Wallabies 2020

[fatprop]

I think one of Valetini or Wilson starts, Wright-Hooper/McReight-Samu is just too light and a bit same, same. Valetini wasn't quite as good as he was in the back end of the competition but I feel like Rennie will rate his "off the ball work."

for me

6 Wright
7 Hooper
8 Wilson

Bench backrower Samu

 

[Dctarget]

for me

6 Wright
7 Hooper
8 Wilson

Bench backrower Samu

Would be our best attacking backrow in a long time.

 

[Highkicks]

I love Valetini's involvements, he can really hit and dominate in carries, tackles and cleanouts. Having watched him a bit though, he really needs to be more involved. He could be a seriously dominant player. This is a bad example because I know Wilson must have played more minutes than him, but just as an example, Wilson is listed as having over twice as many carries and made 50 more tackles than him throughout the year. Unfortunately I don't have ruck stats but from watching, I would not call his work rate there high either, very effective for sure but not high.

Valetini is awesome in what he does but he would be so much better if he lifted his involvements a bit. Still, wouldn't be unhappy with him at 6.

Edit: Having said all that I'd love to see
6 Valetini
7 Hooper
8 Wilson

 

[TSR]

Hooper is on the next level of talent, reputation and most importantly output than either of those players. If you quizzed 100 fans from 10 other countries who the best player in Australia was, Hooper would be close to the most mentioned name. It’s only in Australia we seem to have these discussions

Of course it’s not. I don’t disagree with your point about quizzing the 100 fans.

What do you reckon the 100 fans would have said about leaving Nasirani out? How many Reds fans do you reckon would have picked Thorn to drop Cooper?

What do you reckon the survey would have said about George Smith before he was dropped for Pocock?

If you think Hooper getting dropped is inconceivable, we can agree to disagree.

Like I said only one page earlier though, I would find it highly surprising.

 

[dru]

No one is guaranteed and form is definitely a marker. How has Hoopers form been? I’m a huge fan of all three in the Reds backrow and no doubt they will contribute a lot to Wallaby rugby from this point forward, but I wouldn’t throw them head first into the fire pit that is Bled 1 in NZ. I suspect that Wright and maybe Wilson will be in that 23 but not the three of them as a unit. Rennie is a smart operator. He will make good choices.
We are fortunate to have such depth in the backrow that we are actually having this conversation and that such quality is left out of the squad.

Well according to GAGR TOTW aggregates, Hooper is right up there - sitting right behind McReight. We have had depth at 7 before - the last era started with Hooper, Pocock and LFG. Others followed. What we need this time is better rationale behind selections and game plan. I'm with you in looking forward to the solution Rennie comes up with.

 

[dru]

Some of the hyperbole with a few Reds supporters of late is almost satirical but sad because you know it’s not meant to be

Man, just swap the jersies over from Red to Gold. Can't see the issue.

 

[Up the Guts]

Of course it’s not. I don’t disagree with your point about quizzing the 100 fans.

What do you reckon the 100 fans would have said about leaving Nasirani out? How many Reds fans do you reckon would have picked Thorn to drop Cooper?

What do you reckon the survey would have said about George Smith before he was dropped for Pocock?

If you think Hooper getting dropped is inconceivable, we can agree to disagree.

Like I said only one page earlier though, I would find it highly surprising.

I guess it depends whether R3 is arguing from a perspective of “Hooper is a certainty in my team” or “there is no way Rennie will not select him.”

I agree with you, the dropping of Naisarani indicates Rennie is likely prepared not to start Hooper if he believes it is in the best interests of the side. I’d still have both in my side though.

 

[TSR]

I don’t think there is any chance Hooper won’t be picked.

My original post was actually just supposed to be a playful poke at the continual overuse of the phrase ‘he’ll be first name on the team sheet’.

For what it’s worth I reckon the first name will either be Scott Sio or James Slipper.

 

[Braveheart81]

For what it’s worth I reckon the first name will either be Scott Sio or James Slipper.

It better be.

If Rennie names his teams from 15 to 1 then 16 to 23 he can FRO as far as I'm concerned.

 

[qwerty51]

Likewise if he calls 16-23 anything other than replacements or substitutes..

