EJ will seriously put Vunivalu through his exacting requirements on camp. If EJ sees that Vunivalu has still got it, and he believes he can extract it out of Vunivalu from here to RWC, then EJ’s judgement will be the right call.

The issue is that for whatever the reasons, the Reds coaches are not getting the best out of Vunivalu.

EJ wants to take a really close (ie under the microscope) look at Vunivalu and work out what’s impeding his potential and see if he can unlock his x-factor on the field. This is a one-shot in the locker scenario for both EJ and Vunivalu, in relation to RWC23.

Spot on Mike. Thorn’s ‘man-managemment’ has not been good over time. When a team or business has retention problems, in the first instance, it points to inadequate or inappropriate leadership by the coach/manager. There can be many other variables of course, but good people management requires the leader (BT) to be able to unlock and fully develop potential. It is clear this is not happening with Vunivalu, whereas Craig Bellamy did it with Vunivalu at the Storm, and Eddie thinks he can as well by picking him in his first squad.

QR did a world-wide search of their own carpark Ken and re-appointed Richard Graham. Dumb and Dumber.

Yes, I think that analysis and evaluation is pretty spot on Big A.
Eddie’s 1st squad will have quite a few fringe players (ie ranked 30-45) that will get culled because they haven’t or didn’t make the necessary leap forward that Eddie needs for the RWC.

The second squad will be getting much closer to the mark. There may be a 30% fail rate with this squad with another 30% of probables added next time.

KCOL, Eddie simply sees massive under-development in Suli. He’s seen what he can do in RL and on the big stage in finals footie, and knows he can deliver. Many very good players don’t deliver on the biggest of stages! IMO, Eddie sees his strengths (size, height, speed, aerial skills as core requirements in this years edition of RWC, and he believes he can probably get him right and ready.

In any case, Suli better get his shyte together in the first camp or he will be gonski.

Lastly, like many other instances at the Reds with very good players in recent years, BT does not seem to bring out the best in them, whether that relates to individuals underperforming or team underperformance, or players want out or BT sacks them. There’s one common denominator to all that?

Yes exactly. It’s Eddie’s ‘eye’ which translated into his perceived belief in how much upside RWC potential they have, plus Eddie is going to test and start extracting higher skills and performance out of them in the first camp. I’d say if you were cut from the first camp, it’s goodnight boys n girls for RWC23.

That’s a pretty fair summation Nathan. A 10 has to control and steer the forwards and backs; and at times, take the game by the throat. Debreczeni definately did that when he came on last night. Lolesio has to step up as he has plateaued. Or put another way, some other 10’s have caught up and passed him in the last 2 years.

I heard Gus went to St Vincent’s Neurological Research Centre on 1 April to volunteer and be a case study for experimental surgery to discover the secrets to the perfect brain. Gus figured that he not only had the perfect brain, but he also had perfection with personality, TV charisma AND Canterbury Bulldogs good looks.

When Gus was asked whether he would like anaesthesia for his surgery, he declined saying “I fear nobody or no-one, and not even pain itself.” Shaken, but not stirred, the surgeons took a leaf out of Gus’s book, and ploughed ahead with surgery anyway, just like an unrestrained bull in a china shop. Contrary to all previous research; the surgeons found nothing between his ears.

This led them to call upon the resident ear-nose-throat specialist who found that his ears were solid cauliflowers, his throat matched that of a bullfrog and his nose bone structure had multiple indentations that were consistent with the shape of the rear bumper bar from an early 80’s Ford Cortina.

Their research proved that despite Gus’s claims of cognitive perfection and infallibility, there was nothing but thin air in his brain cavity. More disturbingly, Gus never shut up the whole time they were doing surgery; and unlike a TV remote, they couldn’t put it on mute for 80 minutes. No encounter with Gus would be complete without him being excessively arrogant and insulting, and true to form, Gus ripped the each of the Professors a new one at half-time on how they should be doing their jobs better in the second half.

