The Most Valuable Player in Australian Rugby ?

[Slim 293]

Higgers, McMahon and potentially Jones or even Mr Pocock.

I only said "covered" and didn't necessariry say "better"

On that criteria you could list anybody alive or dead.........

 

[Marcelo]

Folau is the most valuable player for several reasons:

1- An Aussie back is more valuable than an Aussie forward in the European market.

2- Mourad Boudjellal, Toulon's president and most powerful man of European rugby, said to be interested in him. He pays the highest salary in world rugby. Wilkinson until last season and now Giteau, for that reason his team is a constellation of stars (Giteau, JOC (James O'Connor), Drew Mitchell, Bryan Habana, Carl Hayman, Bakkies Botha, Fernandez Lobbe, Armitage brothers, Mamuka Gorgodze, Leigh Halfpenny and others).

3- NRL teams have a lot of interest in him for his successful carreer in League. The people even said that the Bulldogs are interested in bringing him to the NRL again.

4- While our front row has less depth and is our biggest problem at the international level, our two best props: Slipper and Kepu don't arouse the interest of European clubs. That is, Who will buy an Aussie prop? Our front row isn't the best in the world, is not even among the Top 5.

Then for the ARU is easy to keep Slipper & Kepu, but keep Folau after the next WC is the great ARU's challenge. It's an almost impossible task, there is much money to be made and ARU has no money

 

[Forcefield]

Thing is that we actually seem to be winning fewer games since Folau joined the Wallabies with mostly the same players involved in the team.

Is that the loss of Kane Douglas? David Pocock? Injury woes? Bad coaching? The loss of form of Genia and Horwill?

Folau is a great player but at the moment Slipper or Kepu has to be the most valuable player for the Wallabies.

 

[Biffo]

While our front row has less depth and is our biggest problem at the international level, our two best props: Slipper and Kepu don't arouse the interest of European clubs. That is, Who will buy an Aussie prop?

err, Keiran Longbottom?
Salesi Ma'afu?

 

[Marcelo]

Thing is that we actually seem to be winning fewer games since Folau joined the Wallabies with mostly the same players involved in the team.

Is that the loss of Kane Douglas? David Pocock? Injury woes? Bad coaching? The loss of form of Genia and Horwill?

Folau is a great player but at the moment Slipper or Kepu has to be the most valuable player for the Wallabies.

Yeah, but ARU has ensured the continuity of Slipper and Kepu for many years. They don't have high salaries or European clubs interested in them. While Folau will have only 13 more months with the gold jersey. Once his contract finish, he's going to Toulon or return to the NRL, Australian rugby can't fight against them.

For this reason, Folau is the most valuable player. Kiwis themselves acknowledge, I talked to several of them and many recognize that Folau could start a game with the black jersey, despite his problems with the kicking in all other aspects of the game, he's a world class player.

At this time only a few Wallabies could be part of the All Blacks starting XV. Hooper, Genia at his best. Maybe Cooper in his prime. Kuridrani, Speight, Folau and maybe Giteau and JOC (James O'Connor), if we consider the players who are playing abroad.

We don't have any blindside flanker who can fight against Kaino or Messam for a place in the starting ABs. We don't have any number 8 who can face Read for a place in starting ABs, We don't have any world class second row as Brodie Retallick or Sam Whitelock. And I won't compare to our front row because I got tired

 

[Gnostic]

Yeah, but ARU has ensured the continuity of Slipper and Kepu for many years. They don't have high salaries or European clubs interested in them. While Folau will have only 13 more months with the gold jersey. Once his contract finish, he's going to Toulon or return to the NRL, Australian rugby can't fight against them.

For this reason, Folau is the most valuable player. Kiwis themselves acknowledge, I talked to several of them and many recognize that Folau could start a game with the black jersey, despite his problems with the kicking in all other aspects of the game, he's a world class player.

At this time only a few Wallabies could be part of the All Blacks starting XV. Hooper, Genia at his best. Maybe Cooper in his prime. Kuridrani, Speight, Folau and maybe Giteau and JOC (James O'Connor), if we consider the players who are playing abroad.

