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Aussie Player Exodus

Derpus

Derpus

George Gregan (70)
kiap said:
Veikotani is a good player, but was Australia going to poach him? If they were, then that's one thing. I'm sure some folks at the Reds (and elsewhere) would've liked that too. They would've offered him a low-ish contract (the union is broke) to maybe start out playing at 15 for a while and pretend he wasn't hired as a 10. :)

Five years is a long wait for a poach playing pro as a resident, tho.

As an aside, what are Cheika's options from the available flyhalves in super rugby:
  • Tahs: Foley … incumbent with 60+ caps; if the Wallabies were strong he'd have never got near that tally
  • Brums: Hawera - what's his status - poach? Not that great anyway.
  • Rebs: Quade … 'nuff said.
  • Reds: Stewart … a developing guy, some way off test level.
How many of those guys can play test rugby at 10 in 2019 . One? Fewer than one?

I suppose they bring To'omua along as a backup for the jaunt to Japan at the end of the season. Maybe the new joker overseeing the wallabies will instruct the old joker coaching the side to give To'omua a few games at 10.

<edit> Seeing Bernard has 60 caps, they'll head him off O/S next and get a new poach in at the tahs. :p
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Foley has been angling to leave for a while i think. He's only on a one year deal?'

Guy gets ragged on constantly despite being our best option. I'd leave too.
 
kiap

kiap

Steve Williams (59)
Derpus said:
Foley has been angling to leave for a while i think. He's only on a one year deal?'
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Something like that. Well, I can't remember what his deal is now and can't be bothered looking it up.

Derpus said:
Guy gets ragged on constantly despite being our best option. I'd leave too.
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Yes, for a lot of the time he has been the best option. He is a Test level player at his best, but that's not all the time.

That could be getting ragged on. Or maybe it's reality.

Been no understudy or back-up given much of a go to develop and come through. While that's not Foley's fault, it's been fortunate for his tenure.

Anyway, this one guy is not on his Pat Malone in this side.

So maybe we just adjust our expectations … mid-level goals for a mid-level team. Instead of having a goal of being No 1 (or even Top 4) we aim for Top 8.

Mission accomplished.
 
Jimmy_Crouch

Jimmy_Crouch

Ken Catchpole (46)
oztimmay said:
Putting aside all the brand stuff, what team do you think would pick him up?
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He would immediately make any team better but being realistic only the Brumbies and Waratahs would pick him up. Thorn wouldn't have him and the Rebels would need to shed some players.

Walk up start for the Brumbies 12 jersey. Waratahs would probably play him wider 11,13 or 14.
 
RugbyReg

RugbyReg

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
Jimmy_Crouch said:
He would immediately make any team better but being realistic only the Brumbies and Waratahs would pick him up. Thorn wouldn't have him and the Rebels would need to shed some players.

Walk up start for the Brumbies 12 jersey. Waratahs would probably play him wider 11,13 or 14.
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Yep, assuming he's fit and focused, he'd slot straight into the 12 jersey at the Brumbies and make that team stronger. He'd play at 15 for the Reds and do the same. The Tahs would be a bit more of a shuffle with perhaps JOC (James O'Connor) to 12 and Beale to 15 and Izzy to wing or OC. The Rebels would need to play him at prop.
 
southsider

southsider

Arch Winning (36)
oztimmay said:
Putting aside all the brand stuff, what team do you think would pick him up?
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went over this a little in the tahs thread but essentially i think tahs, reds and brumbies could all use him, rebels just don't need him with the depth and talent that they already have. You've then got to look at what position you want to play him, for mine he is either a outside centre or wing.

reds probably the least likely between Thorn and a backline of assuming;
Stewart
Naivalu
Kerevi
Petaia
Feauai-SautiaToua/Hegarty/Paia'aua

With Jock Campbell, Filipo Daugunu, Will Eadie fighting for bench spots they aren't in dire need of O'Connors services and Thorn looks like he is set on youth and developing them over a few years so another marquee outside back signing doesn't really fit that agenda. I don't think the reds will hit their straps for another 1-2 seasons so having O'connor there would be a tad of a waste as i don't see him playing in Australia for a extended period of time

If the tahs don't nab Khunt, (which i think they will) then he slots straight into 13 for the tahs. If Khunt does come, O'connor would still be a very handy winger to have, as our winger stocks of Newsome, J.Folau, Rona and Clark are a bit meh.

If tahs do get get Khunt, i'd like to see O'Connor go to the Brumbies, despite what some of the Brumbies supporters have argued against me, i believe they lack a bit of x-factor in the backs to compliment their awesome forwards. Only problem here is you obviously don't move Kurindrani so again it is off to the wing, and while they probably have better quality wingers in their squad than the tahs, their overall backline would improve from the added x-factor he brings.

So i guess the logical choice is the tahs, they need a strike winger and it would help his chances of making the wallabies playing with Foley, Beale, Folau regularly, although again personally i think the Brumbies are one X-factor backline player away from being a genuine title contender so i would like to see him go there
 
Tomikin

Tomikin

Simon Poidevin (60)
Slim 293 said:
Hypothetically, in a world where JOC (James O'Connor) is signed by the Brumbies..... he does not play on the wing. No chance.

12 or Mooseheads.
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He would be in with a shout to take the roll of Muirhead, I think Andy's a good player in great form, but everything he can do JOC (James O'Connor) can do better (and being a dickhead is one of those things).
 
Slim 293

Slim 293

Stirling Mortlock (74)
southsider said:
you're always so absolute with your answers arent you...
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Absolutely.............

But considering the Brumbies strengths and weaknesses, and their lack of depth in that one position, the position JOC (James O'Connor) currently plays, there’s really only one logical solution to that equation.
 
Brumby Runner

Brumby Runner

David Wilson (68)
I have no desire to ever see JOC (James O'Connor) play at the Brumbies, but being sarcastic for a moment, there is no way he will make the Wallabies out of the Brumbies while Cheika remains the national coach. He has a strict aversion to Brumbies' players.
 
southsider

southsider

Arch Winning (36)
Slim 293 said:
Absolutely.....

But considering the Brumbies strengths and weaknesses, and their lack of depth in that one position, the position JOC (James O'Connor) currently plays, there’s really only one logical solution to that equation.
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Sorry I’m a tad confused jimmy_crouch over on the tahs thread said JOC (James O'Connor) has played 4 games this year at outside centre and only 1 at inside.......with that information I wouldn’t say that he is currently playing inside centre. Would you?
 
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