The combinations one is tricky without knowing how each team wants to play right? The Brumbies, Reds and Rebels all know how they want to play the game whereas the Tahs and to a lesser extent the Force are still figuring that out. The Brumbies/Reds have pretty settled squads..With no coach yet for the Tahs next year they’ll just have to grab as many of the hitlist Rebels players as want to be in Sydney and hope that fits in with whatever ethos the coach they end up with espouses. A very Aus rugby situation.

I don’t think the Force are really in the market for combinations excepting in the outside backs where it’s less important. They should be running serious lines at Daugunu, the Vaihu’s and Lancaster. Talakai would be a great pick up for them as well.

If Holloway is the other senior Tah that wants out and does leave, I guess the Tahs would be chasing LSL and Canham as a pair. I don’t think they would want any of the 9’s to go with Gordon.

If they are playing narrower there is certainly more tips, better timing of the ball out the back and more bodies in motion because they are still a pretty small pack so you’d have to be finding soft shoulders more often than not when giving away size while still achieving gain line success/retaining your pill like the stats show.

I was talking about this yesterday in that Thorn’s Reds seemed one dimensional a lot of the time, particularly in one off carries off 9 or Wilson running into a brick wall off 10 in the middle of the field. There was no subtlety to what they were doing and when they couldn’t bash over the top of teams like the Kiwis they got put to the sword. O’Connor was their only saving grace in attack but it all seemed overly reliant on the playmaker to create the opportunity rather than the playmaker pick which option the system has created an opportunity for. Structure setting you free and all that.

It’s why C Gordon would thrive back up here. He and Kiss were at a function late last year and as part of a small panel Kiss was asked tongue in cheek as to when he would bring Carter home, to which everyone expected a bit of a light hearted joke in response but he seemed pretty serious when saying directly to Carter that he would love to have him back at the Reds as soon as possible.

He might not feel the same way now after seeing Lynagh and HMP kick on so well this season but you can definitely see how Gordon would thrive in Kiss’ system.

The change that Kiss has made is the exact sort of change the Tahs need in their attack. It’s why I wouldn’t be that jazzed about Grey coaching them as his 20’s teams don’t play all that dissimilar from what the Tahs have already been dishing out. I never watched much of Connacht but someone who has might be able to tell me if Friend’s teams were good at creating space? Imagine Jorgensen, Kellaway and Sua’ali’i with the sort of space the Reds back three have been getting. Walton at outside centre can play that exact facilitator role that Flook is doing so well. C Gordon and Teddy Wilson would be a great combo in that scenario but I would hate to see Gordon go to the Tahs and end up stuck in a system that has seen Harrison, Edmed and Donaldson look incredibly average at times.

Back to the Reds I think we are still a year or two away from being a genuine title contender so long as we can retain our current squad while adding in the right amount of size here and there. My only worry is that unless the games finances improve, the continual uptick in individual performances will mean we can’t afford to retain all of the key components…

Yeh govt paid for it but it was bleeding them dry for years up until then. If they can get a few more tenants into the finalised precinct things will start to really look up.

That makes sense re McKay and Kiss building on top of it. That unstructured style of play often becomes one dimensional/overly simplistic when put under the sort of stress that Kiwi teams are famous for, which is where I felt the Reds ended up.

I spoke to Kiss at a function late last year and one of the things he identified early on in his review was that our wingers were under utilised and not getting enough pill in space and that he felt it was an area that we could improve on quickly. When you look at the ways things have transpired he certainly nailed that.

I wasn’t sold in 20 and 21 with the way we were playing even though we had some success locally. I think a talented playing group masked the issues there but I know thats a subjective take.
They lost a lot of those players probably when the administration realised they needed to rein in costs. Ballymore was costing them $1-2m a year without bringing in any revenue wasn’t it? I can understand the likely decision in the same vein as the Tahs to say no we can’t afford to fill the gaps right now so we won’t. Paid off for the Reds but has hurt the Tahs…

Because the Tahs are now RA yeh? The handed in the keys and it will more or less take RA falling over for the Tahs to.

