Thought I remembered his name from somewhere. Dunno if he's the sort of player I'd like to have in my squad if I was a selector. Let's hope he's matured significantly in the recent past, but I don't know. Prove me wrong, Lalakai.
Waratahs 2018
- Thread starter Micheal
- Start date
- Status
ShtinaTina
Alex Ross (28)
The Tahs social media was great in 2015, the media manager was great. The one that replaced her was/is average (if it's the same person)
RoffsChoice
Jim Lenehan (48)
Foketi is the only real 13 you have signed, but I suspect Gibson will pick a Beale-Folau centre pairing.
Up the Guts
Steve Williams (59)
Simone and Clarke can both play 13. Big Taqele wasn't too bad either last time for the Barbarians. Probably would have to shuffle him in defence though.
Jerry West
Sydney Middleton (9)
Foketi was impressive in this seasons ITM Cup. Bay of Plenty went all the way through to the GF before losing to Wellington in extra time but Lalakai was a regular starter alongside former Waratah Terrence Hepetema. They both had a very solid ITM campaign
Jimmyjam
Watty Friend (18)
With the latest force signings announced, the last cabs off the rank look like Coleman, McCalman, Rona and Louwrens.
We need them all!! We are really week in the o/s backs and lock area plus need a 3rd halfback.
Rebel Force have signed Ainsley, Daley, Faulkner, Rangi, Philip, RHP, Hardwick,Lance,
Ruru, Meakes, and DHP. 11 plus a coaching team by my count
Brumbies have signed Naisarani, Richie Arnold, Verity Amm, Peni. 4 by my count but read there is one more somewhere...
Waratahs have signed Newsome and Vui. Total 2.
Reds nil as far as I know. However they have some great U20's coming though plus have picked up some quality NRC players to boot.
If we don't get Rona plus one of the halfbacks then heads need to roll at the top. Is Gibson that much on the nose???? (Probably......)
We've signed a few youngsters and clubbies (thanks Mr Cron..) but somehow ended up with the human wet lettuce leaf Rob Simmons and the park footy standard Staniforth when we knew that Matt Philip (a sydney boy) and Coleman would be on the market!!
What is going on with recruitment at TAH HQ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We need them all!! We are really week in the o/s backs and lock area plus need a 3rd halfback.
Rebel Force have signed Ainsley, Daley, Faulkner, Rangi, Philip, RHP, Hardwick,Lance,
Ruru, Meakes, and DHP. 11 plus a coaching team by my count
Brumbies have signed Naisarani, Richie Arnold, Verity Amm, Peni. 4 by my count but read there is one more somewhere...
Waratahs have signed Newsome and Vui. Total 2.
Reds nil as far as I know. However they have some great U20's coming though plus have picked up some quality NRC players to boot.
If we don't get Rona plus one of the halfbacks then heads need to roll at the top. Is Gibson that much on the nose???? (Probably......)
We've signed a few youngsters and clubbies (thanks Mr Cron..) but somehow ended up with the human wet lettuce leaf Rob Simmons and the park footy standard Staniforth when we knew that Matt Philip (a sydney boy) and Coleman would be on the market!!
What is going on with recruitment at TAH HQ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Do you actually know when discussions began to sign Staniforth and Simmons? And how that compares to when "we knew" that Philip and Coleman would be on the market? Or if Philip and Coleman are even interested in coming to the Tahs? Or if we can even afford them? You're making a few assumptions, I think.
Micheal
Nicholas Shehadie (39)
I just think the Brumbies and Rebels are far more appealing options at the moment and there's very little that we could have done to have changed that.
The Brumbies have a really solid squad next year, the best recent success of Australian teams (relative success that is) and Lord Laurie who's widely known as one of Australia's best forwards and breakdown coaches.
The Rebels have Wessels and his assistants who have shown the ability to develop players. They also have the spine of the Force team who performed pretty well last year and ex-Force players will be looking to build on that into next season.
