So true Geoff does RA have the balls to truly resource the women’s game. Up until the recent signing of our $5 million teenage wonder boy I always thought the strength of our game although close to broke at times was us being inclusive. We have lost that with one major signing. I’ve got no doubt he will be good for the men’s game but what about the girls. We told the girls a few things when we had the $ to sign this bloke no wonder they’re ticked. The true face of our game when you think of recent success stories should be our women’s 7 stars. No rarely see them on any RAcmaterial. Moving fwd any talk of structures pathways etc must involve us being inclusive, male female and how we will fund it together or we keep dropping down the food chain for talent. Our game will become irrelevant.

As much as I love club rugby Brett, I am not a fan of club rugby filling a mighty gap in our calendar and development pathways as outlined by the Roarers comments already. All players need to be available to make it work. If the NRC is not an option which is a shame as it was well supported by the states well except NSW. What about Twiggy’s old model Brett. I am wondering in the day did you have time in the day to review it and could it be something the RA could adapt or use as a foundation. The Twiggy Plan –
* The inaugural season is set to feature six teams, starting in August 2018. (Date Clearly negotiable)
* The regular season will run for ten rounds between August and October, with the top four teams reaching the finals. (negotiable)
* Areas that have expressed interest in entering a team include Japan, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Samoa, Fiji, South Korea, Malaysia. (Why not invite others, lets grow the pot, share the love as travel cost will hurt. Could we also look at pools or divisions to cut down travel)
* If the ARU endorses the competition, players who sign for the IPRC will remain eligible to play for the Wallabies. If a player is chosen for Wallabies duties, the IPRC team will release that player for however long is needed. (Yes please)
* Forrest has promised to sponsor the National Rugby Championship if the ARU approve his new competition. (Can RA put pride aside and rub Twiggy’s ego and what an ego it is or just find another sponsor which could be overseas)
* The National Rugby Championship will run at a similar time to the IPRC. (Forget this point, could run in line with super rugby giving players not playing in super rugby franchises game time – pushing club rugby back later in the year. Club rugby must be stand alone, it is still our gateway so to speak).
* The IPRC also wants to work with the ARU High Performance team to improve talent identification, as well as athlete and coach development pathways. (Yes, please a big MUST DO and there has to be women’s component / competition as well)
* Forrest hopes this new competition will bolster Australia’s chances of winning the 2019 World Cup in Tokyo. (Okay let us aim for the future like a LION tour as the first step)
* The IPRC hierarchy have already started talks with various broadcasters around the world. There is a strong chance this competition will be seen on free-to-air television in Australia. (You’d think with so much rugby content this would be a draw card $$$ / TV rights).
* The IPRC is yet to be ticked off by World Rugby. (Should be easy – maybe. This is where Phil might have to do some work)
* Teams will be able to recruit their own high-profile players. There will also be a (swear word but needs to happen) CENTRALISED PLAYER POOL to ensure weaker rugby areas will be bolstered.
* The IPRC could feature rule changes such as increasing the number of points for a try, and any other changes that will encourage more of a running game. (We can negotiate this point would prefer the status quo).
* Things like music and other entertainment will also be incorporated to make it more of a spectacle. (Must have snag sangers or no one will come).
What do you think Brett, tell me why it will not work – pick the bones out of it guys. I like it.

Morning Geoff so Farrell with form fronts an independent panel and gets off because England provided him a QC. Recently an Islander player commits a similar offence, his nation cannot afford legal representation so he gets 10 weeks. Gees so much for the world game. So we agree on tackle height, I have no problem with an independent panel, I do have problem with percieved bias between the rich and the poor nations and money appears to have say over players safety. I terrible look for the game and fingers crossed common sense prevails.

Agree Wizz like your thinking

Like your thinking Freddo

Nice points Blues fan. T. Hooper has the world at his feet, and he still has more growth and development in him which I feel appeals to EJ. Jed and Harry just don’t have it and it’s not like they have not been given a chance to excel. Jed’s set piece work and his ability to get through rucks mauls are second to none. For a former number 8 who can motor, has a good pass on either side. I always thought he be a handful on the edges, but he just does not do enough of it. Harry has big work rate, could do a little more at set piece, loves running hard straight and into brick walls. When he does use his head and parks himself on the edges, he is a handful but again like Jed does not do this enough of it at a higher level. Yep, Reds are a different story. Both Jed and Harry are just nice blokes who lack mongrel. Could take a leaf out of the J. Collins handbook. Again T. Hooper on the other hand who is still developing has mongrel about him. Who runs over Sam Cane to score a try. Cannot wait to see his little brother play. Another with big wraps coming through the Brumby system.

