Wallabies 2021

[Adam84]

Did the plan receive the support of the players? If so more respect to AAA, Koroibete, To'omua, Tupou and DHP who were hit the hardest and stayed in Australia.

 

[James GC]

It would be pretty rough if the quid pro quo used to both save Rugby Australia money and allow the lesser paid players to be paid more was then used against Hooper in relation to the Wallabies.

It would also seem strange for Rennie's opinion of Hooper to have dropped after last year. He stated that he thought he was an obvious choice to be captain, picked up at 7 in every test and his teammates voted him the best player last year.

This..

He made a deal that would allow those fringe players not on top ups to be paid and thus keep the season and essentially the sport alive. In return to mitigate his lose he was allowed to go Japan and supliment his smaller income. I can't see how anyone even if your opinion of him as a player is less then can think he did this for himself as a greedy cash grab.

I have my own agenda around him and his captancy abilities but there is no doubt he is one of the first picked and gives everything he has got everytime he takes the field for the Wallabies. Also with the next wave of 7's coming through all on the very jnr side it would be crazy to just dump all of that experience that could be passed on during camps, dressing rooms on the field ect.

I am one who was in the camp that Pocock should have resumed his rightful place at 7 once he returned from injury and also resumed as Wallaby Captain, but to say he travelled os for a self entitled money grab so he must now go back to the bottom of the list of 7s and prove himself again is beyong crazy.

 

[Braveheart81]

Did the plan receive the support of the players? If so more respect to AAA, Koroibete, To'omua, Tupou and DHP who were hit the hardest and stayed in Australia.

Yes, except for Rodda who quit.

To'omua and DHP were also given the opportunity to take sabbaticals as part of their contract.

 

[Adam84]

Yes, except for Rodda who quit.

To'omua and DHP were also given the opportunity to take sabbaticals as part of their contract.

And Beale evidently.

 

[Adam84]

In either case Braveheart, I’m not criticising Hooper for taking a sabbatical, i have long said he earned that right.

I’m just my opinion that players who go overseas shouldn’t walk back into the starting XV of the Wallabies ahead of those players who have remained in Australia. If they’re guys like Hooper, Phillip and Rodda they can be in the squad, and earn their right by training with and competing against the others.

Guys in the Wallabies squad like Neville, McReight, Hosea, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto), Valetini, Anstee, Naisarani should get first shot in those positions.

 

[Braveheart81]

And Beale evidently.

Yes, forgot about him.

He helped everyone out by agreeing to an early release.

 

[Braveheart81]

I’m just my opinion that players who go overseas shouldn’t walk back into the starting XV of the Wallabies ahead of those players who have remained in Australia. If they’re guys like Hooper, Phillip and Rodda they can be in the squad, and earn their right by training with and competing against the others.

I'm sure no one will walk back into the starting XV. If any of this group plays the first test of the year it will be because Rennie thinks they are still the best choice.

The assertion by a number of posters is that they shouldn't be selected and/or should have to display domestic form before playing for the Wallabies again. I don't see that being the case. Rennie will be viewing their current form and then get a chance to look at them in camp.

 

[Adam84]

I'm sure no one will walk back into the starting XV. If any of this group plays the first test of the year it will be because Rennie thinks they are still the best choice.

The assertion by a number of posters is that they shouldn't be selected and/or should have to display domestic form before playing for the Wallabies again. I don't see that being the case. Rennie will be viewing their current form and then get a chance to look at them in camp.

Neither liqour box or i said anything like that, the assertion by liqour box was that Hooper should start from the bench and earn his way back into the starting role, and thats what kicked off this debate. Both of us have said preference should be given to players who have remained in Australia.

 

[rodha]

Interesting reading how this talented Australian midfielder Dylan Riley left for Japan in 2017.

He's now turned his back on his homeland & is instead targeting selection for Japan for the 2023 World Cup.

It's kind of ironic how Robbie Deans is now draining a huge amount of young Australian talent as coach of Panasonic Wild Knights, he's got about 7 Aussies in his squad..

Reily plays 13, that's one of the few positions (aside from 15) that the Wallabies don't have good depth in at the moment & especially in large midfielders, Riley is 103kg and everyone else competing for that 13 spot Ikatau, Paisami etc.. are all around 90kg. Not so ideal for international rugby.. especially against big teams like France, England, South Africa, New Zealand. You ideally want bigger centre pairings.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...their-backs-on-wallabies-to-declare-for-japan

 

[Derpus]

In what way is it ironic?

 

[rodha]

In what way is it ironic?

a former Wallabies coach stripping Australia's rugby talent?

Riley was playing with Brisbane City in the NRC in 2017 with no Super Rugby contract on the horizon when the Panasonic Wild Knights, with former Wallabies coach Robbie Deans as head coach, came calling.

While he went overseas for an opportunity rather than money, the financial security the Japan competition provides is a lure.

"I didn't really have an opportunities back home and this came up to come to Japan and play under an awesome coach Robbie Deans so I took it," Riley said.

 

[Derpus]

Sounds like he wasnt good enough for a Super Rugby gig at the time and looked for opportunities elsewhere.

 

[TSR]

Did the plan receive the support of the players? If so more respect to AAA, Koroibete, To'omua, Tupou and DHP who were hit the hardest and stayed in Australia.

I’m pretty sure the senior players actually proposed the plan.

 

[hifflepiff]

Did the plan receive the support of the players? If so more respect to AAA, Koroibete, To'omua, Tupou and DHP who were hit the hardest and stayed in Australia.

To my understanding all the senior, highly paid players agreed to serious reductions, but Hooper took the single largest cut to his contract as part of the deal.

