Hunt eyes Wallabies return

Would like to see him rested for the rest of the RC/3rd Bledisloe and lock him in as starting 12 for the entire Spring Tour.

Foley is ok. He is by far best of choices available. As u are a bok supporter death riding foley and Australia. How valid are your opinions?

Well Karmichael need not worry. Wallabies as usual will go straight back to their Scotland, Italy form now they've got the flood of criticism and pressure off them. The June form and the Dunedin turnaround were just a re-run of the same old, same old pattern of the last 10 years. People will be begging for Karmichael after the Boks and Los Pumas games.

Can't believe people still suggest Cooper should start at 10 for the Wallabies. He has been out of form for the REDS all season and in NRC game for NRC yesterday again had a very patchy performance which shows he is long way from being reconsidered based on his current form. I would love Cooper to be in form and challenging for 10 spot but until he shows some semblance of form it is just ridiculous to be saying he should be starting at 10 for the Wallabies.

That's actually a great backline with solid reasoning PK. I am assuming they maintain that defensive alignment as well. It would be a very dangerous opponent indeed.

He was very similar to lynagh.. Was amazed as he hadn't played since schoolboys.. and just slotted straight in and took them to the final. He definitely is a leader and a can read the game very well.. Hence spindle making him vc and was thinking of him as a possible 10 when he signed him.. till the God's dandruff episode screwed that.. Don't think it is too late for him at all to try.. We have nothing to lose in trying for the reds next year.. let Cooper have a run at fullback or inside center..

Cheika likes Dempsey. If Dempsey is Hanigan plus physicality that may at least give us the 6 that we want. A good replacement for Fardy and if some of the roarers are correct it would be an improvement on Fardy and Hanigan. So Pocock at 8, Hooper at 7 and Dempsey and 6. And Cheika gets to send Timani to France where he'll be appreciated.

Hunt should go back to 12 with Beale going back to 15 and Folau and someone else as the wingers. I think a fit Naivulu is our best strike winger but Speight is doing okay for the moment. Rona is a fair option as a winger and can also cover 13 if required. But I"d probably go Naivalu. I like his pace and his D. That puts a lot of pressure on DHP because you'd reckon Hodge and Kerevi would be ahead for the bench options. Hodge can play anywhere from 11 to 15 if required and Kerevi is a better strike player. Hodge, Kerevi plus a half back means a 5:3 split but for mine 6:2 is just too risky. Someone has to miss out but Kerevi as 12 or backup 12 has the most upside for us. Job sharing Hunt and Kerevi would be good for both of them and Hunt at 12 gives an option of subbing Kerevi on for TK at 13 if the game looks like going that way. So Beale gets pushed out to a position he is better at in 15. Hunt starts at 12 and Kerevi is the guy we are grooming to take over from Hunt. Kerevi is a strike weapon. And dare to dream CLL comes back and takes over 10 and Foley wear's shirt number 24 and acts as a good clubman.

riddler, did you see much of KH playing 10? What would you say is a good comparison to another Aus 10 in terms of style and quality? I don't see him as a Larkham, but maybe a Lynagh for eg?

Wont ever happen Riddler... Hooper,Foley and Folau will always be 7 10 and 15 whilst Chieka is coach..

Dave, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA You finally have seen what i`ve been seeing and telling roarers for 2 years.. I think i`ve rubbed off a bit of my conspiracy theory onto you ... ( but it isn't a conspiracy theory is it ) we can see it right in front of our faces. ..Chuckles Cheika doesn`t care anymore who he offends, what players careers he ruins as long as he has his pets in place.. We all know it`s been happening since Chuckles Cheika took over. We are 5 th in the world and will be heading down the toilet further with him in Charge..

PeterK, it wont happen, how many times have we said it ( Folau wing )?? Two years ??..Cheika will not move Folau from 15..Everrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Stop it now !!! hahaha

love to see hunt play ten for us next year.. he was great in france as a 10.. doubt it will happen.. but would love to see it..

Once Pocock is back, I wonder what the loose trio will look like? Ned, Hooper and Pocock? We have been handicapped by an unbalanced back row for a long time now this is the selection issue that frustrates me the most.

Hahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahah. Oh that's funny. Karmichael, did you watch the last WC? Remember when our no.12 was injured early on, and the replacement 12 Matt Toomua slotted right into that position which he naturally plays? Oh that's right, he didn't. Beale went into 12. He will always go into 12 as Cheika intended (hence never allowing Cooper to play at 10 to upset his plan). You have two options. Look abroad as Toomua and a host of other Walllabies have done when concluding they will never get a shot under Cheika. Good money, but you forfeit your chance of playing for Australia. Or you take the noble option of self sacrifice like Cooper. Stay, even though you know you will never get a chance to play, in the hope that something changes on the coaching and administrative level which will allow you to put that jersey on again. Just keep in mind that path will lead to immense playing career frustration and lack of income.

I think Hunt is enough of a playmaker that we might (but it is likely) see: 09. Genia 10. Foley 11. Naivalu 12. Hunt 13. Kuridrani 14. Beale 15. Folau 21. Gordon (he is so much better as bench impact than Phipps) 22. Hodge 23. Haylett-Petty/Tom Banks (Banks is seriously good, and seriously quick—I would imagine quicker than Kurtley and maybe even Sefa over 20-30m, but I think Sefa is the fastest rugby player in the world currently over 100m). I think it is important not to overrate Beale's defensive effort on Saturday. That last defensive lapse was horrible. That being said, I am happy for him to continue proving me wrong and showing me he is capable of defending at 12.

Good point. I agree that Kerevi-TK should (hopefully) be a good longterm centre partnership. Hunt is a really good distributor, defensive organiser and leader. He is an okay attacker because he can throw an offload too but he doesn't create enough line breaks. I agree that Kerevi is a better longterm 12. The advantage of an 11-14-15 is that it is essentially like having three fullbacks. Although they'll be struggling to hold their spots if Tom Banks and Naivalu continue to improve and stay injury free. I was thinking that Cheika is sort of the opposite of Deans—in attitude (calm, reserved to the point of being robotic vs raging and heart on his sleeve), game plan (play what is in front of you vs running rugby at all times), kicking (kick often and play for territory vs minimise kicking) and selections (more than willing to move on old players, despite giving JOC so many chances vs undying loyalty to the guys that have performed in the past). It's interesting how far the pendulum has swung the other way.

Cheika is down on QC for 2 reasons from reading his actual statements (not inferences made by journos). 1) attitude at training, quote - Cooper doesn't seem to be enjoying himself 2) Not executing the game plan (exactly and by the numbers, no ad libbing, playing whats in front of you, my harsh interpretation) , quote - Cooper is not getting us around the park the way I would like / expect

Fionn - I was thinking longer term than just next test. It will be a while until Hunt is fit enough to start anyway, initially coming off the bench. By that time Kerevi should be fit playing NRC. I see Kerevi as a better long term prospect at 12 than Hunt due to age and physical attributes, a potential to be as good or better than Nonu late in his career. The sooner he is developed at 12 for that the better. Won't happen though with Cheika (and many previous coaches) being wedded to a 2nd playmaker at 12.

I wonder why Cheika is so down on Quade. If Foley goes down injured playing Hunt or Beale over him 10 would be madness. Unfortunately, it would probably happen. Péter, either of your backlines look good. Of the choice between the two given Kerevi has been injured and played mostly at 13 I wouldn't mind him as bench impact for at least a couple of rounds. Either would be better than what we have now, however.