It sounds like RA will also need to forgive the distribution turned loan (which they should) for the Brumbies to keep their head above water. I also remember reading somewhere that they don’t have any assets left but I could be wrong there.

There’s also an element of Thorn not being able to recruit because the financial situation was perilous. I think only now that Ballymore isn’t quite the drain it was are the Reds able to be a bit more aggressive around recruitment.

The financial stress is probably a good indication of how Thorn got the job in the first place.

You’re right on Kiss and the tools he’s given them. He and his staff have been able to get the next 10-20% out of the playing group as they were very limited under Thorn and McKay

I disagree somewhat as White, Donaldson, Williams, Harris, Potter should pan out better than what you’re suggesting. Prior to those recruitments you’re probably right.

I think Cron is still a year or two off the roster that he really wants. They’ve recruited pretty smartly for next year regardless of the Rebels situation and shouldn’t have the tight 5 issues of this season.

There’s also a lot of what ifs due to the injuries they’ve had. Moli could have been a great pick up if his body has come good and would have solved a lot of their scrum problems. If Rodda, Hoopert had been fit from the get go and Potter amongst others stays fit you’ve probably got a few more wins and the Rebels finals spot.

They’ve picked up three of the best young backs in the country in Leahy, O’Donnell and Fakafanua. A couple more smart recruitments along those lines as well as a few more experienced bodies in the short term and I reckon they’ll be in the Reds middle of the table category.

Reckon your report card is pretty much bang on.

The big question for next year is whether RA can absorb enough of the Rebels roster into the other franchises to lift the standard, as the franchises themselves don’t really have the money to do so even if there are salary cap exemptions.

The NZ teams are likely going to be much better as a whole than they were this year. Highlanders should be more consistent and the Saders will be back. Doesn’t seem there is going to be any major blood letting at the other three sides so it will be a monumental task for three Aus teams to make the finals or for one or two of them to make the top four.

The Force should be going hard at Talakai, Daugunu, Leota, Talataina, the Vaihu’s and Mason Gordon. If they do and pick up most of that group you’d expect them to start picking up the odd away win to go with losing even less at home, particularly given they’ll probably organise another inbound/outbound tour in the offseason.

Can’t really say much about the Tahs till they sort out the coach other than a good scrummaging TH solves a lot of their historical problems. They’ve got a good group of 17-21ish year olds coming through so need some roster stability over the next 4-5 years while the young cohort develop.

Agreed the Reds should be good, particularly if they can get/keep some size in the backline and back five of the pack. My gut feel is they are going to be able to retain their improved performers this year.

Brumbies are in an interesting position for next year. They are now the team with the most financial pressure and unless crowds come back that isn’t alleviating. They are losing key players in Swain and Tua along with depth players like McInerney and I expect there might be a few more who might jump given their improved individual performances can’t be rewarded with greater coin.

They’ve got good talent coming through to fill the gaps but I won’t be surprised to see a little bit of a drop in performance due to not being able to fill those gaps with experienced options like they previously have. Could well be a moot point if their financial troubles can be resolved but how likely is that when the winning footy they’ve been playing hasn’t been enough to bring the crowds back?

Regardless of what happens with the finals this year, next season may well be the most crucial one since the comps inception as Aus rugby can’t have another shrink to greatness that doesn’t actually deliver high performance outcomes.

It certainly feels like we’ve got a lot more competition for squad spots than we’ve had in the past. Question is whether that’s due to the 35-60 or so depth players are getting to the right level or whether the quality of the 1-35 isn’t as high as previous squads.

I’d like to think it’s the former and we’re finally starting to see the payoff of 5 Super teams but I am very much an optimist when it comes to footy. Not sure you can still be a fan in Aus without being one…

I’ll be keeping my powder dry on that front till I see the squad Schmidt rolls out. If he picks one with a mind to next year that has a lot of low or uncapped players I’ll be frustrated if we lose but understanding.