 

[TSR]

Its dumb the rational to be honest, McReight's been good against other Aussies but I would say never as dominate as Hooper has been, against better players (Tests, Kiwi Teams). Hooper will be Captain and first picked at 7, he did the ARU a favorite and to be dropped for that just wont happen.

I guess I rate McReights performance higher than you do.

I believe Hooper faces genuine competition for his spot this year.

I won’t be at all disappointed if Rennie sticks with Hooper, but nor will I be surprised if we see a change.

I doubt Hooper’s sabbatical will be an issue one way or another - it would be odd if it were given he is returning to Australian rugby.

 

[rodha]

Sounds like he wasnt good enough for a Super Rugby gig at the time and looked for opportunities elsewhere.

Sounds like Robbo is quite enjoying himself sitting back & watching the whole joint crash n' burn since being unceremoniously sacked 6 years ago for a respectable 59% win-ratio. I wonder what he thought of Wallabies' 16.17% winning success in 2020??

 

[Derpus]

Sounds like Robbo is quite enjoying himself sitting back & watching the whole joint crash n' burn since being unceremoniously sacked 6 years ago for a respectable 59% win-ratio. I wonder what he thought of the Wallabies' 16.17% winning success in 2020??

The more you post the more im convinced you are in fact Robbie Deans.

 

[Braveheart81]

Interesting reading how this talented Australian midfielder Dylan Riley left for Japan in 2017.

He's now turned his back on his homeland & is instead targeting selection for Japan for the 2023 World Cup.

He'd be silly not to nominate for Japan though because it in no way removes his eligibility for Australia until he gets capped for Japan.

 

[Slim 293]

Sounds like Robbo is quite enjoying himself sitting back & watching the whole joint crash n' burn since being unceremoniously sacked 6 years ago for a respectable 59% win-ratio. I wonder what he thought of Wallabies' 16.17% winning success in 2020??

He probably thought Rennie was lucky not to have to go up against such test titans as Scotland or Samoa.........

 

[RugbyReg]

Ok, so I've done a little stats review, for what it's worth (yes I know, statistics are like bikinis yada yada yada)

So far, 10 players have started at blindside this Super Rugby AU

Angus Scott-Young - 6 times
Rob Valetinie - 6
Josh Kemeny - 5
Fergus Lee-Warner - 3
Lachlan Swinton - 3
Hugh Sinclair - 2
Tim Anstee - 1
Tomas Lezana - 1
Will Harris - 1

For the sake of argument, let's ditch the bottom three as one game wonders.

Starting on individual defensive stats and the basics:

Tackle success

Kemeny 96.88% (has only missed one tackle so far this season at 6)
ASY (Angus Scott-Young) @ 91.78%
FLW (Fergus Lee-Warner) @ 90%
Valetini @ 89.23%
Swinton @ 85.42%
Sinclair @ 82.86%

Tahs struggling big time

Tackles per game

Sinclair @ 14.5
Swinton @ 13.67
ASY (Angus Scott-Young) @ 11.17
Valetini @ 9.67
FLW (Fergus Lee-Warner) @ 9
Kemeny @ 7.75

Tahs being asked to do a lot of work.

Defensive importance to team

Don't really know what to call this, but basically its the percentage of the individual workload on the overall team outcome.

Sinclair - 10.36% (meaning he's made 10% of his team's total tackles)
ASY (Angus Scott-Young) - 10.14%
Valetini - 7.69%
Kemeny - 7.03%
FLW (Fergus Lee-Warner) - 6.10%
Swinton - 4.86%

Looking at some attacking stats:

Attack Efficiency

Another made up stat, but basically looks at clean breaks and defenders beaten per carry and considers metres per carry too (note, don't have post contact metres). The higher the better

Valetini - 18.00
Kemeny - 12.48
Sinclair - 12.44
FLW (Fergus Lee-Warner) - 4.44
ASY (Angus Scott-Young) - 2.85
Swinton - 0

So Valetini is the clear stand out, as you'd expect. ASY (Angus Scott-Young) and FLW (Fergus Lee-Warner)'s minimal attacking impact perhaps a reason why they weren't in the PONI squad. Swinton a standout. Has barely made an attacking impact - no defenders beaten; no clean breaks, and aside from an ok game v the Brumbies has been very poor at making metres.

Just some other randoms

Lineout use:

ASY (Angus Scott-Young) - 9 (all won)
FLW (Fergus Lee-Warner) - 9 (7 won, 2 lost)
Swinton - 6 (all won)
Sinclair - 5 (all won)
Valetini - 3 (2 won, 1 lost)
Kemeny 1 (1 won)

Most penalties conceded:

ASY (Angus Scott-Young) - 4
FLW (Fergus Lee-Warner) / Kemeny - 3
Sinclair - 2
Swinton / Valetini - 1

Work Rate:

Add carries, tackles, turnovers won (note RugbyPass did not have stats for this for every game) and divide by number of games. Wish I had ruck numbers too.

Sinclair / Swinton - 22
ASY (Angus Scott-Young) / FLW (Fergus Lee-Warner) - 19
Valetini - 17
Kemeny - 14

So, what does it mean? I think the Wallaby selectors have picked the right people except Swinton, although I could understand him being picked based on 30-odd minutes of test rugby last year. Valetini the stats standout from a consistency basis, but as we know, it all comes down to the balance of the rest of the backrow.

One thing worth saying though, gees I wish the Force would give Anstee another start at 6. His stats that one game v the Waratahs were exceptional.

Tackled at 92.31% (made 12 of 13) which was 7.5% of his team's total.

His attacking stats were off the charts obviously @ 72.

He took a lineout, didn't lose one and gave away a penalty.

His workrate stat was 23.

Just one game, but it confirms the potential most of us recognise. It would just be nice to see more of him