Roar Pro
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Samu Kerevi’s announcement that he will be leaving Australia for Japan after this international season was undoubtedly a sad day for rugby fans all over Australia, but especially so for those of us who support his Super Rugby team, the Queensland Reds.
Queensland’s match against the Jaguares started with a tribute to club legend Scott Higginbotham, who was recognised for his 100th cap, followed by a fearsome challenge to the Jaguares by a troop of Indigenous warriors for the Super Rugby Indigenous round.
The Reds’ loss to the old enemy NSW on Saturday night was devastating for Queenslanders.
The choice of player to wear the number 10 jersey for the Wallabies during the 2019 international rugby season is probably the most discussed and controversial on-field issue in Australian rugby today.
Late last year I wrote an article titled ‘The Aussie Super Rugby teams should not ruin the 2019 Super Rugby season by resting Wallabies’.
In the second (and best) movie of the Star Wars trilogy, The Empire Strikes Back, the climactic scene is a lightsaber duel between Rebel apprentice Jedi, Luke Skywalker, and Sith Lord, Darth Vader.
Attending the Reds versus Brumbies game at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday afternoon in 33-degree heat was a good chance for Queensland Reds fans in the Western stand to get to know one another up close and personal, with 13,500 cramming into the shady side of the stadium.
Last week on The Roar, David Lord suggested that Scott Higginbotham could have made more of an effort to support hard-working captain Samu Kerevi during the Reds’ 29-17 loss to the Waratahs.
Expectation was in the air as the 18,000-strong crowd shuffled into Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
Newly appointed Wallabies selector Michael O’Çonnor has raised the prospect of David Pocock being selected as the Wallabies No. 7 over current incumbent captain Michael Hooper.
Georgina Robinson from the Sydney Morning Herald reported that Michael Cheika’s job as Wallabies head coach is likely safe but that Stephen Larkham’s position as Wallabies attack coach is in question.
Fresh from delivering the worst year for the Wallabies since 1958, Michael Cheika is reported to have a roadshow with Rugby Australia’s high-performance manager scheduled next week to visit the Australian Super Rugby franchises.
The 37-18 thumping Eddie Jones’s England dished out to Michael Cheika’s Wallabies at Twickenham seals a record number of successive wins by England over Australia, another dubious record that Michael Cheika has collected as Wallabies coach since 2016.
With the break in the test season this weekend, I decided to take a YouTube trip down memory lane and watch the Brumbies host the Crusaders in Canberra in the 2004 Super Rugby final.
Michael Cheika has repeatedly told the Australian rugby community about how much he cares about the Wallabies, and with the commitment and passion he displays in public, there is every reason to believe him.
Good article.
I remember the Wales game well. Harris is an excellent player who served the Reds, Rebels and Wallabies well.
I also remember him kicking the Wallabies to a draw against the All Blacks in Brisbane in 2012 and Steve Hanson throwing a hoody fit about Australia “stealing” him before the Kiwis had time to select him, the highest complement I guess.
My other memory was how upset he looked on the sideline just before he went overseas, when Cheika had called him into Wallabies camp for injury cover, only for him to get injured himself. It was sad but showed how much he cared about his treasured his chances in Gold.
Aussie abroad: Mike Harris
“But there is a lot of hyperbole applied here from folks with agendas.”
Actually my main agenda with that comment was to make fun of Gloria, but anyways ….
Cooper has done well at times this season, but I think that it should be quite apparent that his frailty under pressure hasn’t stopped being an issue. That was apparent right back in the South African tour when he failed to dive on a ball in goal and let the South African winger score a try. It is sad because he is a talented guy who tries hard, but that sort of vulnerability probably isn’t something you can train away in the short term. He is stuck with it and it will limit what he can achieve internationally. Such is life.
As for Toomua, he got dumped in the deep end in an already dysfunctional team against the Crusaders. How did you really expect that he was going to go? If Wessels had have really been serious about using him as more than a stalking horse for Cooper, he could have introduced him to the ten role with a run against the Sunwolves a couple of weeks earlier.
