GrecoRoman, great read, IMHO could only have been improved with the inclusion of some engaging PowerPoint diagrams (with appropriate animation) that brings that ‘Wallaby brand vision’ strategy to life, or how they can ‘own the reality’. Sadly, I’d bet good money there would be a few such diagrams, and probably with ‘TM’ beside them, on a few ARU laptops.

As a longtime Roar reader, but very infrequent contributor, I usually ignore the code wars that erupt on here, but I cannot fathom the pathetically negative posts on here from some non-football fans.

Football is not my main sporting love, rugby union and rugby league are but as a general sports tragic I do watch the A League when the Roar or Sydney FC are playing – but I am a thousand miles from being a true fan.

But as Empire, a fellow rugby fan said somewhere earlier on, I’m Australian first and want this bid to succeed.

My God, why would you not want such an event to come to your country? The atmosphere and experience would be incredible – even if you didn’t go to a game.

If you don’t follow football, fine, each to their own, but why wish a failed bid on those genuine supporters, who for them, a WC in their own country would be a once-in-a lifetime experience? I had my taste of that during the rugby World Cup and it was brilliant. (I won’t bring up the League international comps because I know they are a bit of a joke, but I still love the game.)

Fussball is right – small-minded, petty and insular. And I’d add stupid – didn’t you guys watch the games in SA? You’re telling me you don’t want those hordes of beautiful female football fans from Argentina, Spain, Brazil etc etc coming here?

To all the football fans on the Roar, good luck tonight, hope you get the decision, you and football in Oz deserves.

I’ll see you at a game in 2022 if there’s room on that bandwagon.

Well done Van, also looking forward to seeing you get your first cap. Hopefully he can bring some of the passion he showed for the Reds this year.

Just saw the Reds have signed their last squad player for 2011 – Michael Harris from North Harbour: http://tiny.cc/x8mbg

Plays 10 or 12 and a good goal kicker. Played NZ U20s.

Any NZ Roarers able to shed a bit more light on him please – thanks.

Zac and apaway,

I’d be careful about publishing a story that comments on, and repeats allegations that are now the subject of legal action:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/seven-reporter-suing-abcs-media-watch-for-defamation/story-e6frg6nf-1225931198941

This part of The Australian story caught my eye:

‘…Seven took the unusual step yesterday of sending a legal letter to other media outlets warning them not to repeat Media Watch’s allegations…’

A quick edit might be in order.

I’ve suddenly started to think about this summer’s cricket and the Ashes. Not sure if it’s because it’s Grand Final weekend here in Sydney for league and union (and a repeat dose for the AFL in Melbourne) or because the week has started with this great warmer weather.

Anyway nice article as always Vinay, thanks. Do you think North’s 100 in the tour match will be enough to save his spot or will it come down to how he does in the tests in India?

Hearing JOC on 2KY this morning in Sydney it sounded like the reason they chose Cape Town over Loftus was there isn’t much for the ‘boys’ to do in Loftus.

When asked about their preparation he rattled off quite a few social things that had happened but pretty much nothing about what had happened on the training ground.

I appreciate touring can’t mean just going from training ground to the hotel room but I would have thought the socialising could have waited until after this first match.

Drop kick, it’s just going to be streamed via their website – foxsports.com.au

Can’t see anything on the site yet directing you to exactly where the video stream will be housed but I think it’s a fair bet that if you go to the Rugby section on the site on Tuesday you’ll find it – although I think they’ll put a link to it on the home page as well.

Here’s a link to the video explaining it:

http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/video/0,,Rugby%20News_34814,00.html

Looking forward to watching it myself.

That is great news, I thought he was a certainty to leave, and not to the Rebels but overseas. Does anyone know if the ARU reviewed their initial top-up offer to him?

Now c’mon Quade, sign on that dotted line.

Formeropenside, you seem to have the good inside word on what is happening in the Reds camp, are they looking to sign a new marque player to replace Braid?

Maybe he’s talking up Giteau to start at 10 the first Test because he knows Genia won’t be fit and he doesn’t want to be outside of Burgess at 9.

Mushi, totally agree – this seems to be lost on many commentators – including Gould, endlessly saying why didn’t the NRL know, or were able to detect it in their Audits?