Based on Super performances we could end up with a different 9/10 than we’ve had the last couple of years and you’ve got guys like Swain, Rodda, Cale, Kailea, Toole, Ryan, Lancaster, Paisami, Flook, Daugunu etc putting their hands up who have either been away from the squad for some time or haven’t been involved before. Consider then that recent staples like Porecki, Skelton, Kerevi, Petaia, Marika and Nawaqanitawase won’t be there you might not have the squad stability to be dominant in the first three games despite weakened opposition.

I back this coaching staff to get whoever is picked humming for the Rugby Championship but the first two games might be a write off and I can live with that.

Yep you’re right about the Tahs administration in that regard. How they could get their roster management so wrong post 2014 given the advantages they have over the other franchises must be such a punish for Tahs fans.

You’ve kinda proved the point that the coaching setup and game plan have been at the root of the Tahs problems. They’re roster is just as good as the Brumbies and Reds but look at the difference a change in coaching set up has made for the ways the Reds are playing the game and accelerated the development of the playing group, while a consistent identity of how they play the game is the cornerstone of the Brumbies success.

It’s more an unbalanced roster/poor roster management that has hurt them if you want to focus on the players. They haven’t had a TH that could consistently give them parity at scrum time since Kepu and they didn’t plan for life after Foley. They also ended up with an abundance of lock/blindsides so the balance of the pack was often a bit off. The cattle they’ve had weren’t bad though.

Combine that with a playing style that hasn’t suited what they’ve got and you get a wooden spoon.

Agreed it’s definitely more system than individual with the Tahs but the way Perese plays the game and his limitations as a player (distribution) definitely contribute significantly to what happens outside him. It’s why I prefer Walton at outside centre to Perese when Foketi is at inside because Walton has more strings to the bow and often gives the ball early when there is space wider.

My memory isn’t amazing but I can’t recall seeing Perese shift it early at all for the Tahs this season or last. It’s all well and good to commit the defender but sometimes blokes like Jorgensen and Nawaqanitawase need a bit of space to work their magic rather than off an offload in contact.

Did Jorgensen really create much this year? I think he’s also been the victim of a Waratah system that very rarely provided space or time for those out wide. He and Nawaqanitawase were constantly trying to be effective with not much because all the time and space was chewed up by the people inside them i.e Perese. Not really an issue for someone like Pietsch who’s game is built around contact but you compare it to the way the Reds play, would Tim Ryan have been as effective in the Tahs set up? I doubt it.

I think Nawaqanitawase should be given more grace than Edmed when it comes to being the victim of a poor Waratahs system. Not saying he should be picked as it would be better to blood or reintroduce someone who will be there for the Lions but unless Daugunu is picked on a wing I’m a little bit worried about the size of our backline for Wales.

We are watching very different games of footy if you think Kailea has been average this season. He has had parity or dominance at scrum time in almost every game he has played this season and carried/defended above his pay grade. Yes part of that is having Uelese and Tupou inside him but he’s been good.

Hodgman should get a guernsey but I think people will need to manage their expectations around how he will go in an international scrum. It’s not the strongest part of his game any more.

Vella is a good prospect but still way off the pace, he managed against Medrano and Pone, two of the weaker scrummaging TH’s in the comp. Currently he tucks himself away too much to be any more than a survivor at scrum time.

I would also be hesitant to suggest that we’ve got some of the best TH’s in the comp. Our best this season has been Talakai and he isn’t going to worry anyone at international level…

I would think that if Schmidt was picking a team tomorrow and he had to make a decision between Jed and Miles he would go with Jed. Happy for Amatosero to get the training look in as a carrot but also think Williams should have gotten the same carrot, particularly as he may well be a better 6 than lock.

Probably a bit light for test footy. If you’re running that back row you need someone with a bit more size/physicality than Frost and/or Smith as well as Faessler and Gibbon up front.

Doubly so with a small backline who can’t take the heat off the forwards with dominant carries.