The Crusaders loss isn’t on Toomua in any way, but equally I don’t think the failed season is all on Cooper. I reckon Wessels erred by making Genia the unchecked disciplinarian and Cooper effectively the attack coach, the resentment from other team members when things started to go pearshaped was quite noticable. It appears to me to be a rookie error by a coach who had trouble being the boss amongst so many big names.
Seven talking points from Super Rugby Round 18
I agree that Genia hasn’t been great but think that putting him on the bench would be a good enough way to send the message. He is a motivated guy, I just think like anybody his morale and performance has probably suffered in a team that had some deeper issues about the way they were being coached bubbling below the surface.
Seven talking points from Super Rugby Round 18
They have a different arrangement this year because of the World Cup, the 2019 season you mention and a 2020 season from January to May.
Supporting Samu Kerevi has been an absolute pleasure for Reds fans
I don’t usually play the list game, but since it is the end of the season why not.
1 Sio (Brumbies)
2 Fainga’a (Brumbies)
3 Alaalatoa (Brumbies)
4 Arnold (Brumbies)
5 Rodda (Qld)
6 Salakaia-Loto (Qld)
7 Hooper (Tahs)
8 Naisarani (Rebels)
9 Powell (Brumbies) – Deserves a shot to start
10 Lealiifano (Brumbies) – Same as above
11 Speight (Brumbies)
12 Kerevi (Qld)
13 Kuridrani (Brumbies)
14 Banks (Brumbies) – Second kicking outside back
15 Hodge (Rebels) – Biggest boot, use it!
16 Slipper (Brumbies)
17 Fitzpatrick (Tahs) – Throws straight and tackles well
18 Tupou (Qld)
19 Simmons (Tahs) – Best technician
20 Pocock (Brumbies) – Silver bullet to shut out tight games
21 Genia (Rebels) – Needs to earn back his starting spot
22 Toomua (Rebels) – I still reckon he is the best 10 but hasn’t had a chance to prove it
23 Wright (Brumbies) – I just reckon this bloke is going to step up-
Seven talking points from Super Rugby Round 18
“However not their discipline.”
According to Fox Rugby Stats the Red’s penalty count is tenth in the comp, not high at all. They had the third highest number of sin-binnings equal with three other teams, though until last night they were also way down the list for those, and they had one send-off which is all any team had. Finally their error rate is the lowest in the comp, so I don’t see how that indicates a major problem with discipline.
“They will not go anywhere next year either with the loss of so many good players.
Does seem like a lot of players can’t wait to get away from playing under BT.”
As you indicate down the page they are losing no more players than any other Australian franchise. Higgers and Naiavalu are older players who were expected to leave after this season anyway and while it is a shame to lose Paia’aua and Timu, it is not unexpected for a couple of mid-career players who are on the outer for Wallabies selections.
Kerevi is the biggest loss, but if somebody must be blamed for it it is on Rugby Australia for not offering him enough money before he signed for Suntory. What the Reds have to replace him though is more talented young players who have gained experience this season, than any other Aussie franchise. They also have a couple of absolute gun backs, Petaia and Lucas, who respectively couldn’t play a big role due to injury and under 20s this year, who will be back. Finally they have a salary cap which is relatively free of high salary experienced players, which will allow them to make some good purchases.
I would take that situation heading into 2020 over the situation of the Tahs and Rebels, who have a lot of older, expensive players who have failed in 2019 and very little new talent to replace them.
Any. Day. Of. The. Week.
Brumbies beat Reds to qualify for Super Rugby finals
Yeah, if only Thorn had kept Quade then things would have been different …. oh, wait…
Seven talking points from Super Rugby Round 18
Cooper has been a professional rugby front runner in the proportion of his tackles that are only attempts for a long time now …
'Devastated' Dave Wessels' frank assessment of Rebels woes
I rate both ASY and Wright so the other two will have to fight for those spots if they want them. Wright in particular is going to be very hard to budge unless he is injured, he played all but nine minutes this season and was very influential with critical pilfers at key times in a number of games. LSA is the one who gets them across the advantage line when he plays 6, I think those three will start to begin with.
Wallabies tried to keep Kerevi: Johnson
It annoys me that Cheika is our trying to buy in Kalyn Ponga, who would probably have to be paid what Kerevi wanted to stay, on the same day that Johnson is making excuses to let him go. It suggests that the lessons about trying to buy in the next League mercenary instead of keeping Rugby’s own players, haven’t been learned.