It is what it is Harry 6 has been a problem for us for a while now. Swinton has work rate and good set piece but does not learn from past mistakes, Jed should have everything a good 6 needs but has no work rate or mongrel, Leota has potential, just needs to build confidence. So it’s Hooper with what EJ described as having half a body. He has all the qualities to take us forward. Physically he may not be ready yet but EJ loves players who has a crack. His the one standing up right now saying pick me. We just need Thor and Gleason to fire up now and who knows.

Won’t happen’: Rennie’s blunt reaction to working with Eddie, addresses future, Wisemantel exit and review

Christy Doran
Editor
9th January, 2023

NickBris Im certainly not blaming Quade for the loss. The team was up at the break and came out flat which reflected in the final result. However he should not have dropped that ball. If you watch the replay we had an overlap. Skills failed Quade. We hold the ball we get over half way line then who knows he could have been the hero and stamps his ticket to Paris. The opposite occurs with Darkness scrumming for a penalty and the rest is Ritchie I mean history. Thats rugby smarts which we dont have but I feel Eddie expects Quade to have. That could and should have been Quade’s moment which sums up the head space of the team – the team picked before w/c selections.
Eddie has said it he expects a youngster like Carter to make mistakes but demands more from senior players. I think that mistake cost Quade his place in the team. I take on board NW, Slipper dodged a bullet as our bench did not fire a shot compared to Smith Mo’unga and co. Keep watch on NW Slipper during the w/c. A repeat subpar performance will see them drop further down the pecking order for youth.

Think Eddie would say the same thing Freddo.

Opinions aside the big winner from Eddie’s w/c chook raffle is the Rebels. Who would have seen that coming 12 months ago. Not bad Geoff for a broken system.
Jordan Uelese, Pone Fa’amausili, Matt Philip, Rob Leota, Carter Gordon, Marika Koroibete (ex), Andrew Kellaway, Josh Kemeny. Throw in Thor now on a technicality, that’s not a bad effort.

Eddie has been given a free swing, a bit like a Alvin Purple movie. His picked a squad with an eye to the next w/c and Loins tours with the blessing of Hamish himself. Phil Waugh has not stuck to script stating anything less than a semi appearance would be a failure. No pressure Phil who thinks he is the God father of Aussie rugby.
Eddie has prepared us. If we bomb out early, it wont be his fault, it’s the fault of RA for poor management over the last twenty years. In truth his right. Eddie has had 4 games to get to know his squad and so made some hard decisions. Yes, with flaws. Wins lose or draw, his picked a youthful squad he believes he can mould for the future. Im a fan of Quade and Hoops but the hard truth is Quade should not have dropped that ball that gave Darkness a scrum then penalty to win the game. Eddie has not forgotten Genge running over the top of Hoops who right now looks spent. It is what it is, Eddie won’t be joining the que at Centrelink any time soon.

Legend. Nothing to prove to anyone. Shame he cannot do a Dave Warner but thats sport. it can be cruel even to the best people. PS – Would love to see Hoops devote a season to the Mighty Manly Marlins. Would be huge for shute but family come first.

Brett are you calling BS – If so just a heads up I own my mistakes but when Im right and know Im right………like Don you might have to watch a little more of Shute Shield although the Dent cup isn’t bad either

https://rugbynews.net.au › langi-gleeson-the-20yo-no-7-who-turned-his-back-on-league-to-light-up – written by The Rugby News May 3rd 2022 Jon Geddes

Need to watch Shute Shield more mate, has covered 7 for Manly. Did you watch the Tahs Otago game this year with his steals. He goes alright over the ball plus a handy wrecking ball in general play as well. Yeh Shute is not super rugby but you could apply the same argument to Tom Hooper. He appears to be going okay at 7 when the need arises.

Tom Lambert has been prefered as a cover on the loose head in recent wallaby camps which is a little surprising with HJH experience but in saying that Tom has been good. No noise to report from Sydney Uni. The tahs have sent squad members (Swinton, Ned and co) out bush in the last few weeks to run clinics. HJH you’d think would be up for a road trip and Schniti was not part of that crew, so Im presuming he must be injured or still rehabing that knee injury he had from last year. Just has not looked fit this year, hoping im wrong.

Bad news Brett Pistol Pete will miss the boat unless injury. If he does miss the squad, he will join fat cat as unlucky players not to get to a W/C. Why he will miss out. A young bull who I think is still on the radar Langi Gleeson. He can cover 6 7 8 at a pinch. A freak who can bend the line and does not mind the odd big hit. Throw in Tom Hoopers rise and McFreight who I feel nailed down his spot last weekend, I don’t think you can fit pistol Pete in. Our back row options are covered.
With a heavy backrow in Bledisloe one we were leading for 34 minutes until the yellow cards. Darkness scores 4 of 6 tries when we are a man down and throw in Jed’s hospital pass to Tate the score line could have looked a little tighter. On a fast track in the deep south of NZ again our back row stood up. Won’t talk about the second half but the guy standing up and who is in the way of Pistol Pete possibly M. Hooper and Jed out is Tom Hooper. Throw in Gleeson McFreight, possibly Rob Leota who can also cover second row (+6) we have enough young bulls to get the job done. No one is talking about the weather when the w/c kicks off. It will be fast tracks and I think Bledisloe 1 & 2 were Eddies backrow test. Backrow is close to picking itself. Sorry no room for Pete.

