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Joined November 2018
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The backrow and back 3 are good problems in Australian rugby right now, we have good options in those positions and depth across the board.
The tight 5, flyhalf and centres are where we have issues. I think we can compete in the tight 5 against most countries although not the top teams. With everyone at 100% we could be quite formidable But at 10???? All our options are young, green and need development. I’ve asked a few times, where are our 10s younger than Foley (33) and older than Lolesio (24) there’s a 9 year gap we can’t fill who should be the regular starters helping the young guys develop.
The midfield, other than Ikitau we have inconsistent guys who would be selected on potential or young inexperienced guys like the 10 problem. Paisami has impressed this year and should be at 12, but he’s also been inconsistent over a long period and needs to maintain the rage.
'The real deal': Love 'em or hate 'em, the Reds are exactly what Australian rugby needs
I’m intrigued by how you get to that, given Canberra Airport is a privately owned airport and business. No different to having Rio Tinto or Fortescue backing you.
Sure, probably gets a tax break out of it but doesn’t everyone?
'Toughest decision': Wallaby's blunt admission over form as Force land Brumbies lock, teammate brought to tears
He probably should though. The salary cap is a joke to be exploited as proven by the 2025 Waratahs back 3 (Suallii, Kellaway, Jorgensen) being paid more than half the salary cap.
Now we just need uncle Terry to get on board a bit more in Canberra. (Terry Snow, owner of Canberra airport and nowhere near as rich as Twiggy but still a local billionaire) I see he quietly threw the Brumbies a bunch of money the other day in the form of sponsorship from Canberra Airport Group.
Hopefully the Brumbies are fielding million dollar baggage handlers over the next couple of years to keep the main roster together and fill our weakest positions.
But back to the theme of the article. Swain is a solid player, he’s starting to control his temper a bit better and I hope he does well over in Perth.
'Toughest decision': Wallaby's blunt admission over form as Force land Brumbies lock, teammate brought to tears
Sad part is mate. As much as I want to see the Rebels board smacked for what they’ve done I really don’t want to see the team fold.
Under new management sign needs to be put up.
Rebels face more hurdles despite $25m rescue plan, call on RA to show support and reveal hand as court battle looms
Yep, I really hate the thought that the Rebels board have essentially defrauded the tax payer out of more than 10 million dollars and want liability for that waived, a licence to keep doing business and the ability to sue daddy and say it’s all his fault (some is, but certainly not all)
If it was you or me we would be facing nice long jail sentences. But a bunch of rich bankers?
In this case another word that rhymes with banker may be more appropriate.
Rebels face more hurdles despite $25m rescue plan, call on RA to show support and reveal hand as court battle looms
Don’t bother, I’ve checked his claim of how many Reds were in Wallabies teams over the last few years before, the funniest part is that in the games we had more Reds we lost by more points. When we had less Reds we came close or won.
The five Aussie young guns who should be celebrated - and the one who is ready for the Wallabies
The Reds last finished above the Brumbies on the Super Rugby ladder in 2012.
Brumbies are the only Australian team who have never been bailed out by RA, making them the least parasitic.
And don’t actually get much more in top ups than the Reds, clearly you don’t actually understand how top ups work and who gets them.
You’re asking for them to be punished for outperforming the Reds.
And you have still never managed to answer how the Reds, who can’t win 50% of SRP games, would win 50% of internationals.
The fact is, if the Reds players were better they would be selected. This isn’t some conspiracy, it’s the way sport works. The most players in rep teams come from the best clubs.
The five Aussie young guns who should be celebrated - and the one who is ready for the Wallabies
Wait what? You’re blaming RA top ups for the Reds lack of SR success, while saying they have the best players and should all be selected?
So your plan for Wallabies success is to make the Reds the best team in the country, not by improving them but by paying them more and other teams less and hoping that means those teams will become worse?
Not sure I follow your thinking mate.
Selecting on merit usually ends with most the players coming from the countries best team. Not their 3rd best, or like the RWC disaster their worst team.
