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The Roar

The Roar

Bentnuc

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Joined May 2019

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To each their own opinion I guess. The ABs will still be the bookies favourites versus any team they play next year (including SA in SA). You think at a bash and barge centre is the way to win matches, I (and history) say it wont. We will just have to look at the results Reds this year and see how they go without their ‘best’ player. I have played with similar styled players and counterintuitively the team usually does better without them

Reds look the goods in pre-season trial

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Rugby
 
Jan

Haha I would argue the other way. If you think winning rugby matches is about having ‘big carriers’ you dont have a clue! Winning rugby matches is about smart tactical kicking, aggression at the ruck, and taking advantage of the rare opportunities you get by using good hands in the backline to run in tries out wide. I suppose the Crusaders and the All Blacks know nothing about winning matches with their smart passing centres? The ABs are still the best team in the world and they have no place for Laumape (who is head and shoulders better than Kerevi). There are other reasons for the Reds and Wallabies poor form but in my opinion Kerevi is a net negative player to the team overall. Time will tell this season

Reds look the goods in pre-season trial

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Rugby
 
Jan

Yeh of Hegarty keeps up his form from last year surely he deserves a wallabies Jersey. At the very least on the bench. He was absolutely perfect in everything he did in the trial. Smartest footy player in oz rugby. Best goal kicker too (2 missed kicks in the trial can be forgiven)

Reds look the goods in pre-season trial

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Rugby
 
Jan

True. The super rugby season isn’t long in reality. You would think any opportunity to give combos more time would be welcome. Rebels are looking pretty good the bottom of the oz teams looking at their forward pack

Reds look the goods in pre-season trial

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Rugby
 
Jan

Yeh see your point. For me, LSL isn’t even a super rugby quality 6, hockings might be alright but there are locks ahead of him, uelese has hardly been fit the last year or so and their hookers ahead (bpa, fitzpatrick), isi I just dont get the hype, Harrison is just a big punt out of nowhere as with lucas at 15, hodge and dhp have been getting jerseys for years without deserving it, tupou needs to sort out his penalties (leading penalties conceded last season). Be interesting to see how koro goes this season. He had a shocking first half of 2019 but turned it round big time. Cheikas gameplan was suited to his style of play but his defense is very suspect. Ah well we all have different opinions. Just hope the form players of this year get picked and not picked on name or whatever hocus pocus cheika used to find ‘diamonds in the rough’

Reds look the goods in pre-season trial

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Rugby
 
Jan

Jeezzz Wayne is having a bit of a laugh with that team is he 😂

Reds look the goods in pre-season trial

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Rugby
 
Jan

Nice one Gatesy! Good positive article 🏉

Play like nobody's watching - no fear

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Rugby
 
Jan

I know it’s only a trial versus an under strength rebels but it’s great to see the Reds score over 50 (for the first time since 2011 I think). Good to see an inside centre who passes when there are opportunities out wide. There is no way a winger for the reds would ever score 5 tries with Kerevi in the centres running every good attacking opportunity for himself. Hopefully a lot more to come for the Reds. Good back row and with lucas, McDermott, hegarty, and JOC creatinging opportunities and Speight, Petaia and dangunu finishing … we have hope!

Reds look the goods in pre-season trial

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Rugby
 
Jan

True Hoy. In all honesty I haven’t seen LSL ever put in a full, good game. Often would wonder how he made a Reds team let alone the Wallabies. Think both Cheika and Thorne select him based on looking like he should be good (being a big imposing fella) as opposed to his actual abilities

How will Dave Rennie replace the Pooper combination?

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Rugby
 
Jan

Yep, far too much of an emphasis on running ability at the expense of ruck skills and general rugby smarts

Aussie abroad: Caleb Timu

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Rugby
 
Jan

Great article again Nick. What a player Fardy is. I think we need 3 over the ball players in the back row. Naisarani has never really impressed. He did some good work in the game against Argentina but nothing else. You need more than just running the ball up to be an international 8 IMO. As it stands McCaffrey, Wright and Samu should be able to make a the back row and subs with Hooper going to be picked anyway. But you never know who will impress in the lead up to the Ireland tests. I just hope Rennie picks on current form as last years or 3 years ago form is of no use now!

How will Dave Rennie replace the Pooper combination?