Brett I’d like to Slipper wrapped in cotton well. He looks done. I think we will need him on the tight head in 4 weeks time. This could open the door for Schoupp to come in as an loose. Poni who we now know can play but strangely needs to get used to playing more than 15 minutes. Thor has work to do just to get on the pitch. Nonggorr is a World Cup to early. Props who can cover the opposite side should be treated like gold like Slipper and dare I say HJH could also be considered now. Talakai or Rhys come into calculation but maybe fighting one position with Slipper. These two you’d think would be the better choice but you cannot fit everyone in thus Slippers appeal supporting Poni and Thor with two to three loose heads. Love Bell but we also may need an insurance policy on him so we may need minimum x2 other loose heads.
Ps. Talakai can throw in a lineout. Eddie has to take a short cut somewhere and again guys who can multitask suddenly have appeal.

Hi Brett we are close but Eddie is at a cross road with his older players. I bemoaned the lack of leadership in Bledisloe 1. Game 2 Darkness rise to the occasion in the second half with a big help from their bench. Our bench Slipper White Quade poor.
And then theirs goal kicking, it bit us on the bum on the weekend and will bite again in 4 weeks time. With Wales beating an old England side youth with an eye to the Lions could be Eddie’s way forward. His already prepared us for the worst and who is to blame now and not Eddie or his coaching team Eddie for PM with his spinning abilities. Some older heads could miss the boat to provide extra cover in the front row Hodge who looked gone purely with his goal kicking comes back into calculation.

Hoskings, not sure if his still injured, have heard a whisper his left the Reds, if true not sure where he is going. Technically very good at the scrum.

Of all youngsters Tom Hooper (covers 6 7 8 4 5) has shown Jed how to play 6. Great game and physical. Just what we need at 6. With Gleeson (6 7 8) and Leota (4 5 6 8), Jed may have played his way out of the squad as our second-row options are strong and he does not do enough at 6. Whilst Jed set piece has been solid, he just has not had enough impact with the ball in hand. Tate getting smashed by Scott Barrett in Bledisloe One was a hospital pass from Jed. Eddie won’t forget that.
I think Eddie has the template now and will go for fwds who can do there core duties and can bend the line with physical impact at break down. As much as I like Phillip, I’d have Loto in the squad. Ticks all the boxes and is a brute in defence as well. Think we also need Sio at loose head. Cannot load up Slipper who looks tired. Talakai is a must at tight head. Nnongorr just isn’t ready.

G’day Geoff alot to like from our youngsters but a lazy 15 minutes after half time hurt us gifting momentum to Darkness. Losing your 2 and tight head must have some impact but no excuses. Another lesson learned I hope. My disappointment was the lack of leadership from our older heads. White lock with three important turn overs and rolling Tate were huge moments, Aaron Smith who I cannot stand because the buggar is such a good player I could hear through the on ground Microphones barking at his players of what he wanted them to do and say no more about Ritchie. As for our old heads when they rolled on offered nothing. I think Slippers first involvememt was not rolling away. Geoff Wales thumped England with a youthful yet fit side. With one eye on a Loins tour maybe we need to roll the dice on youth as well as our youngsters stood up and gave us a start we could only dream of. Finishing a game with our youngsters like Wales – well we have nothing to lose.

Agree Peter getting out of the pool without losing any skin or much skin is the priority. I watched a very well drilled Fiji put Samoa through the cleaners the other day with Semi Radradra playing 12 and playing well. With the Drua playing week in week out with added fire power from Europe are no walk overs. Wales with a wiley coach and Georgia whom are built tanks – the Wallabies wont have it all there own way.

Good news PK, BPA has signed with the Force so dont be surprised if he is picked in the w/c squad. BUT and there has to be a BUT BPA is recovering from the same injury that took down Quade and Thor. Finbgers crossed. Apparently his working his way back to fitness with his current French side.

”The All Blacks needed to find the patience they played with late in both halves”. Cannot beat experience Brett, more than 1000 caps working in unison. Darkness problem solved on the run, but their strength was and probably for the first time in a long time they did not panic or jump the gun to give a cheap a penalty away which would have relieved pressure. Patience. As soon as Darkness got the turnover it was pay day. And boy they take pride in not conceding a try from set piece. A lesson the wallabies can learn.