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Reds v Tahs Trial

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Gagger

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
Staff member
Anyone caught sight of Houston We Have a Problem?

Must surely be half the man he used to be at the end of last season?
 

RugbyReg

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
maybe Braid said "hottest" training ever. He does have an accent afterall.

It has been a hot Briso summer. Hotter than anything in Orcland.
 
T

TOCC

Guest
maybe his just trying to suck up to Link, get some playing time so he can put together a playing video of himself and send it to anyone in Europe who is interested
 

Lee Grant

John Eales (66)
Staff member
Braid will be tops over there. He's a European type of backrower.

Even though everybody and his dog could name a lot of athletic and skilful backrowers in the NH, they tend to play a tighter, narrower game, especially this time of the year. Thus, the hard, uncompromising play of other Kiwi backrowers like Xavier Rush at Cardiff, Chris Masoe at Castres, and Marty Holah and Jerry Collins at the Sprays, is arguably more valuable for their Euro teams than it was for their Super teams.

It suits Salvi's game at Bath too though he is getting a few cards, and even Sydney cub player Haare is coming into his own at Bayonne. I hardly recognised him when I saw him recently.



Meanwhile back to the trial: I doubt if Beale will be playing, but if he is, there is a big chance he will appear at fullback. There is a piece in the Sunday paper about Hickey wanting to play him there in 2010 and it mentioned his playing on the wing on the EOYT. But I think he's a big slow to be playing wing, and fullback would be a stretch too - though he looked good in an Oz U/20 warm up game with 15 on his jersey.

Still, that is what trials are for, I suppose.
 
G

Geronimo

Guest
The Reds will romp home. Go the REDS!! Berrick to falter, turn to water!
 
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troya

Guest
Noticed in an earlier post that the game time was listed at 4 or something .

Gates open 4:00pm
Far North Coast vs Gold Coast Breakers A: 5.15pm
HSBC Waratahs vs Queensland Reds: 7.40pm

I'm planning to come up from Sydney for the game. We (Tahs) could run out a super line up. They may as well not be rested, may as well get match fit and work on combos straight away.

cheers, Troy
 

barbarian

Phil Kearns (64)
Staff member
Lee Grant said:
Meanwhile back to the trial: I doubt if Beale will be playing, but if he is, there is a big chance he will appear at fullback. There is a piece in the Sunday paper about Hickey wanting to play him there in 2010 and it mentioned his playing on the wing on the EOYT. But I think he's a big slow to be playing wing, and fullback would be a stretch too - though he looked good in an Oz U/20 warm up game with 15 on his jersey.

Still, that is what trials are for, I suppose.

That annoyed me. We went through this all last year with Beale- trying him in different positions and in different combinations to work out where he fitted best. We came up with inside centre, and he played very well in the later rounds of the comp with 12 on his back. Now he is apparently going to be shipped to fullback to fit Halangahu in the side, and although that means our wingers (Turner and Mitchell) will be awesome, I can't see Hangers cutting it as a S14 12. Too close to Shaun Berne for mine.
 

Ash

Michael Lynagh (62)
Shaun Berne. That's a cruel brush to tar someone with. Another player who was very good at club level but not up to S14. I was amazed by Berne's lack of game reading / vision for a pro-S14 player, his ability to pass the ball as he ran into a gap was amazing.

No, I think Hangers is better than Berne, despite not being flashy. But I wouldn't have Hangers as a S14 fullback either, I prefer my fullbacks with a bit more pace and more ability to beat a man with the ball in hand.
 

Scotty

David Codey (61)
barbarian said:
Lee Grant said:
Meanwhile back to the trial: I doubt if Beale will be playing, but if he is, there is a big chance he will appear at fullback. There is a piece in the Sunday paper about Hickey wanting to play him there in 2010 and it mentioned his playing on the wing on the EOYT. But I think he's a big slow to be playing wing, and fullback would be a stretch too - though he looked good in an Oz U/20 warm up game with 15 on his jersey.

Still, that is what trials are for, I suppose.

That annoyed me. We went through this all last year with Beale- trying him in different positions and in different combinations to work out where he fitted best. We came up with inside centre, and he played very well in the later rounds of the comp with 12 on his back. Now he is apparently going to be shipped to fullback to fit Halangahu in the side, and although that means our wingers (Turner and Mitchell) will be awesome, I can't see Hangers cutting it as a S14 12. Too close to Shaun Berne for mine.

