Waratahs 2015

[qwerty51]

Pakalani is so fucking slippery it's ridiculous. He always beats the first tackle. Not sure why he left/didn't get a contract renewal but I'd take him back in a heartbeat. I think he's more on the 7s radar however.

 

[GaffaCHinO]

He was about to be signed by foley at the force when he moved but he got a year long injury hopefully foley has been keeping a close eye on him we need some back 3 players.

 

[I like to watch]

Volavola, despite missing relatively straight-forward penalties nails one from the sideline on fulltime in a thrilling finish for Southoes over Uni. Pakalani could well be back on the Tahs radar, not sure of his status though as he was previously an overseas development player - nor am I sure how the overseas player quote works in 2015 under the 32-man squads. Pakalani on show next Sat arvo at Concord, if he keeps dominating the midfield he might pressure Hodge and Volavola for a spot next year.

I would have Pakalani over Hodge all day every day.

 

[Braveheart81]

Crawford and Betham were substantial upgrades.

 

[I like to watch]

Crawford?
I saw him play a few Next Gen games,and a handful of SS games.
He wouldn't make the Rays run on side on form this year.

 

[Braveheart81]

Crawford?
I saw him play a few Next Gen games,and a handful of SS games.
He wouldn't make the Rays run on side on form this year.

But Pakalani was last in the squad in 2012 wasn't he and Crawford was substantially better in 2013 than Pakalani had been in 2012.

 

[I like to watch]

Yeah,Crawford was much better in 2013, than Pakalani in 2012.
But 2014 Crawford is slightly better than your mum.

 

[Braveheart81]

Hence why they probably offered him a minimum value contract if anything and he is instead off to the Rebels.

One thing Cheika has seemed to do very well is value his players correctly.

There are obviously quite a few contract confirmations still needed for 2015 but so far so good.

 

[#1 Tah]

I think Pakalani would now be classified as an Australian player since he has played for our 7s team in the world series just past, right?

 

[Lindommer]

It's all well and good to put the boot into Cam Crawford, but fer Godsake, cut the poor kid a bit of slack. He's had a bad run of injuries this year added to a dose of second year syndrome. The kid's got talent, allied with a massive boot, those qualities don't disappear overnight.

From 2012 to 2014 the Tahs've waved goodbye to five wingers: Mitchell, Kingston, Turner, Alofa and Crawford. We've gained one and a half, Betham and big Taqele, with Kellaway to come on board next year. Braveheart (obviously a bean-counter) reckons the Tahs management have rated those departing not worth much money and offered them contracts somewhat lower than the departees subsequently negotiated elsewhere. Putting Mitchell (he was obviously going to chase the big $s in France) and Turner (even I, a massive fan, wouldn't've risked him staying with his injury record) aside, I don't understand why young promising blokes like Kingston, Alofa and Crawford have been so easily discarded for other promising young blokes who may turn out to be no better.

I know Wayne Bennett factors in a 20/25% turnover in his squads every year but there's got to be some stability to build a culture and team around. There again, who'd be a selector.

 

[Train Without a Station]

I wonder if they just feel a good Super Rugby winger is easier and cheaper to find and the risk of one that's not too good is less than other positions.

 

[barbarian]

Lindo it seems pretty clear to me that Kingston, Alofa and Crawford left for weaker teams who could offer them more $$. The Tahs had less space in the cap, thus couldn't match those offers.

I don't think you can blame them for not holding onto those guys, this always happens with top premiership sides. The value of the fringe players rise and it becomes increasingly difficult to pay them their true value.
.

 

[fatprop]

Lindo it seems pretty clear to me that Kingston, Alofa and Crawford left for weaker teams who could offer them more $$. The Tahs had less space in the cap, thus couldn't match those offers.

I don't think you can blame them for not holding onto those guys, this always happens with top premiership sides. The value of the fringe players rise and it becomes increasingly difficult to pay them their true value.
.

opportunity for game time as well, Kingston and Crawford weren't getting a lot of game time, Alofa I think realised his game time was because of injury and Betham would probably have his place once fit.

 

[Braveheart81]

From 2012 to 2014 the Tahs've waved goodbye to five wingers: Mitchell, Kingston, Turner, Alofa and Crawford. We've gained one and a half, Betham and big Taqele, with Kellaway to come on board next year. Braveheart (obviously a bean-counter) reckons the Tahs management have rated those departing not worth much money and offered them contracts somewhat lower than the departees subsequently negotiated elsewhere. Putting Mitchell (he was obviously going to chase the big $s in France) and Turner aside (even I, a massive fan, wouldn't've risked him staying with his injury record), I don't understand why young promising blokes like Kingston, Alofa and Crawford have been so easily discarded for other promising young blokes who may turn out to be no better.

We've also converted Rob Horne into a winger who is now probably the best of the lot considering he's returned to the Wallabies in that role.

