NB
We are back to talking about Quake Cooper! Oh, the column centimeters that will create if he gets a run on or even a bench play. I love it, Quake is our modern-day Campo, love him or hate him when he is on song it’s all beautiful. My guess is a run-on spot with Noah on the pine. Nothing to lose and mountains to gain. I hope Rennie has the balls!

For me, it’s a blue headache! Plus I know from being involved some time back with the HPU in Samoa the boys go north only for the money. It would be great if they don’t need to.

Brett,
The setup with the introduction of Manu and Drua is exciting. Do you think they present the greatest recruitment risks to the NZ franchises as the Islands win back some of their players? Will their regular involvement in Professional rugby slow the migration to Europe as the boys can earn without the horrors of the cold northern hemisphere?

Obes, Just love the one-eyed banana-curtain thing you got going on. But seriously, will you ever tire of it? Perhaps you can give us something more worthwhile reading in the future. I am sure it’s inside you somewhere. BTW Aunty Ana must love you as the QLD cheer squad. 😉

The Law actually allows for that. It is only regularly done on a penalty try that is not a scrum. Perhaps it needs strong enforcement.

BMCK, thanks, this is such a geek question for me I love it….. Dick’n with the rugby laws is a real challenge and requires considerable thought to try and get a good amendment to work. But I’ll try. First of all: Rugby is a continual competition for the ball. Anything that takes that away is not good for the game. So Scrums. The feeding Hooker sets the mark. The opposing hooker set the gap. A collapse is simple – its the opposing hookers issue (FK no reset) let’s move on and make this game about fit people. So Line Outs. Number 1 in the defending lineout sets the off-side line. Number 1 in the attacking line out sets the gap. Ref agrees or not. No straight is a through to the other team. No options 30 seconds to complete or FK, let’s move on. TMO – counts penalties of the defending team in their own half. Three in a row shot at Penalty. 60 seconds time limit then goes straight to restart. Red Zone (I know it does not exist in the law book but let’s define it as 15 meters out from try line) defending penalty YC). Advantage: Time, tactical or position Time is 30 seconds and then expires. play on. All these ideas are about taking professional (cynical) fouls out of the game and keep it moving – this makes fitness a big thing.

NB, thank you, for going to the effort of the clip. That game reminds me of schoolboy rugby as a purist form of the game. How lucky to be in the crowd to watch that game. Super & Test rugby would benefit from such a refereeing approach. Thanks for “out geeking” me!

HJ, Nice piece of analysis. I see two things here. 1) Should WR be accountable for referee performance publically? WR would say no, but the public should say yes. I would like time to think about how that may take place. It’s way too scary for the ref department to cope with. Rassies clearly articulated issues do require responses. Rassie was not in my opinion correct on all but there is enough to make this difficult to answer, it’s almost at an apology state. 2) Do the Nations really want the ability to do a Rassie? I think on balance perhaps not. NZ has always been ahead of the curve on breakdown infringements, bringing them to heal would be fun for us but not for the AB’s. England is notorious for pulling players through the rucks (illegal) and Bigger has a high tackle get-off scot-free record that is the envy of all 10’s. IMO I would like to see this as it would close the gaps and make the refereeing more clinical and correct. I recall the aftermath of Stuart Dickinson YC on Ritchie McCall and being bashed furiously by NZ rugby and press which did impact his future appointments. Joubert suffered similarly with being hung out to dry. Berry is now in the same place. ARU would have loved to have been successful in putting Caplain on a spike as well. But if you open this door publically? Do the BOK’s, POM’s or AB’s really want to be rebuffed by WR refs and hung out to dry as cheating a little bit too much? Nuph!

Nic,
Thanks, it’s always been in my face ref’n games. But the key things missing in the article are: 1) WR set out a game management guideline for how the game should be facilitated by the refs. Questions should only be considered and rebuffed by the WR ref’s if the claims are pious (Rassie) to gain an advantage. Also, acknowledge when shortcomings are uncovered. 2) At the level of test matches almost 50% of the defensive infringements are cynical and they are never dealt with as such. The stats on teams winning games from NZ with higher penalty counts than the losing opposition is just a little more than coincidental. Perhaps the TMO could run a penalty count which would apply greater pressure to not infringe in your own 22 or get a team Yellow.
Mostly, Rassie gave World Rugby a bit of a master class in the manipulation of the game from being a water boy to social media star! All of which WR was left in a daze a bit like coping a massive tackle from a monster 2 rower! Gee, I hope this never happens again, but I doubt it.

TCFB, Its the world we live in.

this open thinking is what’s needed at RA ho.

TCFB, this is the case. If a wallaby opp was in the cards the agents will be all over it. Basically, a top14 gig for an ex/current international helps the contract value no end. Everybody for different reasons wants a top 5 test gig. Australia should aspire to be there. Maybe then we might stop young players going to NRL in Oz for the bucks and they can see the world, play for their country and make a few bucks. It’s up to our club and national infrastructure to whoo them back.

