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Joined February 2008
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A guy who plays rugby the way it should be played. Hard as nails on the field and a gentleman of the game off it.
Some spoilt overpaid players currently running around could learn from him.
Jerry Collins: All Blacks lose their hardman
Junior I am with you, I cannot wait to go out to Campbelltown Sports ground to watch John Elias play for Lebanon against (insert made up country name here with team of Jim Beam Cup players) in the Rugby League World Cup with the other 147 locals. As a truly international game league really knows how to mix it up.
That Rugby farce in France where over 2.5 million paying spectators watched teams like Georgia actually almost beat top tier nations will never last.
Now that Catalans is dominating the front pages of the papers in France and Spain those deluded rugby types will know the true potential of the game they made from bits of other sports. Surely it is only a matter of time until other countries join the sporting giants in PNG and make League their national past time.
Hang on a second, there is a scrum setting in the replay of Bulldogs v Warriors, since nothing like a sporting contest will happen in this set play I am going to use this chance to go and nail my head to the bannister.
RIP grassroots rugby
How come RL can’t come up with an original name for any of their international fixtures. The Ashes, ANZAC Challenge, Tri-Nations!!
It can’t be that hard to be mildly orignal can it.
Rugby coverage has become appalling and the worst evidnce was during the Tahs bye the other week. Both the Reds (over the Bulls) and Force (over Auckland) had major wins that were very good for Australian rugby as a whole. Both games combined got about three paras frmo the CRC in the Herald. Now The Shute Shield gets almost nothing. The ARU needs to act on this as much as anyone else.
RIP grassroots rugby
Good article.
Young tight five players need to learn from the old hard heads and by playing against other academy youngsters they learn nothing, it purely becomes a test of physical development.
A comparison of the Engalnd tight five and the Australians shows a lot of scarred battered melons on the English side and a lot of pretty boys on our side. The English are forced to put their head over the ball and into tough physical contests week in and week out by playing top level club rugby against hard clever old timers and strong men.
Playing academy fottball and then being dropped to being a amaeteur club player doesn’t aid development (personal or franchise) at all.
Are our Super 14 teams picked on form?
Fairbanks over Faainga? Rough call. Very dissapoiting for the Brumbies but the first sign of the worm turning. great young talent leaving the Brumbies instead of heading towards them.
Also the Brumbies need more than Moore to become a dominant forward pack. their lineout and scrum are ordinary.
Faingaa Twins: My Brother's Keeper
Saw Conner play in the 7’s against Canada. First touch he broke two tackles. Second touch he made about 40m metres through and around defenders before offloading beautifully to Shawn Mackay (?) to score a very important try. Commentators and I were very very impressed. He has class written allover him.
Is James O'Connor the new Tim Horan?
NO Spiro don’t do it. the last kid you anointed has got severe second season syndrom (Josh Holmes). Hopefully the Force can hang onto the youngster and give him some solid game time next year. If the Force hold onto Conner, Pocock and Hocking there is the basis for a great future.
Is James O'Connor the new Tim Horan?
I don’t understnd that either. He is only 25, a world class player and a pack leader, something in short supply these days, yet he could be squeezed out! If there is money for Nathan Sharp then there must be money for Elsom. This is the major problem with Deans current ‘hands off position’ in regards to the wallas until the S14 is over. Hopefully Elsom can find comfort with the Force (yes I am a Force supporter), then all we will need is some depth in the front row.
Thankfully Howard is leaving the job, scarily Ewen Mackenzie wants the role. With his track record of losing Josh Holmes and Hoiles and relegating players like Polata Nau to bit parts then he could create even more damage in a national role.
A Wallaby team for the future
Yes there was a generational change about four years ago or more but that is another excuse. QLD still has a thriving club competition and a strong country side. Don’t forget that NSW shares its players with all three provinces and still puts out a manageable side. Currently in the QLD side Dayna Edwards, Van Humphries, Houston, Cordingly, Siale, Turinui, Latham, AJ Gilbert, Blake, O donahue and probably a few more come from south of the border. Half the brumbies and the Force also come from NSW so the excuse of losing players doesn’t hold to well.
On paper the QLD team should be playing far above the current standard. It is a mind rot that has set in and that is very hard to break. A new group of players needs to be brought in with a fresh attitude and then hopefully they can resurrect themselves like the Bulls did. South Africa brought the Cheetahs in and then the Bulls won the comp.
The rot in QLD started when Miller took it upon himself to make himself the coach and the board was stupid enough to stand by him for three years and watch the tower crumble. Also where are the old school reds players? Shouldn’t they all take a massive hand in helping to reassert the team instead of ridiculing them through the papers.
The brumbies and the Force have become successful through attitude and the Force administration has even managed to make the team the second highest revenue earner out of the aussie teams. Good admin, good leadership and a policy of ‘our destiny is in our hands now’.