It's not so much about those players not being worth much money from an individual perspective but rather what it costs to replace them.

If there comes a time when decent wingers are in really short supply, those players might warrant higher contracts but in the last couple of years there's been a steady stream of emerging talent coming through.

There are always exceptions when you've got someone who is a real star like Mitchell was prior to breaking his leg. He was one of our best players and would have been on a good contract.

 

[qwerty51]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...tadium-managers/story-e6frg7o6-1227024846118#

Paywall but this is fucking scary if true. Moving every game to Homebush. Get the fuck out of here.

 

[Pfitzy]

Well, I live closer to Homebush and have fond memories of finals night, but that is fucking stupid

 

[fatprop]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...tadium-managers/story-e6frg7o6-1227024846118#

Paywall but this is fucking scary if true. Moving every game to Homebush. Get the fuck out of here.

if this happens, prediction, 8,000 at a game vs the Lions et al

 

[I like to watch]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...tadium-managers/story-e6frg7o6-1227024846118#

Paywall but this is fucking scary if true. Moving every game to Homebush. Get the fuck out of here.

I recall that the Tahs received $3.6M in gate receipts and $2.4M in stadium rebates last year.
So Stadium deals form a significant part of their revenues.

 

[Badger]

Full story from The Australian.

Waratahs eye bid from ANZ Stadium managers

• Bret Harris
• The Australian
• August 15, 2014 12:00AM

ANZ Stadium has launched a late bid to secure the licence to operate Super Rugby champions the NSW Waratahs, which would see the team relocate from Allianz Stadium to Homebush.

A source in the stadium industry told The Australian that the company that manages ANZ Stadium, Stadium Australia Operations, began discussions with the ARU and the Waratahs several weeks ago.

A spokesman for ANZ Stadium would not comment on the Waratahs’ licence, but confirmed they were in discussions about extending their hiring arrangement with NSW beyond next year.

The Waratahs’ main venue is the 44,000-seat Allianz Stadium in Sydney’s inner-city Moore Park, but they have one year left on a 10-year agreement to play a regular season game and the final at the 83,500-seat ANZ Stadium.

It is understood the proposal to buy the Waratahs’ Super Rugby licence was linked to the renegotiation of the hiring agreement, which puts $1 million a year into the coffers.

The bid gained momentum when the Waratahs attracted a record 61,823 crowd for their 33-32 win against the Crusaders in the Super Rugby final at ANZ Stadium two weeks ago.

The Waratahs are seeking private equity to inject fresh capital into the game, which has struggled financially in recent years.

They are expected to make about $1m profit this year after their maiden title.

The ARU and NSWRU set up a committee including ARU director Cameron Clyne, Ross Grant and Paul Timmins to assess the bids and make a recommendation on the successful bidder.

There were three main bidders — a consortium led by former Wallabies coach Bob Dwyer, a group led by Pet Resorts (a Waratahs sponsor) founder David Levy and another by Randwick identity Jon Collins.
The Pet Resorts bid appeared to be the frontrunner after Dwyer’s group was told it was out of the race and Collins pulled out, but the Stadium Australia Operations’ bid for the Waratahs’ licence has added competitiveness to the process.

Allianz Stadium has been the spiritual home of the Waratahs since Super Rugby began in 1996. They have created a fortress mentality at the ground.

It is situated close to Sydney rugby’s heartland in the affluent eastern suburbs and north shore. A move to Homebush could potentially alienate fans, who have started to return to support the team only this year.

Yet the cost of hiring the venue, along with player salaries, is the Waratahs’ biggest expense.

Playing at ANZ Stadium with the venue’s managers as a private equity partner would potentially cut the Waratahs’ costs.

Cutting those costs, however, could well come at the expense of losing rusted-on fans from the eastern and northern suburbs, which could adversely affect revenue.

Before the final, the Crusaders claimed that the Waratahs had sacrificed their home-ground advantage by playing at ANZ Stadium, but they showed they could win the biggest game of all at Homebush.

It could also be argued that playing at ANZ Stadium, only 6km east of Parramatta, the geographic centre of the Sydney basin, would help to attract new fans, particularly in the western suburbs.

In professional sports in the US, the linkage between sporting teams and grounds has been a critical factor in the commercial success of franchises.

The ARU is expected to finalise the successful bid for the Waratahs within the next month, but it is understood it has not committed to a timetable for a decision.

 

[p.Tah]

If the Waratahs move permanently to ANZ, I'm afraid I won't be renewing my seated membership, just a supporter membership. Happy to go to ANZ for the big games, but not the whole season.

One of the key reasons I enjoy attending Waratahs matches is the pre-game feed and post game drink. Until Homebush has similar eating and drinking establishments to Paddington/Surry Hills I wouldn't do a full season there.

If the Tahs took a game or two to Parramatta stadium I would happily attend, because there are decent pubs and resturants near the stadium.