We have a relatively average squad, Gibson and some bloke who did a good job in the Shute Shield but is untested at higher levels.
I know where I'd be going.
Plus I'm happy to see Phillips and a few of the other Sydney-born Tahs to not return to NSW.
Why? I think talent moving away from their family home and friendship circles can be pretty instrumental in the development of professionalism.
All of a sudden most of their friends are Rugby players, they're forced to live with team mates and within a new environment they find comfort within the training / preparation process.
If Phillips came back to Sydney he'd be sorely tempted to live and hang out with all his high school friends who, whilst they're probably great guys, probably don't live the way a professional rugby player should (e.g. re: drinking and eating habits). Playing with the Tahs would be his job, not his lifestyle.
I could be wrong here but it's just an inkling. We've seen Meakes, Phillips, Newsome, McMahon, Maddocks, Hodge etc. all improve substantially since travelling elsewhere to play.
The Brumbies have a really solid squad next year, the best recent success of Australian teams (relative success that is) and Lord Laurie who's widely known as one of Australia's best forwards and breakdown coaches.
The Rebels have Wessels and his assistants who have shown the ability to develop players. They also have the spine of the Force team who performed pretty well last year and ex-Force players will be looking to build on that into next season.
We have a relatively average squad, Gibson and some bloke who did a good job in the Shute Shield but is untested at higher levels.
I know where I'd be going.
Plus I'm happy to see Phillips and a few of the other Sydney-born Tahs to not return to NSW.
Why? I think talent moving away from their family home and friendship circles can be pretty instrumental in the development of professionalism.
All of a sudden most of their friends are Rugby players, they're forced to live with team mates and within a new environment they find comfort within the training / preparation process.
If Phillips came back to Sydney he'd be sorely tempted to live and hang out with all his high school friends who, whilst they're probably great guys, probably don't live the way a professional rugby player should (e.g. re: drinking and eating habits). Playing with the Tahs would be his job, not his lifestyle.
I could be wrong here but it's just an inkling. We've seen Meakes, Phillips, Newsome, McMahon, Maddocks, Hodge etc. all improve substantially since travelling elsewhere to play.
Jimmyjam
Watty Friend (18)
loads of assumption of course! Unfortunately I don't have any direct access to the powers that be at Tah land, I'm just a disappointed fan who wishes there was a bit more foresight with their recruitment.
mst
Peter Johnson (47)
As a Brumbies fan I can tell you that many would have preferred he was retained and Carter let go.
He was released due to over supply and not on performance. He is young and need time so against the experienced incumbent players he was lowest in the pecking order. His performance and development have been hampered by lack of game time.
His last 2 NRC season he had performed very well and shown good signs at Super Rugby level. He is probably one of the more physical and mobile locks going around and probably one of the better Tah's recruitment decisions.
Up the Guts
Steve Williams (59)
A lot of the Rebels signing has to do with Wessels (Wessells?) heading there and Force players following him. With the Force being broken up I don't think the transfers are occurring like they normally would if one or two players are looking to move. If you were enjoying playing with the group of players at the Force then there's probably quite a strong incentive to try and stick with them now you've been forced to move. Whereas usually if guys are looking to transfer clubs the incentives (like moving back home, more money, coach they've played under) may outweigh the bonds you've made with the team.This phenomenon is probably heightened as well by the fact that the playing group would have become even more tightly knit as they worked through the disaster of having their club broken apart.
I don't really blame the Force playing group for wanting to stay with there mates and part of the reason that the Rebels now look to be so strong is that guys that they already had on their roster like Koroibete, Hodge, and Uelese have just hit their straps this year. We've had the pick of a lot of big name players in the last few years and I don't think we can complain with guys like Folau, Beale etc. on our roster.
I don't really blame the Force playing group for wanting to stay with there mates and part of the reason that the Rebels now look to be so strong is that guys that they already had on their roster like Koroibete, Hodge, and Uelese have just hit their straps this year. We've had the pick of a lot of big name players in the last few years and I don't think we can complain with guys like Folau, Beale etc. on our roster.