Maybe it is to fit Carter into the side? :thumb

I'd like to see Beale at fullback from a Wallaby depth perspective.
 

Lee Grant

John Eales (66)
Staff member
Some comments on others' since my last:

• Don't write off Halangahu as a facilitator and one who can have a sneaky run himself when you least expect it. His talents were wasted somewhat when he replaced Beale for the Tahs, just as Beale had been hampered himself for some time – game plans and having a player at 12 who was never a facilitator himself. Beale and Halgahu were not blameless, but when Hangers had a player who had another dimension at 12 (the man he replaced, Beale) we could see his value. Perhaps young Kurtley would have appreciated a fellow like Horne at 12 outside him – but I digress.

Hangers turned down a tempting offer overseas to stay with the Tahs for another year. He's backing himself and Hickey will value all of that. Don't be surprised to see him running on in the S14, and not necessarily just when Barnes is injured.

Agree that he shouldn't be at fullback at the Super4 level.

Berne bashing – critising of one of the loviest guys you ever want to meet – was a common amusement a few years back. He was also used as a baseline for rugby players. Thus another player might have been rated at 1.3 Bernes, or stars at 3.0. He was a constant. Max Planck couldn't have thought up anything better.

But opponents of Leinster haven't been amused recently. For this season Berne had transferred to Dublin from Bath were he was goodish as a 12 backup, sometimes starting, and now and then appearing with the number 10 on his back. He got little game time at Leinster with the likes of Sexton, D'Arcy and Fitzgerald at 10 or 12, but his chance came after flyhalf Sexton broke his hand playing for Ireland against the Boks at the end of November.

He was terrific in his December games for Leinster playing flyhalf, and though this comment should be on another thread – he is indicating that he would be great value for a season in Melbourne, not least for mentoring the young or otherwise inexperienced Aussie players in the squad.
 

Pfitzy

George Gregan (70)
And posing with stuffed toy koalas.

Surely if Hangers and Barnes play together it will be the Uni man at 10 and the Bronco at 12?
 
T

troya

Guest
NTA said:
And posing with stuffed toy koalas.

Surely if Hangers and Barnes play together it will be the Uni man at 10 and the Bronco at 12?

and really there's nothing wrong with that combo. but to add my .2c , I wouldnt br putting Bealer in 15
 

Ash

Michael Lynagh (62)
I think Beale would be a better S14 fullback than Hangers, and you might say he offers some variety at fullback with Onesi, Mitchell or Turner on the wings as Beale is a different sort of play to those 3, who are a bit similar. I'd give first shot to Barnes 10 and Beale 12, being incumbent Wallabies and rewarding Beale for his good performances last year once he moved to 12. Hangers unlucky to be on the pine.

I would have Barnes, Beale and Hangers all fighting for the two 10/12 spots, but one of them would also be the first fullback choice if Turner, Mitchell or Anesi goes down. Seeing as I might do that, I bet that Hickey would do something completely different.
 

Scotty

David Codey (61)
I still think Beale would have a lot to offer at 15, however there is also the option of pushing Barnes back there. Who knows, it might mean that he could play more that 2 games without being injured. He would be good to have there for his last line defense as well as kicking game, and while his running game isn't all that strong, he would link well and set up Mitchell and Turner in space.
 
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Geronimo

Guest
Not that I care too much but I would think that it would have to be Kurtley at 15 rather than Barnes. I don't think you can say Barnes can't play 15 (he has a lot of talent) but I believe that he is better suited closer to the action
 
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straightshooter

Guest
looks like the Reds will run Morahan at fullback and not wing (he supposedly trained at 15 today) - suppose there are 1000's of wingers and not too many 15's.

Kid is a talent and think he would be very successful not only at wing but especially at 15.
 
C

chief

Guest
The bloke will be the goods with more room, and you could say he would have more of a 'spacious' playing style at #15 then on the wing. Good move.
 
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Geronimo

Guest
Hopefully this will be the case as when he was at school he really excelled. The Reds need at least a few of the younger brigade to stand tall and Morahan has the attributes to be one of them
 
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straightshooter

Guest
Geronimo said:
Hopefully this will be the case as when he was at school he really excelled. The Reds need at least a few of the younger brigade to stand tall and Morahan has the attributes to be one of them
Remember the kid when at TSS and played wing - his signature play was the chip and chase - unbelievably suucessful at that level and think in Premier grade as well. No reason why wouldn't work well at higher level - may just need to wait for those opportunities to present themselves. -
 
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