Because it was being well hidden, and like in many corporate fraud cases, it’s often only exposed when someone on the inside comes forward with information that authorities can act on.

A couple of weeks ago Bret Harris in The Australian reported that mining magnate Kevin Maloney was interested in looking at providing a third party sponsorship deal for the Reds to secure Mark Gasnier if he was prepared to play for Southern Districts in the Shute Shield.

Surely the QRU should be having a word to Kevin and saying hey we’d rather you put the money up for us to keep Cooper – surely losing him form playing in the Brisbane club comp is very small price to pay to keep him at the Reds.

Brisbane based Reds fans – your thoughts?

Realise there is more logic behind Gasnier playing for them because of his ties to the area from his St George days, but c’mon Quade, you’d love the Shire for a couple of weeks a year for a token club game or three.

rugbywits, I enjoy both union and league and find these cross-code arguments quite tiresome, but I have to question you on two points you made earlier:

“And Lote was decent without being the best.”

Sorry, he’s the equal third highest Wallaby try scorer on 30 with Tim Horan and Joe Roff and scored them in considerably less number of Tests – 66 v 80 for Horan and 80 for 86 for Roff. Now, I’m not suggesting he’s anywhere the equal of them as players, but it does indicate he was a touch more than decent.

“More players in union are fast (unlike league where the backline is a whole lot more second rowers), therefore making these two look slower.”

Really?

I’d only put Davies, Morahan and maybe Turner to be the equal of league speedsters like Jennings, Hayne and Inglis. Yes they are big, but they can still motor.

The Reds will obviously lose players to the Rebels, there’s nothing we can do about that if they decide to go and the fact that the former administration incredibly allowed a huge number of players to be off contract at the end of this year. That in itself deserves a bloody investigation.

But, what I am interested in seeing is how the team and administration react this time as opposed to 2005 when Sharpe decide to leave for the Force and the dominoes fell after him.

Yes that was a huge blow and they ripped the guts out of the team, but for God’s sake we as a team and a group of supporters (me included) have whinged and bitched and used that as an excuse for poor performances ever since rather than trying to look and move forward. And the only people that kind of outlook has affected has been the team and us.

Redsfan hit the nail on the head earlier when he said he believes Link is building something that will survive any player losses. If we are going to lose Weeks then make sure we have the next wave of good props signed up. But I think the QRU has a much better attitude this time in that I’m sure I read a quote from McCall the other day saying they would wish Kingi well if he moved to the Rebels as it would be better if he was somewhere where he was getting a regular start. You wouldn’t have heard a statement like that from the former administration. And as others have said, if we keep playing like this we may even attract a few players. Now that would be something.

The only player they need to do everything they can to keep is Cooper. But if he decides to go maybe they can bring back some old-school Joh Bjelke era style Policing and justice and have the Special Branch pay him a visit and if that doesn’t persuade him that when his case comes up in July it’ll be presided over by ‘the hanging judge’ and the only view he’ll be seeing with a Rebels contract in his hand is out the window of Boggo Rd. (Yes I knwo it closed years ago but I have no idea what the new prison is called.)

Barnes:

“…obviously this is a place that’s a success and has a culture of winning…”

Hey?

And I’m sure he said in another story earlier this week that sometimes you have to ‘..grind out a win..’.

My God Hickey’s already had him drink the blue Kool-aid.

j-b your comment about the Kiwi commentators reminded of how much I enjoyed their call. Tony Johnston was incredibly unbiased and generous to the Reds I thought, combined with with some insightful comment, by I think Ian Jones. E.g. when the Reds won a turn over, explaining it was because of their great body height and drive rather than Martin and Kearns comparing notes on how good the AC/DC concert was during the week. They also showed a knowledge of the Reds injury line-up and performances to date. Sometime I think our guys haven’t even read the game programme to know who is in the opposition team.

Ora I don’t usually get involved in the school yard slanging matches that many Roar discussions become but as you asked ‘I would love to know how many unforced errors they came up with’, well here you are from Sports Data:

Turnovers:
Chiefs 14 (13 in general play, 1 ruck and maul)
Reds 20 (12 in general play, 3 ruck and maul, 4 lineout, 1 restart)

So, Reds far worse that Chiefs in handling

‘…after the 20th minute the Chiefs discarded this philosophy and resorted to the Bulls tactics of last year and Kick Kick bloody Kick..’

