Calm down over Quade

Ah ok, gotcha now. We were talking about different comments of mine. Sorry for the confusion. Yes, in the one you are talking about I was responding to "I can’t put up with Foley at 10 regardless of his performances", which you've now clarified and I accept. I get what you're saying about Foley last year. I'm not sure exactly how the Larkham/Cheika thing played into it but with hindsight you can see there were cross-purposes there and that showed in selections and I think also in how the backs were playing (i.e. not well). The chopping and changing wasn't helping anyone. Personally I think Foley's biggest problem right now is an out of form Beale who keeps getting selected outside of him - I'm hoping the Tahs now get a decent run of Gordon - Foley - Hunt - AAC because I think there's potential there, but only if they get the time to work together and the forwards find a way to give them a platform.

I don't want to argue with you, but I am confused; you said the following: "Cole, I’m sure you’ve realised by now that Foley is one of those guys that is irredeemable at the Roar. Hoy even said it above, it wouldn’t matter how he was playing he’d still be calling for his head." So you were saying that I didn't like Foley and would drop him regardless of how well he played... I can see I wasn't clear, but that is certainly not what I meant at all. What I said specifically was that I couldn't stomach Foley being selected each game, regardless of how he went... ie. not playing well, but continually selected... not that I couldn't stomach Foley at all. Again, if he played well, by all means, he deserves selection. But for 5 years now, I can honestly say I would reckon Foley has played 4 great games, tops. Maybe 5. The rest are serviceable, if not poor. But then that's my opinion... though if you look at the player ratings, he finds it hard to be at the top end often, so I am not completely alone in thinking he hasn't been going great. I also see what you are saying about Cheika trying a few options, but the problem is, as I have also stated above, is the options are always hamstrung... either with Foley at 12, for some odd reason, OR the team is experimental, or something doesn't add up... like Toomua and Beale, but Beale playing first receiver for the majority of the game. Why do that? Why not change the game plan to suit the selection? Why bring in a 10, but not let them run the team? Or even play 10 to not play as a first receiver really? It just makes no sense. Foley WAS dropped for two games last year, but was not dropped to get form, rather he was dropped to the bench, given 10-15 minutes each week, did nothing of note, but was selected to start again after that... with no change in his game. But then Foley isn't alone in that selection foible of Cheikas... He has done that to others as well.

No I genuinely wasn't replying to what you wrote. Fionn said 'If Quade redeemed himself this year, then anyone is redeemable' and I asked if 3 solid games was sufficient for redemption? At which point he started obfuscating. Now you are setting the bar at 'some consistently great games' and I'm fine with that. If QC does that then he should be starting for the Wallabies. He hasn't done it yet, he's been good with brilliant flashes but not consistently dominant. I hope he gets there, I don't care who is 10 for the Wallabies as long as they are playing well. As for Foley, well Cheika tried a few options last year so it's pretty clear that he isn't being automatically selected. Nothing really worked last year. And to be honest, I don't think that's a great surprise because the Wallabies woes go far deeper than having a brilliant 10. It would be nice to have one, but that alone isn't going to win us a World Cup.

Doesn't make me feel heaps better... because you were speaking about something I wrote, but I obviously didn't make myself clear enough either. Of course, if Foley was slaying it, these conversations would not be so common, but he isn't, and he hasn't been ever except for rare occasions, and so this polarizing conversation happens just about every week.

If it makes you feel better, I was replying to Fionn's reply to your comment rather than to you. Sorry for not making that clear.

Very good Big Dave... but you have misunderstood what I said and taken it out of context for good measure... What I mean when I say I can't stand Foley selected at 10 regardless of his performance... is that even when he has terrible games, he is seemingly safe. I can't stand it. He isn't irredeelable at all. Some consistently great games would do it. I don't think that is too far out of the question is it? The bloke has honestly had a handful of great games since 2015. He has had more shockers than good in that time. The rest are serviceable. Do we want a so/so 10?

Yeah, look one bloke in and out, I can understand, but what Cheika is doing at the moment, in both defense and attack, it just boggles my brains... our 13 on the wing in attack? Our blind winger roving all over the field? Our 10 on the blind side, so our winger plays 13, so our halfback sweeps deep? I mean who thinks of that system? Any wonder our defense shreds after a while.

His All Blacks profile had him at 89kg. http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/profile.asp?ABID=606 I happen to think that a fly half has to be committed to defending their channel. Take young Isaac Lucas who had his debut as 10 for the Reds last night, he is only 84kg but he was willing to hold his position and repeatedly put his body into the legs of the big Sunwolves forwards who were plowing into him. He had some excellent moments but clearly has a lot to learn as an elite 10. What he has far more character than some talented but flakey 10, who thinks he is too special to do his bit in defence, and I think that is important in a player.

Mehrtens also had a great pass, one of the best territory kickers, and great vision for playmaking. His defence was his only weakness, and being under 80 kg, he wasn't the worst defender of all time. Really cannot understand why you think Mehrtens was average. Did you actually see him play?

It makes him seem like he should have been a kicker in NFL, he would have made more money while not having to be able to tackle.

Andrew Mehrtens scored 967 points for the ABs at an average of 13.81 per match. That makes him the 7th most prolific points scorer of all time in international rugby, and out of the list shown on wiki of the top 23 points scorers, has the 3rd highest average per match, only surpassed by D Carter (14.26 per match) and Grant Fox (14.02 per match). How average does Mehrtens seem to you now?

Such a biased article The differences are: Ned Hennigan has not for one second looked like an international player. You mention him sitting women in their seats and playing like Keiran Read. The latter will never happen and quite frankly if theirs a test match on the former is where I'd like him to be. Quade has played well. Please excuse the rest of Australia taking optimism that your warratahs might not form the spine of the wallabies team. Erratic or not, we need someone else at 10. Might be him, might not. But imagine if Foley was in this form. We'd never hear the end of your love in.

They have 3 less points after 3 games this year than last. Must be QC pulling them down, right? I mean, almost nothing has changed except QC is now the flyhalf.

I keep hearing that Cheika never improves any player. When a player gives him credit for improvement, you say it was so obvious that Cheika shouldn't get credit. So what should I be looking for? It seems the players can't be believed.

Not sure what point you’re tying to make? This all comes down to you trying to claim that Cheika saying to an underpowered forest that he has to get stronger (after two seasons in the Wallabies) is evidence of great coaching. It’s evidence of stating the bleedingly obvious...

Quade didn’t lose a game in 2018 super rugby. Who had a better winning percentage in 2018, Mounga or McKenzie? Who was better in 2017? Who is doing better in 2019?

Gawd you just argue for the sake of arguing. You yourself said that QC redeemed himself in the post I replied to and then you go and claim he had nothing to redeem. The rest of your post is just reinventing history, you aren't able to view any Waratah player with equanimity but I don't doubt you genuinely believe what you write.

Let's be honest, the Roar is just one big exercise in confirmation bias, isn't it?

He'd be right at home here then.

As you wish, Fionn. Are we done now?