Reds 2021

[Dusky W]

Ok, that’s enough talk about the backs. It’s forwards who win matches and the Reds have some great selection dilemmas ahead.
Uru has had 2 good games now. Out of the forwards on Friday, he was only beaten by McWreight for meters gained (30+); and did some good breakdown work (1 or 2 turnovers). ASY (Angus Scott-Young) was everywhere in defence (16 tackles) and clean outs; and saved the try/penalty try by getting his feet behind the line before Gordon took the quick tap. Wilson started well with 2 good runs but after 20 minutes seemed to run out of puff (someone earlier said he may have come back carrying some extra weight). He still put in 10 good tackles and will get his fitness up in a few weeks and be back to what he can do. And McWreight was like the love child of Hooper and Pocock - both a pest at the breakdown (3 turnovers) and a weapon in attack (54 meters; and had a good hand in the 2nd and 3rd tries).
Bring back LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) and Wright (eventually) and there is a real battle for the back 5 forward spots. The only player who should be guaranteed a spot is Blyth - and only because of the moustache.

 

[dru]

Ok, that’s enough talk about the backs. It’s forwards who win matches and the Reds have some great selection dilemmas ahead.
Uru has had 2 good games now. Out of the forwards on Friday, he was only beaten by McWreight for meters gained (30+); and did some good breakdown work (1 or 2 turnovers). ASY (Angus Scott-Young) was everywhere in defence (16 tackles) and clean outs; and saved the try/penalty try by getting his feet behind the line before Gordon took the quick tap. Wilson started well with 2 good runs but after 20 minutes seemed to run out of puff (someone earlier said he may have come back carrying some extra weight). He still put in 10 good tackles and will get his fitness up in a few weeks and be back to what he can do. And McWreight was like the love child of Hooper and Pocock - both a pest at the breakdown (3 turnovers) and a weapon in attack (54 meters; and had a good hand in the 2nd and 3rd tries).
Bring back LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) and Wright (eventually) and there is a real battle for the back 5 forward spots. The only player who should be guaranteed a spot is Blyth - and only because of the moustache.

If you look at Uru's stats, he looks to have played as a second 6. We got away with it against a poor pack, but we are going to want fully functional locks. He has played very well and will pressure the #6 jersey, but god help him, breaking into that back row is no simple task.

 

[liquor box]

Probably fair.

I just see Jordan offering more at his best than Stewart can do at his best. Surely it can't be that hard not to regularly drop the ball though.

on a 1-10 ranking system I see Jordan being anywhere from 3 to 10 in any given game and Stewart being 5-7 in every game.

Undoubtedly Jordan has a higher ceiling but his floor is at the same time lower that Stewart.

I wouldn't drop either from their current position

 

[TSR]

I’ll be very surprised if Petaia doesn’t go on to be everything he was originally hyped to be. He had a couple of bad Wallaby tests at a time when Wisemantle and Rennie are trying to significantly evolve our game. He has probably struggled more than most with that. But he was still excellent in Super Rugby last year and in the World Cup (admittedly from a small sample of games). He was fine on the weekend. Paisami & Daugunu were better, but he did plenty right.

Anyway - we’ll see in time I guess, but personally I remain confident.

 

[dru]

on a 1-10 ranking system I see Jordan being anywhere from 3 to 10 in any given game and Stewart being 5-7 in every game.

Undoubtedly Jordan has a higher ceiling but his floor is at the same time lower that Stewart.

I wouldn't drop either from their current position

This. For me, where we have long term, locally developed, dedicated, effective players we stick with them. Even when the high ceiling hot shots are threatening (which is what they should be doing.) The hot shots need to match consistency first, then show the upside.

Stewart is locked into 12 for me until someone show consistency as well as high side, and that this is overall better than what Stewart brings.

Campbell does not have the same history as Stewart, but it is a similar situation.

 

[TSR]

Okay - but I don’t get how Jordan is rated anywhere from a 3 to a 10. Apart from 3 games for the Wallabies last year and 1 quietish game for the Reds last year in the full Super Rugby he has been almost always at an 8 level or above. Even on the weekend he made plenty of good plays and I can’t remember him getting much wrong. He dropped one ball after contact, didn’t he. And didn’t take a contested aerial kick where the defender got in and knock it out. He also created a couple of line breaks and defended well. Did he miss a tackle? He was excellent in Super AU last year.

Anyway - I guess he’s obviously done enough wrong to cause concerns for a lot of people. I guess the good thing with sport is he gets an opportunity every week to prove the concerns have no foundation.

 

[dru]

Okay - but I don’t get how Jordan is rated anywhere from a 3 to a 10. Apart from 3 games for the Wallabies last year and 1 quietish game for the Reds last year in the full Super Rugby he has been almost always at an 8 level or above. Even on the weekend he made plenty of good plays and I can’t remember him getting much wrong. He dropped one ball after contact, didn’t he. And didn’t take a contested aerial kick where the defender got in and knock it out. He also created a couple of line breaks and defended well. Did he miss a tackle? He was excellent in Super AU last year.