Yeh I don’t really see him as a 6 but I don’t think anyone other than Smith or maybe Swain as out and out second rowers have really been out playing him. It’s nice to feel like we’ve built up some depth to the point that he justifiably does miss out.

That makes sense but I would have liked Holloway as a senior option at lock given LSL is injured, Smith and Canham are green, Frost has been found out a bit and Swain has been in the test wilderness for a while. I can understand not having him in the training squad if he isn’t going to make the main one at his age.

Agreed on Amatosero showed plenty this season to justify the views on his potential.

This squad more so than many others previously is going to have some good players miss out which will make for a bit of fun on here.

No Holloway and Williams are the big surprises for me. I know there are other lock/6 hybrids playing well at the moment but not well enough to rule a line though those two.

I thought Holloway had showed enough in the lineout, maul and nuisance department to warrant selection.

Williams I thought would be considered because of the potential. Very mobile for a bloke his size and more physical this year too. It surprises me that Amatosero would be a look in for a training squad but not Williams.

You would say Uru and Hooper are looking pretty good for the squad now given Hanigan and Swinton are also out of the mix.

It’s a fun exercise to consider the strengths and weaknesses of a team like this as pretty much all of these blokes are in a good percentage of punter’s 1st test XV.

I think AAA is more of a survivor at test level as a TH so needs a stronger scrummaging hooker like Uelese if he starts.

The back 5 work well in you get plenty of carry from Valetini and Wilson but do you get enough breakdown work with one of those at blindside? AAA and Faessler certainly carry their weight in that department so probably.

I reckon the lineout goes better than people think as well as Wilso is good enough in the air to upskill again quickly, just hasn’t needed to at the Reds. It’s a minor frustrations with the way he has developed at the Reds as he plays the modern 6 role (wider channels) really well and my gut feel is his breakdown efforts are much better than they used to be.

I might be wrong but since suspension McDermott seems to be under playing his hand a lot more but I would be worried with him and Lolesio that tendency to try to do too much would come out again? Lolesio seems to demand the ball a lot more this year so I think both of them have made good shifts in the areas that I thought they were lacking.

Can’t fault the rest of the backline other than it’s undersized.

You would want to be playing a game plan similar to to what the Reds are doing with a team like this and I think the only one that might struggle to keep up with the pace would be Rodda at this point in his recovery.

Good fun.

Man I am 100% sick of the leaking by all involved in Aus rugby over the last 5-10 years. No matter who or what is leaked it never leaves the code in a better place.

This is the bit that stumps me as anyone could have told you that without more certainty around the precinct/region development timelines that the consortium would need to be running off the sniff of an oily rag to have a chance of breaking even for the first 5-10 years.

It makes more sense to me to put a case to RA saying we will be the development team, the local team and yes we will get touched up a fair bit but we will survive and one day be back competitive again with a local roster once the precinct is delivered. Give us a CBA exemption so we can sign a cheaper squad, run marketing out of RA etc. There is a way to make this work.

Instead we’ve got claims that they want more funding than other teams to cover losses as they try and maintain a staff and roster that revenue will struggle to match. Of course revenue was never going to get to 9.8m in that location until well after 2030.

I find it hard to believe they wouldn’t have been able to find revenue streams of around $5-6m to cover costs of around the same amount.

Maybe RA wouldn’t go for it anyway but I would be more critical of RA knocking that back then what has been reported of the proposal.

Yes this is kinda where I sit on the whole unfortunate thing. The money has run out before the payoff. The rebels were ticking the box in player development, built a roster that could be competitive in the short term and more sustainable in the long term, and were growing the game in Victoria through various partnerships but unfortunately RA doesn’t have coin it needs to persevere propping it up until you get that intergenerational following clubs need to be sustainable when they don’t have things like pokies.

The frustrating thing from an outsiders view is it being allowed to get to the point that a rescue became non feasible. RA is partly to blame there as I don’t think they could have been as ignorant as they claim and regardless, after what happened in 2017, there should have been a joint focus on making sure the club lived within its means better even if that meant results suffering as when money is tight, survival is more important than success in expansion markets.