Kicks:
Chiefs 16 (7 Halfback, 5 five-eighth)
Reds 15 (4 halfback, 4 five-eighth)

So Chiefs only 1 more kick than the Reds.

Tackles:
Chiefs 93 made (112 attempted, 19 missed – 83%)
Reds 52 made (75 attempted, 23 missed – 69%)

Sorry to bring facts into this argument. It doesn’t look like the Chiefs had such an inept night as you suggest. And yes it was Quade’s great kicking v Donald having an off night – but mate that’s rugby.

Actually just checked the game stats which state the Reds only had 1 line out throw not straight – I certainly thought we got pulled up several times – so apologies Saia, my judgement was perhaps clouded by a cocktail of Heineken and blind QLD passion.

Bruski, I’ve been incredibly impressed and surprised with our improvement this year and whilst loath to criticise after such a great effort last night, but I think Faingaa’s throwing needs to be improve far more than just becoming ‘more consistent’. How many times did he get pulled up for not throwing straight last night? I lost count, and a couple of those lineouts were in pretty good attacking positions. It is a real balance, he does add so much around the park but consistently wasting our own throws kills any momentum.

Also agree we look a lot better with Genia and Cooper directing the attack than last year. IMHO Genia has future Wallaby Captain written all over him. There you go, just given him the kiss of death for the rest of the year.

Well done Reds. Next week will be the key to see if we can string two wins together in a row. Bloody sad state of affairs of QLD rugby I am actually typing that statement.

Just noticed that BBC are reporting that Cipriani has signed with Melbourne rebels:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/my_club/london_wasps/8524003.stm

Thank you Reds. It’s been a long wait since 5th May 2007 when I sat up until around 3.30am right to the bitter end of your 92-3 defeat by the Bulls. Last week tested me but tonight was worth the wait. See what happens when you tackle with intensity? Not getting carried away by any means, but glad to see there are signs that finally, finally a corner may have been turned. Now make it two in a row. It’s been a bloody long time since that as well. Sad to see Horwill limp off.

With Cooper back playing it also at least gives lazy sub-editors the chance to roll out endless ‘REDS ROBBED OF VICTORY..’, ‘COOPER STEALS THE SHOW…’ etc endless bad headlines.

Very happy that Alec Evans has been brought back into the QLD coaching ranks. You would think th e front row are in good hands with him and Link there to guide them. But what about the backs? Yes we have some incredible talent on paper but who is guiding them – does anyone know who Link has as attack/backs coach – if anyone – can’t seem to see anything on the coaching staff on the QRU/REDS website.

Away from the field, great to see St George come sign on as a sleeve sponsor – kudos I assume to new CEO, Jim Carmichael for landing that. Also good that the sponsorship it will include a St.George Sevens Half-Time Challenge for junior clubs, which, depending on how quickly our season descends into its usual abyss of depressing defeats, will mean at least some enjoyable rugby at home games.

Whilst I would love to see 40,000 at a Reds match, when you consider the Broncos averaged crowds for the six months ended 30 June 2009 of 35,993, I think we’ll be waiting a while.

If public transport to Ballymore is perceived as a problem (although as BoundaryRider points out, Wilston train station is only 800m away) then why doesn’t the QRU should spend money on shuttle buses to and from Paddington or the city, to get people from and back to the pubs? I haven’t lived in Brisbane for 20 years but I’m guessing the closest pubs to Ballymore are still the Newmarket and Normanby – both quite a hike.. Surely that would be a small cost compared to the lease costs of Suncorp.

OK, back to the game rather than tiresome code bickering. Only a trial with the wider squad members I appreciate, but as a Reds fan I am heartened that they came back to win afer being behind late in the match.

As Jim Tucker said in his report in the Courier Mail:

“The Waratahs looked home at 24-16 with just over six minutes to play, yet the Reds produced the late-winning flurry they have so often despaired of finding during years in the doldrums.”

In past years we probably would have put the white flag up and let in two more tries.

Can any Randwick supporters tell me more about Tim Walsh who played 5/8th – sounds like he had a good game. Thanks.