Anyway - I guess he’s obviously done enough wrong to cause concerns for a lot of people. I guess the good thing with sport is he gets an opportunity every week to prove the concerns have no foundation.

Petaia is not 3-10. Numbers obfuscate, but maybe 4-8? 5-8? With 10 as an upside? Stewart is a solid 6-7 on that score. [His impressiveness is that he holds the same ability when stepping up to international level. Rare situation, that.]

Petaia also has not told us what position he is targeting. Apparently doesn't want 13 (hence Paisami opportunity) and wants 15. Which so far no professional coach/selector seems to agree with. He needs to lock in quickly with a choice, a choice that the coaching staff can live with. Otherwise he has Hodge-style utility stamped all over him.

I thought he was good on the wing, not as good as he has been at 13. But if he doesn't want it, clearly Paisami does. I wouldn't choose Paisami over Stewart right now either, and if Paisami likes 13, is dedicating to it, and continues to do well - well Petaia's opportunity just shrank.

And may continue shrinking if Vunavalu shows any of the promise that attracted Reds/RA.

So 15 stands as a possibility. (So does 14 with a fight.) Petaia is likely to displace Campbell more quickly at 15 than he might displace Stewart at 12. But he still has to convince the coaches to try it, and he has to show the same aptitude that I think he has shown at 13. (Did I mention "but apparently doesn't want".)

It's a conundrum. For now Paisami is taking opportunities. Neither Stewart nor Campbell have actually locked in their consistency and effectiveness in 2021, but then Petaia is not doing anything, it seems, to lay a challenge.

Unless something changes, I see 11: Daugunu; 12: Stewart; 13: Paisami; 14: It's a fight; 15: Campbell/Hegarty. And Petaia in the 14 fight or to the bench as an impact player. An important impact player, but probably not where he wants to be going.

 

[TSR]

Just to pick up on one thing.

As far as I know the comment that Petaia doesn’t want to play 13 was first raised by me on here. I was told that by a young bloke who I had met 30 minutes earlier and is mates with someone involved with the Reds.

I’m not saying it isn’t true - there is a bit of context as to why I don’t think my source was completely full of shit - but I just want to be clear that people should be careful placing too much faith in that.

I sat on it for a while and I guess I ultimately decided I was confident enough in the source to at least post it here with a disclaimer on it - but I’ve read it a few times now and I’m kind of wishing I hadn’t.

Serves me right for being a gossip I guess.

One other thing - if my source IS right, Paisami doesn’t want 13 either.

 

[Zero_Cool]

I think al in all Petaia could do with some time on the sideline. If you had to pick one of Stewart or Jordie to be a spark plug for the team vs give his all for 80 you'd probably pick Jordie to come in and do something amazing, while Stewart will grind and hustle the whole time he's out there, Jordie will do that amazing thing that no one else in the world can do, but Stewart will do that hard dirty thing a hundred times over week in week out.

Going with Jordie on the bench allows you to play Hunter in both 12 and 13 helping his development and allowing him to be more dynamic or is forcing him to constantly shuffle his position and end up a little bit of a Hodge (although being 'a center' isn't quite the same as Hodge).

And as for the Forwards, I am supremely glad I don't have to make those decisions. Heck even the 'reserve props' Hoopert and Fotuaika could probably start for a few Super Rugby teams.
I think our best lock/backrow will be LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)/Blyth with Wright/Willson/McReight but until Wright is back I'd probably tend towards having Uru playing a bit of 6/8 (probably bring LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) back via the bench so he'll have a few more games at 5). Then with Uru and ASY (Angus Scott-Young) you'd probably want to keep a bit of a rotation going to manage the loads of your forwards.

I'd really like to see Hegarty removed form the bench once our backs are a more settled. You know you can just plug him in at 10 (Stewart can cover 10 if needed). Just so we can give guys like Droasese/Grealy/Flook/Henry/Creighton some opportunity to be tested at this level. One or two key injuries and we could be seeing these guys shooting up the depth charts very quickly and if you want to win a Championship it takes not 1 player, not 8, not 15, not even 23, it takes a whole squad, and if you're forced to turn to someone for a Super Rugby Grand you would want to know how they are going to react at that level.

 

[dru]

As far as I know the comment that Petaia doesn’t want to play 13 was first raised by me on here.

Think I've seen it a few times but I am taking note. I'm clearly frustrated as I think Petaia really suits 13. I think Paisami is more consistent but Petaia's flare is undoubtable and I thought it would work at 13.

I also think Paisami would give Stewart a run competing for 12. Not going to achieve it straight up, but I think he would in the long run. In the mean time Paisami builds consistency and strength. At 13. Go figure.

Campbell is often under-rated at 15. I guess because he will never threaten to be the best 15 in the world. What he gives is organisation to the backline. Great communicator. hard to pick it up on a broadcast, but live he always has impressed me.