The five Aussie young guns who should be celebrated - and the one who is ready for the Wallabies
Ummmm
Reds are below 50% win rate.
The five Aussie young guns who should be celebrated - and the one who is ready for the Wallabies
Mate, the Reds need to win more than 50% of SRP games before they “dominate selection.”
How would they win more than 50% of internationals if they can’t win 50% of SRP matches?
The five Aussie young guns who should be celebrated - and the one who is ready for the Wallabies
The article was talking about the Brumbies forwards, not all Australian forwards when referencing Cales run meters.
But on 2024 stats……
Wilson 116 runs for 345m with 7 defenders beaten and 3 clean breaks. 3m per run.
Valetini 91 runs for 230m with 14 defenders beaten and 3 clean breaks. 2.5m per run.
Cale 54 runs for 275m with 6 defenders beaten and 7 clean breaks. 5m per run.
Wilson is an awesome player, he offloads a lot more than Bobby V and Cale. But he doesn’t make many post contact meters and he’s usually not defended as heavily as Valetini.
Valetini makes more post contact meters and draws heavy defence. That benefits Cale who slips the gaps created by defences targeting Bobby V.
If Cale drew the same level of defence as Wilson and Bobby V would he still make that many meters? Unlikely. But he’s an awesome prospect.
All 3 should feature in Wallabies squads this year. If I want an 8 who runs tight and gets over the gain line I’m picking Bobby V. If I want an 8 who trucks the ball up, attracts defenders and offloads to give other players opportunities to push the ball further I’m looking at Wilson. If I want an 8 who can do both, but not as effectively as the front runner for each skill, I’m looking at Cale.
Cale brings a few other things both Wilson and Bobby V don’t, he’s way stronger in the lineout and has won 5 turnovers to Wilson’s 2 and Bobby Vs 1.
Would I pick Cale to start against the ABs? No. He needs more time. But Bobby V and Wilson really depends what Schmidt wants from his 8. I’m a Brumbies fan so I’d pick Bobby V. I’m sure all the Reds fans would want Wilson. As an Aussie, were lucky we have all 3 to pick from though.
The five Aussie young guns who should be celebrated - and the one who is ready for the Wallabies
But there have been some pretty soft fixtures on that schedule
Where?
Brumbies have played everyone except Drua (7) and Saders (10)
Blues have played everyone except Chiefs (4) and Rebels (5)
Chiefs have Blues (2) and Rebels (5) to go
Canes have Moana (9) and Force (12) to go.
Only the Canes (of the top 4) have had harder fixtures so far.
Super Rugby shows that the Bledisloe Cup isn't going anywhere - one selection could give the Wallabies hope
Hence, one of the reasons. But you, and others, keep saying players like him, Lolesio, Cale, even Bobby V only look good because they’re in a good team.
Some of them have to be the reason the team is good surely.
Brumbies knock over Hurricanes in statement win as Wright shines again behind forward pack
Or, he could be one of the reasons the Brumbies are a better team?
Brumbies knock over Hurricanes in statement win as Wright shines again behind forward pack
Then I suppose Wright gets the nod.
Given both his defensive and offensive stats are better than Kellaway’s.
That said, I think Kellaway is a better defensive 15. He positions himself better. Misses more tackles partially because hes in a better position to attempt them. Stronger under the high ball.
Wright destroys all other Australian options with his communication, playmaking, running and passing games though. And the little he loses in defence means if you’re only taking one of the two it’s see ya later Kellaway.
Brumbies knock over Hurricanes in statement win as Wright shines again behind forward pack
I’ve said it before but Kellaway as 15 on Defence and Wright as 15 on attack is the combo. I do hate musical chairs but 14/15 swaps isn’t too bad and it limits both players weaknesses while letting them exploit their strengths.
Brumbies knock over Hurricanes in statement win as Wright shines again behind forward pack
Didn’t the Rebels beat the Force pretty handily?