The surgery report back to the Director for the Neurological Research Centre concluded that Gus is nothing but a highly paid, butt-ugly windbag whose self-hype and bullshyte has somehow made him a millionaire, and he would be an ideal replacement for Eddie McGuire when he retires from Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Gus’s renamed show will be called Who Wants to be like Gus. Unsurprisingly, the entire sheep population of Australia have already registered their names.

The final sentence in the report recommended that further studies be done on Gus, particularly in the field of astrophysics to try to discover how a star can be made out of nothing! 😛

QC was never sacked. For all intents and purposes, BT/QR sacked him, but were 100% dishonourable in how they did it, which included impeding him for 2 years.
BT told QC he would never pick him again while he was the coach; thereby forcing QC to either maintain his QR contract and play for Souths, or break his contract, forego his entitlements, and either sit our 2 years, or get paid whatever was on offer at other SR franchises at the time; knowing full well at that point in the early season, the other franchises pretty much had full rosters and full salary caps.
BT and QR never had the balls or integrity to pay him out.
When an employer sacks a contracted worker; they pay their contract out. BT wasted 2 years of QC’s career at the top level, which he later proved in 2021 and 2022 he was and still is a Test quality player.
Time has proven that BT’s judgement on QC was not only professionally wrong, but clearly was a judgement that was based on a personal vendetta.

Thanks Harry, some insightful observations in there.

What came to my mind at the end of your musings is the issue of “player development.” How well do we do that or in fact do we impede it or even block it? QC is a great example of having incredible potential but for a few different reasons, got tripped over and his potential and contribution as a 10 got blunted.

I’m not excusing QC himself early on with inhibiting his game and potential, but there’s quite a few years of QC’s career that have been impeded by Brad Thorn and Cheika’s man-management, coaching, game-plan and selection capabilities (ie blunders and stupidity).

Which leads to the question of having an over-arching and comprehensive Australian plan for player development and retention, that also includes mechanisms where coaches are not sending our best potential overseas. Compared to the Irish system now in place, we look, and are amateurs. The Wallabies slide down the rankings is because we’ve been over-taken by smarter, stronger and holistic rugby systems and structures, like what Ireland have done.

Yes, and I wonder if that irony, of Gus Gould Gargantuan Proportions, is not lost on the rugby (union and league) fans out there?

Yes, that’s the real point Tony. Gould is a goose, and his media roles pay him big $$ to be the biggest, loud-mouthed version of himself in front of the camera as possible.

Ratings winner and the masses of sheep in the paddock out there fall for it every time.

Yes, I was surprised that pass wasn’t looked at by the TMO. It looked a long way forward.

The Stan commentators had a golden opportunity to offer credible, intelligent yet somewhat entertaining calling of the game when Foxtel, and their commentators got the chop when the new broadcast deal was done.

After initially setting the bar marginally higher than their predecessors, they’ve succumbed to more and more banality and stupid/incorrect statements, obviously trying to generate controversy and interest (ie hype), while thinking how profound and smart they are.

They are continuing a fine tradition of creating discontent and turning people off and away from rugby, while doing a great disservice to it. These guys are simply mugs with a microphone.

Will Oz rugby broadcasting ever climb out of such pathetic mediocrity?

…. and an old fart ozinsa 😂

The footage showed Smith grabbing the defenders jersey fractionally before TMc picked up the ball from the ruck. Smith also acted as a shepherd as well. Clear case of foul play that assisted in a try being scored. The correct decision was made by the TMO to disallow it.

Don’t agree on Thorn Jimbo. Thorn has had 5 years at the helm, with it “his way or the highway” management style. He’s cleaned out the joint when he arrived, plus kept the broom in his hand along the way getting rid of top-shelf players that needed understanding (ie emotional intelligence) and man-management more than showing them who is the boss around here; all in the name of establishing and maintaining ‘culture, as defined exclusively by BT’.

