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Joined April 2023
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Clearly the Reds didn’t think they had a high probability of winning in Fiji. Hence the resting of players. Kiss looking at bigger games ahead and must believe he has better odds of winning when it matters if players are fresh.
Reds are a good team and well coached. The not championship material yet – far to inconsistent- but you wouldn’t want to draw them in the knock-out stage either.
Vunivalu. I have no words. I feel like I’m taking crazy pills. I genuinely have no idea why he is selected in any professional rugby union team.
Reds denied a losing bonus point by Drua in Fiji as Suli Vunivalu is sent off for tripping
I don’t consider super rugby a major trophy. Kurtley was talented, capable of highlight real plays but loose and unforced error merchant. At 35 I don’t think he has much to offer Wallabies short of an injury crisis, which based on recent history is entirely possible. But who cares what I think. Only matters what Joe Schmidt thinks.
'Nothing's a short-term fix': Schmidt seeks to bring 'fragmented' Wallabies together, says Beale is 'finding feet'
Assuming Koribete is not picked for Wales my backline would be White (don’t like any of our 9s), Lolesio, Nawaqanitawase (rarely plays well for NSW, rarely plays poorly for Aus), Paisami, Ikitau, Flook (very tempted to pick Toole but like Flook as footballer over athletic ability), Kellaway RES McDermott, Gordon, Wright.
Likes of Teddy Wilson, Lynagh, Donaldson, Lancaster, Toole, Tim Ryan, Foketi, Dungunu should be involved in Australia A. There will be injuries, many will get a chance.
'Nothing's a short-term fix': Schmidt seeks to bring 'fragmented' Wallabies together, says Beale is 'finding feet'
Beale never won anything of value whilst in his prime. At 35 he is cooked and is not the answer.
Kelleway would be my 15. With Campbell and Wright waiting for a chance.
'Nothing's a short-term fix': Schmidt seeks to bring 'fragmented' Wallabies together, says Beale is 'finding feet'
Personally I haven’t been that impressed with his performances for the Roosters. He’s not particularly fast, he is not particularly elusive – does not break the line often. He is a big guy and quite tough in contact. Despite playing in the outside backs in a team doing well he is not in top 50 try scorers in NRL 2024 i.e. is not one of those players who just have a knack for scoring tries.
But all in all I wouldn’t have him in the top 10-20 outside backs in the NRL. He has a big vertical leap but he’s not regularly scoring tries from high balls like Folau did in the NRL.
But his goal kicking is good.
On the available evidence $1.6m is a huge gamble if intention is playing on the wing – given Australia already has a lot of good quality wing options.
Les Kiss has improved QLD showing the value of coaching. Perhaps that $1.6m (or even a fraction of it) would be better spent getting a truly elite coach at NSW given their importance to Australian rugby and perennial struggles. I think we underrate the importance of coaching at Super level given those are the coaches spending most time with the players.
The five candidates for the Wallabies No.10 jersey - and the old heads who may sneak in to join them
None of these candidates inspire great confidence. None of them are currently world class.
Carter Gordon is simply not up to it as a goal kicker. The higher you go up the levels in rugby the more important kicking is. So he’s out for mine. 69% is not going to cut it when the likes of Tomas Ramos & Handre Pollard kick at 90%+.
There not going to pau Su’aalii $1.6m to not play. So whether he’s any good or not he’ll play. I watch a lot if League and the most impressive part of Su’aalii game is his goal kicking. He may provide the goal kicking to allow Gordon to be picked.
There are only 10 or so tests until Lions. I.e no time to develop Lynagh or Edmed or Will Harrison.
For mine the last man standing is Lolesio. He gives you test quality goal kicking, has beaten Saffas multiple times, has 17 test of experience so not starting from scratch.
He doesn’t strike me as a leader if men, is small and weak defender but is least bad option in my view.
The five candidates for the Wallabies No.10 jersey - and the old heads who may sneak in to join them
Thanks Hunter. One would hope the Reds show him loyalty in return and use any connections the Reds network has to set him up with a career post Rugby.
Exclusive: Wallabies star turns down mega deal overseas to re-sign with Queensland Reds
You must have forgot to pack your brain cell today.
If you add up all the players across the 5 super list NSW would supply around 50% of the players. QLD stand on their own two feet and produce 90% of their own list and feed players to the other provinces.
The rest take more than they produce.
'Toughest decision': Wallaby's blunt admission over form as Force land Brumbies lock, teammate brought to tears
I can do what ever I want champ.
WA us small, irrelevant AFL outpost. Will never be rugby state or contribute anything meaningful to Australian rugby.
All WA and Victoria do is weaken the true rugby state’s, leading to a lopsided competition and no consumer interest.
For all of us who were there Super Rugby was far superior in the first 10 years if the competition as there were less mismatches.
If WA & Victoria want to remain, if they have all this rugby talent, let them produce 90% of their own playing list and stop pillaging the true Australian rugby states.
'Toughest decision': Wallaby's blunt admission over form as Force land Brumbies lock, teammate brought to tears
Because NSW supplies around 50% of all players in Aussie super teams and WA provide very little. They are take, take, take.