We don't have any blindside flanker who can fight against Kaino or Messam for a place in the starting ABs. We don't have any number 8 who can face Read for a place in starting ABs, We don't have any world class second row as Brodie Retallick or Sam Whitelock. And I won't compare to our front row because I got tired

You are wrong there have been quite a few reports of Euro clubs chasing them, most
recently Kepu last week, for big dollars too reportedly.

 

[Brumby Runner]

You are wrong there have been quite a few reports of Euro clubs chasing them, most
recently Kepu last week, for big dollars too reportedly.

And I'd take the Wallaby front row over the current ABs' front row atm.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Well, Suppose if ARU don't recognise the value of Keps and Slipper they fucking well deserve to lose them both. Then we are really stuffed.

 

[I like to watch]

And I'd take the Wallaby front row over the current ABs' front row atm.

Only for an hour.
Our "finishing" front row leaves much to very desired.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Its nearly to the point that Slipper and Kepu (to a lesser degree) are better players than their fresh replacemwents, even when they are stuffed.

 

[Marcelo]

You are wrong there have been quite a few reports of Euro clubs chasing them, most
recently Kepu last week, for big dollars too reportedly.

I haven't heard any offers, about which team are u talking?

err, Keiran Longbottom?
Salesi Ma'afu?

Longbottom is a reserve in Saracens and Ma'afu isn't even close to be the best prop in the Aviva Premiership

 

[Braveheart81]

I haven't heard any offers, about which team are u talking?

It was reported that Stade Francais considers signing Kepu their top priority for 2016 onwards.

 

[Highlander35]

Ma'afu is the best tighthead at the best team in Ingerland.

However, he has swallowed a Cow since he went over there. Wouldn't be anywhere near a Wallaby side. Would be Fiji's best tighthead by a fair distance though. Should have gone overseas earlier and played for them like his brother.

 

[Sully]

I think people are getting monetary value confused with playing value. Playing value is what I think this thread is about.

 

[Joeleee]

I think people are getting monetary value confused with playing value. Playing value is what I think this thread is about.

Eh, I think the OP is a little bit vague about whether he's talking about monetary or playing value. He talks a bit about who the people with the highest monetary value is and talks a lot about contract upgrades. Then he also goes on to talk about whether Izzy is worth the big bucks, seemingly implying he's worried about playing value rather than monetary.

Overall- I would say that talking about either is fair game based on OP's vague indication of what he wants discussed.

 

[TSR]

Its nearly to the point that Slipper and Kepu (to a lesser degree) are better players than their fresh replacemwents, even when they are stuffed.

Unfortunately, this is true.

 

[Thinker]

All fit and healthy Pocock or Moore are probably the most irreplaceable. The props (Slips and Kepu) are obviously up there too.

Like it or not we win more with Quade. Stephen Larkham-esque winning percentage, only one of 4 Aussie fly halves to beat ABs in pro era (only one of two to do it more than once).

Since Quade debuted we win 57% of the time. When Quade plays that goes up to 70% and we he doesn't that drops to 44% (sample size of both in the low 40 matches). Compare that to Pocock over the same period 65% when he plays, 50% when he doesn't.

The numbers are even more exaggerated when we look at tests vs ABs and SA.

Before anyone asks, with the exception of the Lions series, Quade's stats aren't padded by "easy" games. In fact the 44% winning without him is padded. 2014 was the first RC he's missed and he hasn't played an inbound NH team since 2010 (eg didn't play in the 3-0 cakewalks over France or Wales). In fact only 12 of the 40 odd tests Quade has started were in Australia.

 

[Joeleee]

Since Quade debuted we win 57% of the time. When Quade plays that goes up to 70% and we he doesn't that drops to 44% (sample size of both in the low 40 matches). Compare that to Pocock over the same period 65% when he plays, 50% when he doesn't.

This is one of the reasons I think we're lucky that Foley has come along. No matter which of the two flyhalves you prefer, you have to admit that the drop in level from the best to the second best has reduced significantly this season. Foley right now is significantly better than the second best 10 during the last couple of years.

I'm also surprised that the number of tests played with and without him since debut are roughly even. Points to the frustrations he's had with injury, as I imagine he would have been first choice if fit for most of them.

 

[Marcelo]

According Bakkies Botha are Poey and Izzy:

 

[kiap]

^ Victor Matfossil?

Gotta be some kind of joke. I know he can still handle a lineout, but that's about the extent of his contribution.