I think the cattle have been there over the last 5 years, but there’s some mighty fine ex-Reds players playing top-shelf footie in other Oz franchises in that time too. If Player (ie staff) retention is a problem, it is highly likely they are being driven away from their line manager ie BT. eg Slipper went on to become a Wallaby captain.

Tonight’s game really showed up how much the Reds have plateaued. I was expecting much better from the Reds tonight given he’s had 5 years of having it all his way, but the Reds were out-played across the park, and out-coached in the box. A long season is ahead for them, and the next few years if QR re-appoint BT.

Reds consistently shot themselves in the foot with self-inflicted errors, and looked rusty and clunky compared to the Canes. In short, the Reds got towelled-up all over the park by a good side, who simply put some pressure on them, and the Reds kept giving away possession and territory. You can’t hand well drilled teams so many opportunities to punish you. The Canes were good, without being near their best. The Reds? Out-classed. The Canes simple game plan of playing solid percentage footie in attack and defence with taking field position regularly exposed the Reds skill deficiencies. That’s a very disappointing start to the Reds season.

Thanks Brett, I don’t comment much these days, but I’m compelled to opine a little in response to your piece today. I’ve long been expressing all the Wallaby player sins you’ve outlined. We’ve gone from the Cheika era of weakening the fabric of the Wallabies by not developing the next generation and retaining under-performing favourites and dead wood for too long; to the Rennie era where he is on ‘development catch-up’, while also not arresting the decline in the fabric of the Wallabies (eg a first humiliating defeat to Italy)

What stands out to me over many years now is that the Wallaby playing culture is mentally soft. They just don’t have players – individually or collectively, as a match-day 23, who have and can deliver for 80 minutes, the steely determination and unbreakable mental fortitude to get their individual and team jobs done.

More than anything, the Wallabies are experts at beating themselves, and gifting field position, possession and points to their opponents. Ultimately, this speaks straight to the culture of the Wallabies, and the inability of various leaders and managers (eg coaches) to instill and demand the required winning culture. Sloppy performances and unacceptable errors have not been met with player omission or banishment. We get post-match excuses ad nausea, especially along the lines that “we trained well” …. and the usual “we are so much better than that tonight”.

I see far too much ref back-chat and theatrics from players trying to ref the ref. Players blatantly breaching rules for off the ball play, and doing stupid stuff right in front of the ref. The fact that the players have this stuff in their head tells me that their focus is far less than being in a unbreakable mental state that is solely focused on playing inspired winning rugby.

There seems to me, over many years now, a missing ingredient with the Wallabies – killer instinct. ie, being able to deliver hammer blows in a game, even under heavy attack pressure. They can deliver hammer blows to themselves, often in key moments, but rarely to their opponent.

Rennie is tolerating the intolerable. All he has to say and do, forthwith to the whole squad on game day, is unacceptable errors, skill deficiencies, lack of discipline and/or cards will result in (at least temporary) banishment. One strike and your out. Rennie needs to start being ruthless with his squad, and stop being so nice and supportive of them when they are repeat offenders with delivering losing rugby.

Good post Old One Eye, and spot on. The forwards were on the back foot all game, and the backs never saw the ball to do much attacking. With the forwards not squaring up, plus the constant Wallaby errors and turnovers, that meant Foley was going to get smashed frequently. To his credit he never flinched as he was about to get steamrolled. I think his critics are a bit harsh on him. Having said that, his defence capabilities are not Test standard, and never have been.

It was one of those games for the Wallabies that have occurred quite frequently in Bledisloe games over many years now, and that is, if it could go wrong, it did. Various selection/bench ideas came unstuck too, especially with the injury to Foketi.

Solitary confinement in the room of mirrors running the B2 replay over and over sounds like a good starting point for the entire squad and coaching staff.

But what will be different next game?