That said, I’m less worried for the Reds than most seem to be. I reckon the talented youngsters that Queensland has developed, Lucas and Petaia in particular, will more than step up to fill Kerevi’s big boots in sparking the Reds attack.
I also think that Chris Feiuaua-Sautia could make the shift from 13 to 12 to give the Reds a ball running inside centre to replace Kerevi, or as an out of the box selection play Speight there. He is an excellent defender and if he loses a bit of speed with age he would still be a fast, hard running 12, while the loss of pace would matter more on the wing. The experience of either of those players in the midfield would be invaluable.
Wallabies tried to keep Kerevi: Johnson
The Rebels appear to be “suffering” from having more “star” backs than they can use, hence Wessels breaking up the successful Meakes/English combo to employ Toomua and Hodge. Hodge himself was displaced from fullback where he was playing brilliantly, to accomodate a returning DHP.
Wessels has been tempted to try and get an extra bit of performance by playing his “stars” to the detriment of successful selections, has tried to keep his most important players happy, or a bit of both. Either way it hasn’t worked.
What I wonder about the Webels
“The dominant hegemony has ensured a systematic promotion of activity and opportunity for men.”
No “hegemony” has ensured anything in rugby. Overwhelmingly men spending their time and their money building the game, is what has raised men’s rugby to where it is today. When women collectively make the same effort, they can have the same rewards. Just like they have in Netball.
No obligation to follow women's rugby
Some would be more offended by Michael Hooper staying for the money than Kerevi leaving for it.
Wallabies tried to keep Kerevi: Johnson
Godwin isn’t a ball playing 12, Kerevi is better than him.
Wallabies tried to keep Kerevi: Johnson
A million dollars a year in the case of Pocock and Hooper, twice that in the case of Folau before he self immolated his career.
Wallabies tried to keep Kerevi: Johnson
With the Guzzler back for the Chiefs on top of the recent form of both teams, I reckon the Rebels are in trouble.
Have the Rebels thrown a debut finals appearance away - again?
Lucas can run and pass well and knows how to combine the two to confuse defenders, pinning them in place and creating space for his teammates. Rewatch the sequence that he initiated leading to a CFS try in the first Waratahs game, to see what I mean.
Reds down Blues in last-gasp win
I reckon he should be at 10 KCOL, he needs his hands on the ball as often as possible to menace the opposition with his running game.
Reds down Blues in last-gasp win
I don’t see why Folau needs to be offered redemption by anyone else. He can find that himself if he accepts that what he has done is wrong.
Lies and blatantly unfair: Folau slams Rugby Australia
Because he said he would if he was harming the game.
https://www.playersvoice.com.au/israel-folau-im-a-sinner-too/
'You're damaging the game': Rod Kafer blasts Israel Folau
Thanks for saving me the time to post that.
The man is proving to have a complete lack of integrity, even his Bible “quote” isn’t an accurate account of what that book actually says. It demonstrates that all of his religious posing over the years has been hypocritical. He has no humility, is completely selfish and doesn’t practice what he preaches. I can’t wait to finally see the tail end of him.
Lies and blatantly unfair: Folau slams Rugby Australia
He is a bloody good 13 so if he is better at 12 that is awesome.
Reds down Blues in last-gasp win
I mostly agree with that selection, though I wouldn’t be leaving Chris Feua-Sautia off the park after the season he has had. I would like to see how he goes at 12 to provide some midfield punch, otherwise I would start him ahead of Campbell or Dauganu.
The big news though is that Lucas and Petaia haven’t managed to be on the field at the same time. When they do, watch out.
Reds down Blues in last-gasp win
I would enjoy seeing his legal team making that argument Jacko.
BREAKING: Israel Folau takes legal action against Rugby Australia
Yeah that is the point I was going to make. The Reds are already doing what the author is suggesting in spades, giving young players a fair shot at Super Rugby and developing them into excellent players. I don’t know about the rest of Australia, but Queensland can certainly claim that their contribution is a golden generation that came about by design rather than accident.
The Junior Wallabies offer RA a way forward – just don't call them a 'golden generation'