Silverado
Dick Tooth (41)
^^^
Pretty much. The Rebels really needed to recruit based on recent form, and signing Wessels was a master stroke. We've got a stack of WOBs in our squad. We got more Force players than the Reds and the fact that those two franchises supported 4 teams wouldn't make them very popular with Force players when they looked for a new home
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Pretty much. The Rebels really needed to recruit based on recent form, and signing Wessels was a master stroke. We've got a stack of WOBs in our squad. We got more Force players than the Reds and the fact that those two franchises supported 4 teams wouldn't make them very popular with Force players when they looked for a new home
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Froggy
John Solomon (38)
Yes, a couple of big signings would have been good, but it's not everything. Last year the Reds were going to blow everyone away with their signings of Moore, Smith, Higginbotham, Tui, Cooper etc, however it didn't happen. Conversely, we all thought the Brumbies were heading for the bottom with all their losses (Pocock, White, To'omua, Liliafano, Tomani etc) but they outperformed all the other Australian teams.
It comes down to coaching, commitment, effort and belief from the players, little things like not giving away too many penalties and kicking your goals, not losing key players to injury and of course, gelling as a team, where the total is better than the sum of the parts. I'm not saying for a minute we'll get that right (certainly didn't last year) but that's what it's all about.
Besides, a roster including Latu, Kepu, Hooper, Dempsey, Foley, Beale and Folau isn't that rough.
It comes down to coaching, commitment, effort and belief from the players, little things like not giving away too many penalties and kicking your goals, not losing key players to injury and of course, gelling as a team, where the total is better than the sum of the parts. I'm not saying for a minute we'll get that right (certainly didn't last year) but that's what it's all about.
Besides, a roster including Latu, Kepu, Hooper, Dempsey, Foley, Beale and Folau isn't that rough.
Up the Guts
Steve Williams (59)
Yeah and we can add to that list a guy like Hanigan whose time in gold has actually brought down his worth in the eyes of many pundits. If he hadn't been selected for the Wallabies he would have probably had a good season in the NRC and we'd be talking him up as a potential future Wallaby. Now we've seen that he currently is a pretty ineffective ball runner at international level and no one seems to be rating him as much. Bit harsh I reckon because he'll still be a very good Super player and it's a bit of a luxury to be able to play down the abilities of someone like him.
Derpus
George Gregan (70)
No one but Cheika eh.
mst
Peter Johnson (47)
So Staniforth's run and physicality might help offset that. Also unless you can get the ball off your line out your dead in the water. set piece wise. That where Simmons will help. You may lose in other areas but his line out skills will help and you can hope that the younger ones learn from him.
Hanigan in good company and competition should improve. All is not lost. (I am now going to have a shower and scrub myself as I feel dirty after saying positive things about the Tah's).
I still don't get why people are talking Simmons down so much. At Super level he is a very good set piece technician, hell, he's good at that at Test level. I don't care if he is not smashing metres with the ball, as long as others can / do. Of course, that's an "if" to some degree. As a Super player, I'm more than happy to see him there. Staniforth too is a pretty useful player, and has upside, I reckon. Sure it's not like we have Coleman and Arnold but it's not that crap. I think we have some issues in depth in back-up locks, and some other areas, and that's where we'll get found out. As with every season, the starting rosters are nice and all, but it's the roster after some key injuries, which inevitably happen, that will tell the tale. We have enough good players in the squad that we have no excuse for not doing much better than this year. On paper, however, I think the Brumbies and Rebels look obviously like the better balanced squads at the moment.
upthereds#!
Peter Johnson (47)
so reported today the rebels are est 700 000 over salary cap so far and the brumbies have pushed over it in the expectation it will be relaxed. Reds and Tahs strived to stay under it, hence Reds passed up on Genia which will end up potentially being to their detriment . New CEO expected to have to deal with it next year.
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