The contrarian view GC Red is that consistent and comprehensive beatings do a lot of permanent damage. Personally, I thought the Wallabies were out-psyched by the hoodoo of trying to win at Eden Park at the first YC to Holloway in the 2nd minute, and were gonners with the second one. It’s nigh impossible to beat very good teams playing with 14 for 20 minutes.

I don’t know what the answer is, but geez some of the self-inflicted errors are pretty hard to take, given some of these guys are serial offenders. Tom Wright for example, while capable and does some occasional flashy stuff, also is a significant liability that at times requires him being hooked from the field, and not selected until he fixes his game.

Spot on Bf. With widespread and major injuries for 12 months or so, to so many 1st pick players, last nights game showed the ‘normal’ effects of constant changes with a playing pool that is not top shelf. The Wallabies were not playing with unity, confidence, familiarity with the next player etc. Last weeks game was the exception to ‘normal’.
There’s been many good comments here today, and for many years now, around entrenched structural, financial and leadership shortcomings with rugby in Australia. This inability means top rugby in Oz will continue to underperform because its foundations are not right.

There might be the occasional batch of exceptional players coming through that can lift us in the rankings a few places, but all the other higher ranked unions o/s have their house in order, and perform better because of this fact.

While Rennie is not a perfect coach, he is not the problem. How well are we developing world class players? Rennie’s having a crack, but he is only addressing the rough bits around the edges. How good is Pete Samu playing now? All the development work put in him while he was at the Crusaders is clearly evident now.
Therein lies the long term answer.

Sinclair, while I was bewildered by the reffing call, at 79 minutes, I cannot excuse the Wallabies for not getting on with it and being prepared to play, win or defend until 80 minutes and/or a few minutes afterwards, as necessary until the ref blows up for full time. Time wasting at 79 minutes indicates to me they didn’t have faith or trust in themselves to go the distance. The Wallaby leadership at that moment in a decisive battle was befuddled and lacking; and opened an unexpected opportunity for the AB’s to attack the line 5 metres out. It was madness to flaunt with a pedant with the whistle.

It was a suicide leadership moment by not being appropriately steely-minded and decisive to give White the ball to kick the leather off it for a lineout near the half way, and then to close it out from there. A top class Test team would have done that; it showed up again how the Wallabies are capable of losing games that are theirs for the taking.

I think White needs a break, and the team culture needs a break from White.

For mine, all of his mouthing off, constant niggle and theatrics impedes his own, and his team-mates energy, focus and correct game-plan implementation.

I’d like to see every Wallaby player STFU and 100% execute their roles for 80 minutes, and see what they might be able to do, and see what the scoreboard might show as a result. All of this so-called niggle and banter is actually a self-fulfilling negative, and imo, contributes to the Wallabies continual underwhelming performances and losses.

Instead of trying to put opposition players off their game with niggle, channel all of your own focus, energy and rugby IQ into maximising your own performance, and assisting each of your team mates to do the same.

Top quality footie and a big number in your favour on the scoreboard does the most and loudest talking to your opposition.

I won’t be bagging Rennie.

The Wallaby game day 23 or the wider squad never get their act together cohesively and play 80 minutes of ‘pretty good’ footie. For many years now, their game consists of playing patches of good footie with patches of hanging in there footie or just being continually being on the back foot.

Plus, they usually shoot themselves in the foot with unforced skill errors or dumb decisions that cost them momentum, field position or points; or all three at once.

Maybe the players as a group just haven’t got the rugby IQ and mental fortitude to get their act together? I dunno, but last nights game was pretty hard to watch; a clunky rubbish performance. Sure each rugby game is different, and there are different rugby styles and approaches, but the Wallabies haven’t been able to master any one of them for a long time. To me they continually appear to be a collection of dysfunctional cogs. For years now, it’s pretty much rinse, repeat, except when QC was playing a few games last year, he made a difference.

Whether its Rennie or anyone else coaching, I’m firmly of the view that they need to permanently borrow Harry Potter’s wand and keep using it every week to get the individuals and the team to function cohesively and then consistently.