gatesy's Roar Profile

You nailed it – woeful Wallabies on the paddock in those earlier days, but probably a steady hand on the tiller in the boardroom. Mind you the game was controlled by only 2 states back then, and it was amateur, and the press generally did not do much probing into private lives, nor was internet, social media etc even a thing. Purer days, all around.

Broken promises, sacrificial lambs and a monumental low blow - goodbye, good riddance to 2023 for Wallabies fans

Dec

Sounds like your glass is less than half empty and could use a refill!

Pressure Points: Full throttle still to be found at Larkham's Brumbies, environment set for shake up

I’m backing Andy Muirhead to have a breakout year. Lots of pressure on the 10’s and there are quite a few contenders who could stand up for the WB’s at 10 – Lolesio, Debrecini, Donaldson, Harrison, Gordon, younger Gordon, Pasitoa, Bowen, Lynagh, McLauchlan Phillips, O’Connor, Harry Burey, not to mention Quade and Bernard Foley. This is a non World Cup year and non-Lions year. Let them all have a crack.

I’m not thrilled to hear that last bit, Leahry, about the clangers. Perhaps we can build something around Tom Hooper or one of the other backrowers that will hold the fort, or even James Slipper, charging in without us needing to commit too many at the breakdown. We may need a genuine jackler. Having said that, I don’t really understand the dark arts. I just want my Brums to win every contest.

Hi, Sheek, good to hear from you. If you wanted evidence that NRL and AFL are the reasons for keeping us weak you only have to look at the growth of Rugby in the US. NFL is so big and so professional that it is virtually in another universe of its own and is not any sort of threat to Rugby, and will never go international, because apart from a few minor semi-pro leagues, people tend to give up the game as players if they don’t graduate out of High School to a College and make the big-time, whereas Rugby now has a pretty good foothold in high schools and amateur clubs. 10 or 20 years ago most Americans only started playing the game in College and mostly socially. It has taken off, thanks to Sevens, and a lot of people with vision. The concept of the NRL starting their season in Las Vegas, or wherever, is laughable. The average American either does not know or care about Rugby, or is a Rugby Union person and not likely to be that impressed with what is on for one weekend. Both College Rugby and MLR are making big strides and they have a world cup in 2032. Can’t see the NRL making much of a dent in USA Rugby, or suddenly a bunch of jocks jumping ship to League. Most Americans will just assume that it is just another Rugby game and get on with their lives, while our boys whoop it up for a day or two before normality sets in, again. About time the mungos got a reality check. Here endeth the rant.

Fears for Rebels' future as debt threatens their Super Rugby existence - but CEO says 'we will be fine'

DJ, let’s not forget that Jack Debrecini is the current incumbent 10, and Noah will now have to fight for his spot. the 9 – 10 ‘style’ is yet to show itself, which is interesting in itself.

I think I liked it better when Rugby was amateur. Here’s a thought – get an Art Union licence – half the proceeds to charities and half towards operating costs.

.. a thin one, at that.

'He's up for it': Why ex-Boks World Cup-winner Jake White should be on the Wallabies coaching hit list

Corect me if I am wrong, but I have not heard or seen one shred of evidence that Dan Mckellar is interested in the job.

Yawn………..!

'Stinking nepotism', 'bygone era' or Japan's saviour? Why Eddie's mate has risked his rep on Wallaby turncoat

Laughable! Highly laughable!

Eddie Jones set to be appointed Japan coach six weeks after walking out on Wallabies

Dan’s got absolutely nothing to lose by staying at Leicester. He’s just uprooted his family and got them settled in. He has inherited a great team, that will kick on. He is young enough to wait out one or two more RWC cycles before he needs to come back to the WB’s and Bernie is probably going to get the gig anyway. If I were him, I’d take the big bucks on offer in NH (and who knows what other offers might come his way) then come back to Oz when his family is ready. No rush, despite the fact that, as usual, the Roarers want instant results.

'Energy and excitement' - McKellar ready for next challenge as England legend hails 'terrific' Aussie

Can’t help thinking that there is a bit of journalistic reverse engineering in your article, based more on hindsight than intuition. Eddie is a pretty big hard target, and we can blow him to bits by slowly tearing chunks off him, well, at least until the silly season is over.