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Rugby
 
Jan

Wow an international backrower who had to move to europe to get the skills to win his first pilfer! Unbelievable! Goes to show how poor we have been at picking and coaching players the last few years. Good on Caleb for putting his family first too

Aussie abroad: Caleb Timu

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Rugby
 
Jan

Great article Will. Yeh it looks like the kiwis (and Crusaders especially) have lost more than us. We have lost experienced players who have been in losing teams for the past few years and the kiwis the opposite. I’m glad to see most of the oz players mentioned go as we haven’t been winning with them so we cant do any worse!

Post-World Cup transition intriguing on both sides of the Tasman

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Rugby
 
Jan

Great article Nick. Fardy was and is an excellent, smart, selfless rugby player. Everything he does contributes to the main goal of his team winning. It’s funny he talks about McCaffrey. I read an article about him where he said there is too much of an emphasis on athletes instead of footy players. We need more actual ‘footy’ players like him and Fardy in oz instead of focusing on the ‘athletes’ trying to play the game which we are awash with now. Being big or fast or strong doesnt make you a good player. Being smart and knowing the game like Fardy wins matches

The Australian view from across the water: Scott Fardy

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Rugby
 
Jan

In 2018 the Waratahs moved Folau to the wing and Hegarty forced his way into the starting line up at fullback… can’t be that bad a player for a coach to move their marketing posterboy to the wing??? FYI. Hegarty contributed more Tries and Try assists (12) for the Reds than Kerevi (11) last year but all you hear about is how Kerevi was all their attack

Liam Wright named new Reds skipper

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Rugby
 
Jan

Good to see Wright get the nod. Good player but would be happy with Rhodda too. Always thought having the openside as captain is of benefit (eg Richie).

A lot of hope for the Reds this year. We have gained on of the most underrated players in Super Rugby (Speight) and lost one of the most overrated (Kerevi).
Another underrated player in Hegarty will have a great season if he is kept at full back. If Lucas and McDermott have worked on their kicking game and if Tupou can half his penalty count it will go a long way to improving on last year!

Good back rowers coming through too. LSL must be a replacement lock at best. I cannot handle the torture of watching him play 6 as with the Wallabies

Liam Wright named new Reds skipper

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Rugby
 
Jan

Hope you are right. Oz rugby needs some good new 10s coming through!

Rebels and Waratahs discussing move for Jack Maddocks

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Rugby
 
Jan

True, but the only way to get more experience is game time. I just wonder if they are going to make the same mistake they did with Mason and Foley I.e. sit on the bench for years and get very little game time

Rebels and Waratahs discussing move for Jack Maddocks

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Rugby
 
Jan

Dont know what’s up with the tahs, they have Mason, Harrison and Donaldson to have a crack at the 10 but they are putting in Beale who has hardly played there the last 10 years and who’s best position is full back.

Rebels and Waratahs discussing move for Jack Maddocks

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Rugby
 
Jan

Well if he can do what he did with the Reds in 2011 I would be happy. Everyone talks about the exciting backline from that season but the defense (particularly of the forwards) won them the title!

Wallabies reveal Matt Taylor as new defence coach

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Rugby
 
Dec

Hahaha true! I’d say a goat could win a psychological contest against Cheika in his later coaching years 😂

Did the All Blacks pick the right successor to Hansen?

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Rugby
 
Dec

Well said. I grew up watching and playing league. Then I started playing union and still really didnt understand it by the time I was done! But it’s a great game because the older you get the more you understand it and enjoy it 🏉

Foxtel versus rugby: The next battle

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Rugby
 
Dec

Excellent article LED 😊 Very good point that foxtel is failing and their declining viewers might be adding to Rugbys decline. It might be a godsend for the game to head elsewhere. Would love some FTA games to get some casual viewers interested

Foxtel versus rugby: The next battle

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Rugby
 
Dec

Very true Nick. The first match is a home game and we will have the element of surprise to a certain extent. The ABs have lost a lot of experienced players and so have we. The difference is the ABs experienced players have been winning them matches and ours haven’t!

If we can get up on that one the pressure will be on. The second match is at least away from Auckland too so that hoodoo wont be there. Anything can happen! Hopefully 😁

Did the All Blacks pick the right successor to Hansen?

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Rugby
 
Dec

Yeh the US to be a powerhouse is an interesting one. Coincidentally I was in the US in 2003. I was speaking to a south african fella who was the coach of the college team where i was working. He made the same statement then. It didnt happen then but their rise in the 7s cant rule out anything

What does the next ten years look like for Australian rugby?

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Rugby
 
Dec
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