 

[TSR]

No Finishers QWERTY?

 

[TSR]

I’d actually like to see Rennie mix it up a bit.

Maybe the ‘First Losers Group’ or the ‘Shoulda done extras’.

They could get shirts done.

 

[Derpus]

I think for Valetini to be picked it'll have to be Samu at 8 or Wright at 7 (or both). Just for the lineout.

Also, Valetini doesn't really dominate the collisions in attack - moreso in defense.

 

[qwerty51]

No Finishers QWERTY?

Gamebreakers has started appearing up north..

 

[Highkicks]

I think for Valetini to be picked it'll have to be Samu at 8 or Wright at 7 (or both). Just for the lineout.

Also, Valetini doesn't really dominate the collisions in attack - moreso in defense.

I'm going to put my neck out there and say he he has got to be up there with our best carriers into heavy contact, it just doesn't happen very often. He seems to hit like a truck, what ever he is doing.

Really tough to pick the optimal backrow, it could go any number of ways.

 

[Brumbieman]

Likewise if he calls 16-23 anything other than replacements or substitutes..

You're a muppet - I have first hand experience of Rennie benching his stripe players, letting the more consistent players roll with the first 60mins, and then winning at the death with a strong bench impact. Bastard, I really thought 2013 was the year, then he emptied the Chiefs bench against a jetlagged team and overran them.

If you didn't notice NZ's extraordinary finishing ability over the last 15 years, it had a lot to do with who they could finish games with. It IS a 23 these days, no 15 and a few injury covers.

 

[Braveheart81]

You're a muppet - I have first hand experience of Rennie benching his stripe players, letting the more consistent players roll with the first 60mins, and then winning at the death with a strong bench impact. Bastard, I really thought 2013 was the year, then he emptied the Chiefs bench against a jetlagged team and overran them.

If you didn't notice NZ's extraordinary finishing ability over the last 15 years, it had a lot to do with who they could finish games with. It IS a 23 these days, no 15 and a few injury covers.

You do realise that qwerty51's post was purely in relation to Cheika naming his bench "finishers" rather than reserves or substitutes right?

It had zero to do with actually using those players.

 

[Ulrich]

Gamebreakers has started appearing up north..

I'm impartial so I lean toward bomb-squad.

 

[cyclopath]

I don't think anyone has done enough to knock Hooper out of the team but who knows. However I do think he had a pretty big form slump at the start of the year, there were points there where he looked completely disinterested, as did a lot of the tahs. Seems to have turned it around now though.

It looks to me like our forward pack has a much better chance of being balanced this year too. I think the tight five picks itself aside from there being no real form loosehead and the injury to Uelese, but it looks like there won't be a huge difference between players in these positions.

Backrow is a real conundrum, there are a lot of good players there but picking the best combination of them will be very hard. I wouldn't be surprised if there is a bit of movement there. Especially at 6.

I think the opposite is true. There are real options in all positions, with some different skill-sets, so getting a mix to cover what the coach wants should be more do-able than in some recent years.
What will be difficult will be some fans accepting their personal favourite option might not be in it!

 

[Cancelled Account]

He can play fullback though, in fact he is a hell of a fullback.



I'll also add here that this boggles my mind. He is by far the closest thing we have to a B Barrett or D Mac at 15. Easily the best ball playing 15 with the greatest vision. There are limits to his game however these certainly aren't them.

I actually agree with you on the type of 15 we should have. Hence my confusion at what you are not seeing in Campbell. Also one of the reasons I always thought "He who shall not be named" should have been on the wing not at 15.

P.S. also agree with you on Grealy. He will likely be @ 15 or wing in a couple years. Very talented kid.

I just like what I like and Campbell hasn’t produce anything that makes me think he’s capable of too much more. I always look for the consistency of great core skills, then look for their razzle dazzle, and unfortunately he doesn’t rate well in any aspect. Just like I don’t particularly like JOC (James O'Connor) at flyhalf and think he could give our team a lot more fire and points on the scoreboard playing in the centres. I see the coaches conundrum because we don’t have a specialist flyhalf or fullback so we need to utilise what we’ve got.
I’d still like to see Jordy at fullback and pull Mac into the squad to develop him as a specialist fullback.