TW,
if the local comp is good then it survives and bigger salaries happen. RA only needs to make offers to some players if they want to come and play a series. Not massive retainer contracts. We may well stop the drift from Union to league by allowing players to move overseas for a year or two to get good enough.

Just another brake to slow us down. Should be two rules only, Australian Citizenship and Good enough to get selected.

If you are Australian and you’re good enough to play for the Wallabies then you will! (Kellaway)
If you are not then you can play for Italy or Wales or anybody else who thinks you are good enough. But Wallabies are your first selection first. It’s up to RA to manage the talent and keep them in touch with the country.

OMG, for the last 20 years, Rugby in Australia has had its back against a wall being crushed on so many fronts, yet our board thinks that a gentle, steady as she goes, don’t change too much is the answer. How do we get the message through? From 1 to 7 on the rankings, loans from the World Rugby to stay solvent? Massive and continual infighting, broadcaster control (thankfully we are in a better place now – thanks to a brave lady!) and the list goes on. Not one area of Rugby in Australia is blossoming on the world stage. Perhaps it’s time to try some radical things like a publically elected board from club memberships? Oh to scary? Sorry, it’s time as well.

KCOL, trust in the belief that any player who is good wants to pull on a national jersey! Only if it increases their value on the club scene (cynical I know) but the allure will always be there for a gold jersey. SA has no issues in getting o/s players to come home for a game or series and they are currently no 1 as they will tell you 30 times an hour.

NB, I do believe the time is right for binning the git’s law. But the time is right for the hard truths as well. X factor stuff is not an every ten-minute thing. You need to be ruthless, tough, and relentless to beat a top side (for which we are not). Giving nothing away is the foundation to build a winning team. Our desperate quick-fix get outa trouble style play will always end in tears against a ruthless, tough, and relentless team like the top three world-ranked teams. We need to match them before we beat them. Keys for this are brains, attitude, and determination to stay the course. The cattle can do it, but they need to change their approach to the game.

JD, take your point on Super Rugby. But if the Super Rugby is broken then the Wallabies are broken. That today seems to be true. We need vibrancy over everything else in rugby for the players. Let them come and let them go, they will want to be a Wallaby if good enough et at al (Kellaway 2021). On the home front, we have a bunch of fantastic young men coming into the U16 & U20 every year. managing them is the key. Premier Colts and Premier Domestic comps are where we should focus. The Super and Test teams come from this.

Will, 10000000% correct. The question I have for you is. Did you need the competition to earn your spot before you became a pick-yourself player? Does this make for a better player? Are we bringing the young players on too quickly? By scrapping the Giteau law are we helping our younger players like Andrew Kellaway?

Geoff,
Please try to control the click-bait headlines. They detract from your quality journalism. SRU has always been about the five clubs’ pursuit of glory. The problems are simple to fix and RA & NSWRU just need to sort it out without the next tier of 5 self-interested Subbie Clubs getting too precious as well. RA/NSWRU/QRU needs to allow a top 14 style game to evolve for the 100% self interested to run unbridled Include QLD & NSW and anyone else who want to join. But control them to just two colts and two senior squads of 100 players each and introduce transfer fees for clubs who have players changing up as recognition of player development. Fix the ridiculous amateur status of Subbies to 1st Div clubs and be as professional as they want and be a feeder to the top 14 self-interest competition. Penrith can build a base from there. Andy M can gift them some money to offer pathway contracts to strategic players.
RA has their own self-interest in the Wobblies15 M&F, Sevens M&F and Super Rugby M&F. So that should be busy enough for AM. Overseas players offer them match fee contracts or training contracts to play with the Wobblies, hopefully, they may settle us down a little(which we really need). The sooner we move towards a national competition where players can earn a good living as RU players the sooner this problem moves on. Never forget that a suburban Leagie can manage a $1000 per game and never be in the running for an NRL contract. Once parity comes then things really change however fanciful that sounds. But the journey starts with finally putting Penrith to the sword and allowing DIV 1 subbies clubs to be as professional as they want. Really, it’s just not that hard. Hard is; Dave Rennie changing the panic/poor judgement behaviour in our Wobblies who show us enough to get excited and frustrated within 40 minutes for which we get 2 helpings of each outing, and fanciful is the belief we are able to match NZ, who are five world rankings above us.

Always have thought MT makes a better decision on the paddock. HP just needs the time in the game to get to his potential, but not at the national team’s expense.

Hey, what’s the deal with JOC?

WB, To’omua will reduce Hunter’s brain farts!

JCM, Rennie will be able to work with Samu, after his time in the 7’s he has learnt about the concept of the outside man and that hands work well. Expect a big change in his game.