Could he be the next father/son Wallaby? (I know that is incredibly premature before he's even played a Super Rugby game).
Waratahs 2021
- Thread starter RugbyReg
- Start date
sendit
Bob Loudon (25)
Eh, kinda. I'd say he is serviceable for rugby followers, he has a general good demeanor and is respectable as a player but as someone to broadly market the Waratahs brand to the Australian sports masses i don't hold hope.
Even if he was that's only one person, you generally need a good 3 to really make a decent fist of it. The next most marketablewould be Tepai purely for his League background and while well spoken doesn't have that great level of marketability
The Honey Badger
Jim Lenehan (48)
there is a few possibilities for that, I see young Lynagh signed by the Reds
I think before Angus Bell debuted the last son of a Wallaby to play was Pat Howard.
Jimmy_Crouch
Ken Catchpole (46)
Adam84
Nick Farr-Jones (63)
I think Angus Scot-Young is the most likely future father-son wallaby. Especially with Hanigan moving offshore.
I lean the other way and think he'll struggle to stay in the Reds 23 as the younger players develop and will opt to pursue his medical career.
He's a good player but I don't think he has a particularly high ceiling and has better options to fall back on than most.
Adam84
Nick Farr-Jones (63)
I still think Angus Scott Young has a better chance of making the Wallabies before Jack Grant.....Let this bloke actually prove himself in Super Rugby first
I 100% agree. I should have said I didn't think ASY (Angus Scott-Young) would play for the Wallabies, I didn't really mean he'd be less likely than Grant.
If I was going to bet on it I'd say neither will play for the Wallabies.
Adam84
Nick Farr-Jones (63)
Yeah its a valid point, but the level of stupidity of what Perese was involved in surely exceeds most of those, maybe the only person it didnt was Karmichael. But even Karmichael was found in a compromising situation again 2 years later.
Silverado
Dick Tooth (41)
Bell, Swinton, HJH (Harry Johnson-Holmes), Dempsey, Maddocks and if Ramm and Marky Mark (Nawaqanitawase) continue on their trajectories who knows? All very marketable for various reasons.Tepai has about 1 cap. Not exactly a household name in league to be your go to man and win over the masses
TSR
Mark Ella (57)
You made the point in your previous post, which I agree with, that they need some personalities. IMO HJH (Harry Johnson-Holmes) fits that bill.
I also agree with the gist of your first paragraph here in that he is going to get limited cut through at the moment - but I don’t think that is because he isn’t marketable. It’s because Rugby & Rugby’s profile isn’t strong enough at present.
If I was the Tahs I’d still be using HJH (Harry Johnson-Holmes) front and centre as someone who the general public would find appealing.
Other than that I would be trying an add campaign like they did with the ARC - ‘you don’t know me, but soon you will’ or something like that - and using guys like Harrison, Bell, Ramm, Nawaqanatwase, Tizzano, Walton.
Hopefully some free to air next year will help.
TSR
Mark Ella (57)
Good point - I was thinking of it mainly from the point of view of the Tahs having such a young, but promising, side. But it also aligns well with relaunching rugby to a broader audience.
Drew
Bob Davidson (42)
We shouldn’t be expecting tight five players to be excitement machines who get the turnstiles going. Their job should be all about the set piece, maintaining possession and doing all the grunt work. If they can stand in front of a camera and engage the listener, great. But not at the expense of their core role.
Adam84
Nick Farr-Jones (63)
Drew
Bob Davidson (42)
Agreed, but Tupou is an anomaly. Posters are talking about attracting new fans to the game and needing superstars to do that. Tupou has that capacity. The Smith twins, Benn Robinson, etc aren’t going to be getting non rugby kids begging their parents to go to the games or casual fans aren’t going to get more interested in tuning in or showing up because they’re playing. And they’re not meant to, they’re meant to create time and space out wide for the Jordan Ps, Marky Mark (Nawaqanitawase) (if he learns to defend) or front foot ball for the Noah Lolesios and Will Harrison’s, the solid scrum for the No 8 to peel off of and isolate the opposite five eighth. This attracts more eyes to the game. In time those eyes will be able to identify a good clean out, a good short pass on the defensive line, a well orchestrated line out, etc. I’d never be silly enough to say those other guys weren’t stars to people who know the game, I’m just thinking of how we can get more casual viewers hooked.
TSR
Mark Ella (57)
Drew - I don’t think your comments are really reflecting the general theme of this discussion.
This discussion was specifically about the characters in the game who could be used to promote the game. IMO these guys all fit the bill. They have good humour and a bit of character.
What they do on the field is a completely seperate issue. No one is suggesting that they are going to get preferential treatment at the selection table because they might be marketable.
Nor are any of us suggestion that having a few characters is a substitute for exciting, attacking rugby. People aren’t going to watch rugby just because they think HJH (Harry Johnson-Holmes) does a good interview. But nor can you turn new/casual viewers into supporters and regular paying members without connection with them. Having some characters around the game does help and is part of the mix. There is a reason the teams marketing departments put out all those interviews and promos around the players themselves. Most fans want to feel connected with the players. But I don’t think any of us suggested this is more important than the quality of the actual play.
On the specific point of attractive rugby though I would suggest front rowers can bring guys through the turnstile through their play as well. Slipper & Sio have their moments. Pone Fa’amausili is pretty entertaining; even if he is a bit raw (actually - probably because he is quite raw). And, to bring it back to the Waratahs specifically, Angus Bell is good to watch and so too Tom Horton.
This discussion was specifically about the characters in the game who could be used to promote the game. IMO these guys all fit the bill. They have good humour and a bit of character.
What they do on the field is a completely seperate issue. No one is suggesting that they are going to get preferential treatment at the selection table because they might be marketable.
Nor are any of us suggestion that having a few characters is a substitute for exciting, attacking rugby. People aren’t going to watch rugby just because they think HJH (Harry Johnson-Holmes) does a good interview. But nor can you turn new/casual viewers into supporters and regular paying members without connection with them. Having some characters around the game does help and is part of the mix. There is a reason the teams marketing departments put out all those interviews and promos around the players themselves. Most fans want to feel connected with the players. But I don’t think any of us suggested this is more important than the quality of the actual play.
On the specific point of attractive rugby though I would suggest front rowers can bring guys through the turnstile through their play as well. Slipper & Sio have their moments. Pone Fa’amausili is pretty entertaining; even if he is a bit raw (actually - probably because he is quite raw). And, to bring it back to the Waratahs specifically, Angus Bell is good to watch and so too Tom Horton.