6's job is to annoy the opposition and penalties are a by-product of being abrasive. Scott Fardy is the benchmark. From the games I watched, yes, he has given away a few stupid ones but has been wrongly accused on no less than 3 occasions. On his feet in a ruck, he was well within his rights to kick the ball. It happens all the time. He may not be gold ready yet but some time in a squad could knock off the sharp edges. I was hoping to see Ross Haylett petty for the same reason. Dempsey is a Ghost, show me some SR form and he will get my love back.

Full respect to Hunt, but his style is like Folau's but with an attacking kicking game, some defense and ball retention into contact. Hunt over Folau but I like my fullbacks to know how to kick tactically, Dagg and Smith are the gold standard and all of the 6 nations sides choose the same style of player. I have been following Banks since NRC last year. He is the real deal, full service fullback that knows how to do every aspect of the traditional position, some of which remains a mystery to both Hunt and Folau. This would be a great opportunity to develop him even if it is just in the squad. I wouldn't expect him to wear gold, with Folau there and DHP fit, Hunt won't get a run unless Folau is injured or gets caught in an airport lavatory with Cheika's wife.

Is Jono Lance ever gonna get a shot? Or peeps not think he is good enough? Love him at the force.

Exactly. They don't issue press releases about players going to Bali for the test window. Fionn, Hanigan is fine. If you accept being selected over a superior more experienced player. And that selection then being used to justify future selection.

Rebellion, Naivalu moved to Melbourne and started playing with the Box Hill Broncos where he was the leading try and point scorer in the DEWAR Shield comp in 2014. This was just before the inaugural NRC started and he was given an opportunity at the Rising in 2014. The Rebels signed him for 2015 after his games for the Rising and in 2016 he was a Wallaby. It's a short path (one season of club, one seasons nrc, 2 seasons super rugby, then wallabies) but there's nothing out of the ordinary with the progression. The 'stealing players' issue is a tough one. Guys like Sefa do have the option of representing Fiji, however it often comes at a massive financial sacrifice. They can't just play in Fiji, they need to go to a premier comp. If they're good enough they'll always be selected for their new home country once eligible, that's just how it is. If they represent Fiji they remove the chance of the higher salaries in their country of residence. A player who can't represent Australia isn't worth anything to the ARU so their pay is coming purely out of the SR club. What do they get, maybe $150k - $200k instead of maybe double or triple that if they're getting regular Wallaby games? Or they go to France where they often offer them larger contracts on the proviso that they retire from internationals (so the club doesn't lose them during all the test windows). These guys are often channeling a lot of money back home to look after their extended families so that extra $100k a year is massive to them. Unless you can somehow manage to financially reward these players for representing their home country then more often then not they'll choose the option that gives them the best opportunity to provide for themselves and their families.

I think the litmus test should be whether these people feel more Australian or more whatever their heritage is. I think is is very clear that some people can become "Australian" far faster than others. My family came as refugees after the Second World War, and to hear the way my grand-grandmother and my grandmother used to speak to me about coming to Australia, it was clear that from the moment they arrived they considered themselves Australian and were totally devoted to the country. Fleeing worn torn Hungary and the savagery and despair of Europe at that time, they were so thankful to Australia that they considered themselves Australian from the outset, and even refused to join the Hungarian Club or move in social circles with the other Hungarian community, preferring to learn English ASAP and speak it at home, and to make friends with those who considered themselves 'Australian' rather than 'Hungarians living in Australia'. Whereas, I imagine an English or Kiwi expat could live here for years and years and never consider themselves Australia, despite having citizenship. This is hard to test, however, I understand.

Yeah I'm somewhat inclined to agree as well. Not that, oh hey they were born there, so that's the only country they can play for. But, that they should have at least come through the junior pathways. You can understand why so many of these players come to Australia/New Zealand though. It's the only place close to home that they can ply their trade and earn decent coin. At least Australia is doing something about it, getting a Fijian team into the NRC this year. Hopefully that semi pro-pathway will lead to more of those players retained for the Fiji national squad, and perhaps a Super Rugby team down the track.

Fair call The Pacific Islanders have been raided by Aus and NZ. There should be tighter laws around inclusion as it really just isn't fair in so many ways. Tongan Thor to the Reds.. this doesn't sit right with me Love Naivalu but if he didn't come through the school/junior club system then we are just stealing another player who should be lining up for Fiji

Hoopers tackle on Mogg in the 2014 semi final is a personal favourite of mine: https://youtu.be/QGPyKgTKvms?t=26 Or virtually every tackle against SA in Round 1 of the Rugby Championship in 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgwJL3JpgMQ

Hah - possibly. Possibly.

If that's the case, then how come he's fifth in the comp for tackles made? Is the entire game played out wide now? If so then it sounds like Hooper is in the right place. On ya champ. Dig up.

Back row: Lopeti Timani. Hookers: Tolu Latu. Props: Tom Robertson, Alan Alaalatoa. Second row: Adam Coleman, Rory Arnold Centres: Reece Hodge, Samu Kerevi, Kyle Godwin. Outside backs: Dane Haylett-Petty, Sefa Naivalu. What do the above players have in common? They all debuted in tests last year. Cheika has a pretty good strike rate once he decides someone is ready for tests

People have a problem with Robertson because he sucks at scrummaging and has no form whatsoever to speak of. Hanigan is fine, but I'm surprised he was picked over RHP. I would have picked RHP over Koroibete, I don't think we need so many outside backs and Koroibete hasn't demonstrated he is anywhere near a Wallaby either. As Peter said, lots of people are justifiably complaining about Godwin, Nabuli and Tui. You're right though, it's just because they're Tahs.

Lomax strummed well last game I saw, but he's also coughed up more scrum penalties than Robertson from less minutes. More work needed.

lots of complaints about godwin, tui, nabuli, koirebette

You're right. If Robertson or Hanigan played for anyone else you wouldn't hear a word about them. Nobody would be complaining.