The Roar's Super Rugby expert tips and predictions, Round 9: Big test for Les, Blues backed to best Brumbies
His stint at La Rochelle is 13 matches with no cards, but he did sneak in a yellow and a red in 6 games for Montpellier at the start of the Top 14 season before moving teams.
He’s a talented player. But a massive liability with his discipline.
Scrap the Giteau Law: Rugby Australia should look to Rassie's 'Boks RWC recipe if it wants to re-join the big boys' table
Good article mate. While I’m not 100% in agreement it’s well articulated and I can definitely see value in what you’re saying.
The only thing I totally disagree with is:
Oddly it seems players like bad boy hooker Tolu Latu become more disciplined in France
His discipline has been amazingly bad in France. He has played 73 games for 11 cards so a 15% strike rate. All up he’s played 163 professional matches for 15 yellow and 3 reds which is cards in 11.5% of matches. His discipline in France is actually twice as bad as in Australia where his rate is a card in 7.5% of matches.
Scrap the Giteau Law: Rugby Australia should look to Rassie's 'Boks RWC recipe if it wants to re-join the big boys' table
Ross replied to me on the comment I made in that article.
I think I answered these points somewhere else however we are trying achieve is an open transparent process for selecting RA board members. We have no narrow to push other than an open constitution for RA.
My reading of that is SOARR want to change the board because board bad. But don’t have any ideas what to do to fix the mess once that happens. I wonder how many SOARR people are contesting for the board positions at the AGM and won’t name themselves as SOARR as they are openly saying they have no plans/ideas for a way forward other than spill the board change the constitution.
They don’t even say what they want to change the constitution to, just that they want it changed.
The Wrap: Crusaders' shot clock fiasco and shhh, don’t put the moz on Darby
The rules are:
(a) the Player was born; or
(b) one parent or grandparent was born; or
(c) the Player has completed sixty [1] consecutive months of Residence immediately preceding the time of playing; or
(d) the Player has completed ten years of cumulative Residence preceding the time of playing.
He should qualify under cumulative I think, pretty sure he’s done 10 years in Australia.
'Kid wonder': Lancaster, Gordon shine as Rebels take one giant step in locking in maiden Super Rugby finals berth
I think he is eligible as he has 10 years of accumulated time in Australian teams.
'Kid wonder': Lancaster, Gordon shine as Rebels take one giant step in locking in maiden Super Rugby finals berth
Hi Russ,
As a member of the the Australian rugby public I support your end goal of changing the constitution and the board but articles like this actually make me go, nah. Keep it as it is for now.
Why? Well you’ve crafted this in a manner where yourself and the other SOARR come across as ensuring no blame is apportioned to Phil Waugh while calling Dan Herbert and other board members into account.
Dan Herbert, Pip Marlow and the three up for re-election were all responsible for the World Cup fiasco and supported Hamish McLennan
You come across as supportive of Hamish McLennan. It seems the board is at fault for decisions made by him yet he isn’t. You name a lot of decisions that were poor. I agree they were poor, but you call things like the Raelene Castle fiasco out where she was doing a significantly better job than Hamish did.
Myself and many like me would be way more supportive of you and your position if you were calling out these terrible decisions, many which occurred under Hamish, when they happened. Rather, you have waited until he was (rightly) outed and now want to blame the people that pushed him out.
Unfortunately I am sceptical, SOARR need to practice what they preach. Asking for transparency while not naming yourselves and pointing out all the problems while offering no solutions makes me sit back and say you guys are going to be as big or bigger an issue if you manage to take over.
Sometimes it’s better the devil you know.
COMMENT: Australian rugby is a depressing picture - the RA board must be axed and the constitution changed
Rechecked, you’re correct. 11 wallabies. 2 ABs and a Fijian.
Brumbies make it 12 straight against Tahs as Bell hobbles off in worrying sign for Wallabies
I rate Hamish. But isn’t he injured?
Edit: Nope, played on the weekend.
Haven’t watched him this year I have to say.
'The real deal': Love 'em or hate 'em, the Reds are exactly what Australian rugby needs