 

[TSR]

Yeah - I’ve seen it a few times now too. But I’ve only ever seen it in the context ‘I’ve heard’ or ‘apparently’ I thought it was notable that when I first posted, no one came out and said - yeah, that’s right. There would surely be people on here who know - maybe they just have more discretion than me.

Zero Cool - I’m a huge fan of all of our backline. But Petaia would still be the first one I’d find space for. The only reason I’d want him not picked is as part of a measure work load management program.

 

[TSR]

On a seperate point, I’ve heard Hegarty has been extremely sharpe at pre-season.

I want guys like Creighton, Henry & Flook et al to earn a spot by being better than the guy they’re replacing.

 

[Purce]

I'm confused by the comments here of people praising Stewart and downplaying Jordie(even suggesting he spend some time on the sidelines).

Stewart fucked up more than Jordie on the weekend. The latter also threatened everytime he got the ball and made all his tackles. I'm finding some of these comments perplexing.

Petaia needs to play as much rugby as he can and IMO needs to be closer in so he can keep working on his decision making(which was actually great when he started out, it has declined with his limited game time).

He has never played a "3" game, the guy is a genuine talent.

We have the depth and variety in players in the backs to be able to play different styles based on opposition which is great. Link would have loved to be coaching this team and backline I reckon. I think we will see plenty of rotation this year with most guys getting an opportunity in their preferred position. Some of the young guys might struggle for time though - Flook & Grealy.

 

[dru]

I'm confused by the comments here of people praising Stewart and downplaying Jordie(even suggesting he spend some time on the sidelines).

Stewart fucked up more than Jordie on the weekend. The latter also threatened everytime he got the ball and made all his tackles. I'm finding some of these comments perplexing.

Petaia needs to play as much rugby as he can and IMO needs to be closer in so he can keep working on his decision making(which was actually great when he started out, it has declined with his limited game time).

He has never played a "3" game, the guy is a genuine talent.

We have the depth and variety in players in the backs to be able to play different styles based on opposition which is great. Link would have loved to be coaching this team and backline I reckon. I think we will see plenty of rotation this year with most guys getting an opportunity in their preferred position. Some of the young guys might struggle for time though - Flook & Grealy.

Jordy is not currently competing with Stewart. It's the heart of my angst. With him flitting 13 - 14, maybe 15, Stewart is on a free ride to build his game.

OTOH Stewart is not competing for a wing spot either, if you get my drift.

I don't know where Petaia is headed, but if he wants 12 he isn't currently making an argument for it.

 

[Purce]

Jordy is not currently competing with Stewart. It's the heart of my angst. With him flitting 13 - 14, maybe 15, Stewart is on a free ride to build his game.

OTOH Stewart is not competing for a wing spot either, if you get my drift.

I don't know where Petaia is headed, but if he wants 12 he isn't currently making an argument for it.

If the new winger is as good as he is supposed to be then it may well have them competing for a starting position. 12: Paisami 13: Petaia or 12: Stewart 13: Paisami

Interesting conundrum. Many options for the brains trust to dwell over.

 

[Dctarget]

What does the Olympics being held in Brisbane mean for Queensland rugby if anything? Ballymore? Suncorp?

 

[Cancelled Account]

Giving Petaia a run in his preferred position at fullback can only be a positive. It brings more options and depth to our entire backline. Whilst there’s talk about not creating another ‘Hodge’, Hodge is always in the mix for the Wallabies because of his versatility, and at the end of the day these boys only want to play rugby.
Petaia has looked unsettled since coming back from injury. We see glimpses of greatness and then shake our heads with simple mistakes. A player in the position they prefer will work harder to prove themselves and will have more reward and better outcomes for the team. Let’s face it Petaia brings more to the field than Campbell. Why isn’t Thorn giving him a run at fullback? It’s baffling.

 

[TSR]

Not really for me. Campbell was be of our best and most consistent last year. He is a good organiser and creates a lot of line breaks.

While a lot of us have seen Petaia as a 13, he has played a lot on the wing for the Reds and has been very good there.

If it comes to a straight decision between the two I’d pick Petaia but, with the current players available, introducing Vunivalu by the bench and running with Campbell at fullback is the most sensible approach.

Dare I say it, it would have been baffling to me if he’d done otherwise.

 

[Cancelled Account]

I keep watching Campbell hoping to see what some of the others do, but it’s just not there yet. Maybe it’s his lack of dominance or the fact that I like a fullback playing like the second playmaker. I’m not saying he doesn’t deserve to be in the mix. For me, Petaia should be given a shot.

 

[dru]

I keep watching Campbell hoping to see what some of the others do, but it’s just not there yet. Maybe it’s his lack of dominance or the fact that I like a fullback playing like the second playmaker. I’m not saying he doesn’t deserve to be in the mix. For me, Petaia should be given a shot.

Absolutely. Campbell does not offer this, something that Hegarty does well for instance. As does Stewart when at 15. Would Petaia achieve this? Nil passes last game.

Don't disagree on Petaia getting a shot, but it hasn't happened so far.