BIL Tour 2013: Wallaby Squad Strategy & Plans

[gel]

Didn't Pocock come from queensland schoolboys as well?

 

[MrMouse]

Didn't Pocock come from queensland schoolboys as well?

Corrected

 

[biggsy]

Biggsy, it is always enjoyable to read your posts.

1. I appreciate a stream-of-consciousness that is a little more Queensland than Bjelke-Petersen.
2. I also enjoy reading your posts backwards. I find it adds a much needed challenge missing in the posted content, and is often more coherent.

But.

TPN has 32 test caps, and that makes him a Wallaby.

Thanks MrMouse, some big words in there for me. Im trying to get better at this computer writing thing for everyone on GNG

But, 32 painful caps for me

 

[MrMouse]

Thanks MrMouse, some big words in there for me. Im trying to get better at this computer writing thing for everyone on GNG

But, 32 painful caps for me

Haha awesome, I'm even getting credit for other peoples' work now I'll assume you were thanking me for the previous post, and vidiot for their contribution with the big words.

32 joyful caps for me, but I'm sure we can agree to disagree on that one

 

[Gnostic]

I have heard that the workers, united, can never be defeated. Not sure where.

Yeah, seems only two or three countries founded on that motto still exist Sully.

Still I am getting the feeling that some fringe players will be "injured" if Deans comes a calling and they have not been contracted. My fears, stated a couple of years ago, that Rugby would become similar to association football, is slowly coming to fruition. In the North the Clubs rule and decline to release players to the NH teams. The SH players declare they have "retired" or are "Injured" when the national selectors call.

Now that Deans has managed to alienate so many of the fan base I don't think it too far a reach to say that he has done the same with many of the playing group given the mystery surrounding his pronouncements, his strange selections and the inextricable change in focus/tactics (but not commensurate selection) seen at last year's RWC.The lure to go overseas must be getting stronger and this is confirmed by the article on Burgess to my mind.

 

[Swarley]

QLD count:
Hookers: Stephen Moore, Tatafu Polota-Nau, James Hanson, Nathan Charles, Saia Fainga'a, Ged Robinson
Props: Benn Robinson, James Slipper, Sekope Kepu, Ben Alexander, Pek Cowan, Salesi Ma'afu, Laurie Weeks, Greg Holmes
Locks: James Horwill, Rob Simmons, Hugh Pyle, Dan Vickerman, Sam Carter, Dean Mumm, Sitaleki Timani, Peter Kimlin
Blindsides: Dave Dennis, Scott Higginbotham, Rocky Elsom, Matt Hodgson,
Opensides: David Pocock, Liam Gill, Michael Hooper, Beau Robinson
Number Eights: Wycliff Palu, Ben Mowen, Ita Vaea, Jake Schatz, Ben McCalman
Scrumhalves: Will Genia, Nic White, Ben Lucas, Richard Kingi
Fly-halves: Berrick Barnes, Quade Cooper, Christian Lealiifano
Centres: Ben Tapuai, Rob Horne, Anthony Fainga'a
Wingers: Digby Ioane, Drew Mitchell, Lachie Turner, Aidan Toua, Nick Cummins, Dom Shipperly
Fullbacks: Kurtley Beale
Utilities: James O'Connor, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Pat McCabe

So far as I can tell, 23 24 players who do, have or might-possibly-have-if-things-had-been-different. Out of 55. Not such a heavy proportion, really, and Aidan Toua has been plucked from the clouds, too.

You know, I reckon if that team had played we might have had a shot, what with having more than double the players of the Irish and ABs

Elson and Mowen both went to school in QLD, make that 26.

 

[Slim 293]

Very liberal use of the word "Queenslander" going on there...

Using that same logic, I proclaim 20 of those players as being Canberrans...

 

[Bruce Ross]

Very liberal use of the word "Queenslander" going on there...

Using that same logic, I proclaim 20 of those players as being Canberrans...

As a young bloke I used to holiday on the Gold Coast a lot, thankfully in the pre-concrete ghetto era.

On the other hand I have never been guilty of being in Canberra by choice.

So, faced with the unwelcome prospect of being labelled either Queenslander or Canberran, ...
.

 

[vidiot]

I'm fairly sure Ma'afu has eaten a pumpkin scone. Make that 27 Qlders.

 

[Bardon]

If a union is going to do central contracts for their top players then that's what they should do. Not some half-assed attempt at protectionism that will alienate established wallabies who don't fit into the magic 22. Playing musical chairs with your national contracts is a good way to end up with just enough players to fit the chairs available.

Either they are hoping those not on central contracts will hang around due to their love for their country and the pride of pulling on the shirt when called, or they are watering down the central contract system to set it up to fail. Then they can scrap it and save some more money in the budget which no doubt will be spent wisely on such things as junkets for the big boys in the ARU and keeping sponsors happy. The same sponsors who generally don't care about which sports they back as long as the deal is seen as being value for money and who look upon the players as being mobile billboards.