'Toughest decision': Wallaby's blunt admission over form as Force land Brumbies lock, teammate brought to tears
No doesn’t sting at all. Australian rugby’s attempted expansion into WA & Victoria has been and abject failure. These states don’t produce anywhere near enough local talent to come close to producing a competitive team.
Results at Super & international level, crowds at Super Level have been in steady decline since the failed expansion – because people want to see competitive teams and games and a closely fought competition. 5 NZ v 5 AU teams will never work. Australia’s talent is spread to thin.
Even this far out the only uncertainty in Super Rugby is if Chiefs, Hurricanes or Blues will win. When the minds focus in the finals Kiwi teams will rise a blow the Aussie teams away as Aussie teams have no depth as expansion has weakened them all. To easy to get contract, to many mediocre players.
'Toughest decision': Wallaby's blunt admission over form as Force land Brumbies lock, teammate brought to tears
That is what the Force do. Produce no one. Develop no one. Collect wooden spoons.
It’s what they’ve done from the start when they pillaged the QLD Reds playing list.
'Toughest decision': Wallaby's blunt admission over form as Force land Brumbies lock, teammate brought to tears
If Victoria is such a strong hold of Rugby with such a rich heritage and so many fans than the Rebels can play on but 1) they must fund themselves 2) like NSW & QLD 90% of their squad must be Victorian raised – should be easy given Melbourne has the population of NZ and apparently Rugby is so popular in Victoria.
Chiefs all but extinguish Force’s finals hopes in record Tron trouncing, injury concerns for Dmac
Irrelevant. If Australia is to be in a provincial competition with NZ in Rugby Union, Australia must have fewer teams than NZ to concentrate their limited talent.
Otherwise you will continue to have what you have now, an unworkably lopsided competition with very little public interest.
Chiefs all but extinguish Force’s finals hopes in record Tron trouncing, injury concerns for Dmac
Strewth Weary Dunlop played almost 100 years ago. If he’s your rebuttal to my point Rebels destroy more value, than they add than you just proved my point.
Chiefs all but extinguish Force’s finals hopes in record Tron trouncing, injury concerns for Dmac
“In my lifetime”. Heard of Weary Dunlop. Never heard of the other 2. The Rebels & Force dilute the talent base of the professional team and make Super Rugby an absurd competition as there are two many mismatches.
5 NZ, 4SA, 3 AUS that more accurately reflected the strength of the countries playing resources leading to more competitive games.
Super Rugby was way better in late 90s / early 2000s. People actually cared.
Chiefs all but extinguish Force’s finals hopes in record Tron trouncing, injury concerns for Dmac
As a born and bred Queenslander I think with 5 teams we’ll always have 2 truly awful teams.
Of course QLD & NSW must always have a team. They are the source of all the playing talent. They are the fabric & history of the game.
NSW have given in my lifetime such as Mark Ella, Campese, Farr-Jones, Matt Burke, Simon Poidevan.
Victoria & WA have given no legends and very few international grade players. Why? Because they are AFL states with no meaningful tradition in rugby.
But WA have Twiggy money so bye, bye Rebels.
Chiefs all but extinguish Force’s finals hopes in record Tron trouncing, injury concerns for Dmac
Ikitau and Flook are good players but that’s an extremely light centre combination. Much smaller than what the likes of South Africa and France will roll out. I fear they would be out muscled at test level.
Where will Joseph Suaalii play? Big, strong and solves goal kicking problem which allows Schmidt to pick best general play 10.
Suaalii will play somewhere. They’re not going to pay him $1.6m to play Shute Shield.
Exclusive: Wallabies star weighing up big move to England
Really? Looks cod ordinary to me. Multiple times this season has kicked it dead off penalty. Constantly makes school boy errors.
Wallabies' young gun mulling NRL switch as Rebels' future continues to cloud picture
Kids need heroes. Who’s going to watch Shute Shield & Hospital Cup battlers masquerading as professional rugby players after anyone with talent is picked off by NRL, Europe, Japan & America?
Rugby in Australia is screwed. Can’t afford to keep players and Can’t afford to let them go. Getting pincered from all sides.
Exclusive: Wallabies star weighing up big move to England
Except the likes of Liam Gill, Mac Hansen and Harry Hockings who never came back.
Exclusive: Wallabies star weighing up big move to England
Then everything that happened after would not have happened as whole game would be different and we would not have seen Tim Ryan score three tries.
'Heartbreaking': Blues sink Reds with post-siren try after rising star scores epic hat-trick
Ryan look promising. That third try was epic. But one swallow does not a summer make.
Needs to back it up and won’t have advantage of being unknown anymore.
'Heartbreaking': Blues sink Reds with post-siren try after rising star scores epic hat-trick
100% agree on goal kicking. Lolesio needs more mongrel.
I want to see more of Will Harrison. Great goal kicker, seems to have good temperament and looks tougher and more robust than Lolesio.
'Heartbreaking': Blues sink Reds with post-siren try after rising star scores epic hat-trick
Agree. I don’t believe in resting players.
Reds denied a losing bonus point by Drua in Fiji as Suli Vunivalu is sent off for tripping