Reds lose third straight game
Why was Dayna Edwards taken off at half time. His scrummaging was very good and he was more visible around the field than Blake has been, Probably becuase Moonye thought Blake should be carrying more weight, silly idea. AJ Gilbert alos looked good to take over from Croft and unfortunately I think Roe has had his day.
But taking Edwards off, just stupid.
Reds lose third straight game
Jameswm I was looking at the very young generation, deliberately leaving out anyone over the age of about 22-23. I am a massive fan of Polata-Nau but his lack of serious game time under Ewen ‘one dimension’ Mackenzie has left him a bit short. I do believe he will suit Robbie Deans style of play though and could get a big step up from the national coach. Cliffy Palu has improved and is formidable but I want to see who is going to push him and Hoiles in the next few years. Are there some up and coming big boys to takethe hard yards in the middle of the field? If Pat Howard gets his way and Rocky Elsom has to go over seas are there any youngsters to blood in his place?
Burgess and Holmes are yet to shine this year and I think Burgess might be a bit older than you think. Holmes could be the shining light to take over at halfback and hopefully the competition with Phibbs will bring the best out of him as well.
The main point behind the piece was do we have the depth to match the best in the world in the future.
On the scrum front, the Force need to do some recruiting. Mcaiisac isn’t getting any younger and I am still to be convinced that Holmes can mix it with the best, greatb open play hooker but needs more impact. I am still not sure who the Force have behind him although I have a feeling it is a 19 year old.
A Wallaby team for the future
Finally Ewen is getting the recognition he deserves. He took the tahs to the finals because of a talent laden team. The lack of direction got shown up with massive losses in the finals to well directed teams.
If his tactics aren’t bad enough then the loss of talented players to other provinces should be a warning sign. Why they offered Sheehan a contract before signing Holmes is astounding.
I just don’t think Link is a smart enough tactician for modern rugby, and unfortunately not many Australian coaches are. The problem will be in finding a good enough replacement for him. What is Scott Johnson up to next year?
Waratahs: The 'missing Link' needs to walk
Mackenzie has already stated that Beale will go to fullback because of his kicking game, which means no counter attacking, how boring. The tahs will have Harris, Carter and Jacobs in midfield, not much passing talent there and a lot of crash ball heading straight upfield. Tahu might as well leave his tracksuit on as he will not get a look in.
Mckenzie must go.
Qld A only beat WA Academy by 1 point, the WA team was almost completely local players so it is good to see the talent starting to come through out west.
Super 14: The Brumbies stampede, at last
I agree with almost everything there Spiro. Mackenzie says winning is the best entertainmen – rubbish good footy is entertaining and leads to victory. The Blues and Crusaders are winning and very entertaining while Ewens boring/baffling tactics are dragging the tahs down.
Tyrone Smith has been the find of the year for the Brumbies so far, strong and courageous and can tackle and create a break. However, when it comes to the scrums the tahs looked much better with the new front row against a the highlanders pack with a supposed next AB’s generation front row. Kepu and Palmer both did fairly well and will only get better. Polata-Nau let himself down with poor throw-ins but is unbeatable otherwise.
Does Phibbs performance make him the leading half back in the country now? No one else has stood up.
The young generation is looking good for the wallabies and is Tyrone Smith the inside centre the wallabies have been looking for?
Super 14: The Brumbies stampede, at last
My point is that the NZRU is taking a big hit on the profit and the IRB is missing out on potential ticket revenue that could have been secured in Japan. That does not even touch the expansion of the game issue.
Profits from ticketing to the NZRU could have gone into Pacific Rugby as well as in NZ. The amounts made in Asia from tickets would have supported the game there while the IRB could have focussed its funds on other 2nd tier regions. Great that the IRB makes the same amount of money as 2007(no growth in the sport then!) but where does that leave NZ and Asian rugby.
Also $190 million is to upgrade a stadium in disrepair and to add around 10,000 seat, so it is an extraordinary sum for little gain (yes i know there will be the legacy of an improved stadium but the basic structure will be the same old one)
RWC: Taking a wrong turn in 2011
Leadership is about more than one man. Eales was a confident leader, but then he had Horan, Burke, Gregan, Wilson and Kefu in his team. there was enough confidence in the team to securevictory in the tightest situations. The Brumbies survived off that as well but now none of the Australian teams has enough of that mix of quality players, experience and confidence to dig their way out of serious trouble, as evidenced in the World Cup.
I think Beale, Polata-Nau and Turner could turn into such a trio.
Waratahs need an outstanding leader
Good point Steve, but Brookvale Oval is still a council owned lot I believe and not part of the club owned by Max. I agree about the hill as well, it is great fun and one of the few left. From the development plans that have been touted so far it looks to be safe.
The Government keeps the Sea Eagles on the outer