Also can’t help thinking that Larkham, O’Gara, Schmidt and possibly Lord Laurie have their agents out and about. Andy Friend is keeping in touch on Twitter, but nobody has talked him up, yet.

Must have lost his agent’s phone number.

Not much input from McKellar yet, as he has had a slow start with Leicester and needed his RWC players back before he could win a game, which has only happened in the last 2 weeks. Maybe he is playing a slightly longer game.

My point? I don’t think that the inner sanctum is leaking much, lately.

You’re all guessing and will keep doing until after the holidays, but, hey, keep it coming.

RA must not fixate on an Aussie coach - why Ronan O'Gara is best choice to lead Wallabies after the Eddie calamity

Nov

Exactly, the Rugby clubs are back in early pre-season training. He can turn up for a run any time he wants.

Rugby News: 'I'd carve up' - NRL flyer says he'd '100 percent' consider union deal, Potter targets Wallabies call up

League

Well, as the saying goes: ..” A champion team will usually beat a team of champions”.

One man does not make a team, let alone a winning one.

'Hold firm': RA urged not to blow Suaalii deal as Herbert shifts focus from NRL, Eddie rejects 'horse guy's PR'

Well, I read that article and my overriding thought was he’s having two bob each way!!

New chair says Aussie rugby must end 'sugar hit' approach, 'fears' for game's future if reform doesn't occur quickly

It’s good food for thought. By decreasing the fatigue factor over years, maybe that has had an effect on the Wallabies running game. If one pack can dominate the other, then their backs should have more room to be creative. Australia’s kicking game, seems to have been slower to develop than other nations, and maybe that is why, because we traditionally placed less emphasis on kicking in general play. I have no evidence for any of that, just a gut feeling.

Possession Rugby is on life support - and the stats from the World Cup prove it beyond doubt

In Rugby you have to first build your structure and then wait for it to pad out, but Australian rugby people disdain the “.. build it and they will come…” mantra because we all seem to want instant results. As I have said here, before, if we had left the original ARC alone, when it first started however many years ago, it would be thing of substance by now, but we have to tinker with things because we don’t get instant success, and maybe if we had left Tier 2 in place, continuously, we might have a better Tier 1 and Tier 3, and who knows, better participation at grass roots, and a strong Wallabies side, which might have created a stronger SH bloc. We’ ll never know.

Key hire that must happen BEFORE Wallabies can recruit new coach, why Brumbies are stalling on RA plan

..not to mention that GIO stadium is not the most convenient place to get to on a miserable cold Friday night.

Leave the Brumbies alone – most successful Australian franchise – and for those who want to whine that the Brumbies development pathways means that they take players from other regions, so what? Often they are players who may not have got a look in in their place of Origin… and if we go to a centralised system, we will need to come to grips with the fact that there will be more player movement, not less. Many SR players come back to their home clubs after the SR season, anyway, so we are not necessarily losing them at Club level. Hamish Stewart, case in point, plays for the Western Force and comes back to Brisbane Brothers, as hopefully, Taniela will also.

If so, I stand corrected, but I seemed to recall, anedotally, we were playing games against SIRU before that, but I’ve been out of Canberra for a while now.

It’s a bit disingenuous for Mr Doorn to suggest that NSW Rugby controls all of the state. When the Brumbies formed up, they took over control of SIRU – Southern Inland Rugby Union which in simplistic terms is the bottom half of NSW, leaving the top half to NSW. I know the size of it because my wife and I had a distributorship servicing the same area and I can tell you there are 39 regional councils, including Griffith, which is a fair drive from Canberra. So, for those who think that the Brumbies are just from little old Canberra, would be wrong, and as far as I can see, they do a pretty good job with SIRU (ask anyone who has played against the mighty Jindabyne Bushpigs!!) read about it at: http://www.southerninlandru.com/

Just saw that great little video clip of Noah Lolesio creating a try from a quick throw in. Haven’t seen a smile that wide on his face for quite a while. Let’s hope that’s a good sign for the Brums, particularly as he will be playing outside Lonergan (assuming Jack D doesn’t take his spot).

Talent, time and toughness: Why Australia's Super Rugby coaches won't run like Eddie

Why don’t you tell us what you really think?

'Bold step': NSW Rugby confirms RA alignment in bid to rid game of 'conflicts and self interest'

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