Brumbies 2011

[RonnieP]

How did Henry Speight have a good game? His defence was terrible, his positioning was poor - almost cost them a try when he couldn't catch the missed penalty goal or ground it, gave away stupid penalties and did nothing in the second half. Brumbs should have picked up the Crusaders winger. Speight's only scored 4 tries all season compared to his 9

 

[Lee Grant]

I am not sure if he played the December tests that year for Oz schools (I think they toured to UK) as he tore his hammy in the annual GPS T&F 100m.

I'm pretty sure Stapleton did tour to the UK and Ireland in 2005 as I have a print out of the players selected in my files. Lachie Turner was injured before the team left and was replaced by Lealiifano, which meant that all 4 of the gun Oz Schools flyhalves of 2005 toured. The other injury I have noted is that to scrummie Sievert, on tour, and they flew out his fellow Joeys team mate, Schwagger to replace him. As far as I know there were no other drop outs from the original list

PS - agree with Bruce on the merit of McDuling. He is the one that Bruce mentioned early in the thread as having the wing span of an albatross; so his non-giraffe height does not signify what it normally would do.

 

[FTS]

Clinton Dale and Lewis Holland are definitely in the Brumbies academy. As is Hugh Roach

 

[BrumbiesPolynesian]

I hope this is not the correct list as it does nothing to promote Canberra Rugby. My thoughts are these, The Brumbies Academy system should be purely and solely for Local players and if there is a short fall, go outside your circle. This has only been happening in the past few seasons which is unbelievable considering the talent that has been in the local comp this season and last. Dan and Sam Yakapo, Dan Penca, Tim McNamara, Melbourne Lesa, Kesomi Lolotonga and also the Lam Brothers have all been disgarded. The top four clubs in Canberra would compete with the Sydney Comp Tuggies and Qbyn especially, but also Royals team of last season would have been very competitive. I just dont understand why Coleman and Cuputo (Academy Coaches) bring in players from outside of the region who arent even up to standards of the Canberra comp, Nua Alone for example....he is an ok player, but was not in the same class as players like Esekia, Goodall, Stevens, Cornforth, Yakapo brothers therefore should not have been even in the Academy.
Another case and point, a Team made up of local based players, who had one session together, beat the Brumbies Academy side who had been together for a better part of 3 months this year. This has to make the Brumbies take notice and see that the players in the local comp have the goods.
As for the Tier one players on this list...Liam Winton is a massive surprise...a player who can talk the talk, but cant walk the walk...went missing in the big game in the Canberra comp, not even considered as Rep pedigree when he was with a last placed finishing Penrith Side. There are players who i personally would rate higher in the club comp than Winton like McNamara, Moulds of Qbyn, Mcgee of Gungahlin, Ben Richards of Royals. How Winton gets a Tier One ahead of a player like Seilala Lam who is proven in Sydney and also at Rep levels in Age Grade is dumbfounding.
I think there needs to be an overhaul of the selection criteria to give more development and credit to the local players...give them a shot...there are more Colemans, Faiagaa's, Stubbs, Parahi's out there in the local comp who deserve a chance.

 

[Slim 293]

While I'd like to see the Brumbies Academy filled with Canberra talent it would be incredibly dumb for the Brumbies... and bad for Australian rugby... to select less talented players over those from interstate simply because they're locals.

The two bigger states (NSW and QLD) obviously produce the most talent and the Tahs and the Reds can't provide them all with the opportunity.... or in some cases they fail to recognise the talent.

Can you imagine the Brumbies and Australian rugby without George Smith, Stirling Mortlock, Owen Finegan, Jeremy Paul, Adam Ashley-Cooper etc. etc. etc?

But I will admit that the Brumbies and ACT rugby need to do a better job of developing and recognising the talent on offer.

The ACT juniors are in a bit of a lull lately and the ACT haven't produced a really big exciting name since Giteau. Hopefully Coleman will be the next one, but it's certainly not the glory days of Gregan, Roff, Larkham etc.

 

[TOCC]

It's the professional era, teams need to look outside there own backyard.... Even QLD and NSW need to look interstate due to gluts in certain positions...

QLD breeds a abundance of big back rowers and 5/8's, NSW breeds giant locks and number 8's,

 

[BrumbiesPolynesian]

I agree, which is why I think the Brumbies should fill the spots we lack in with outside talent like we used to do when the Brumbies first came onto the scene...and I am all for bringing in talent from over the border, if they prove to be better than what we have locally, and to this date, the players they have bought in this season...only one can claim to be better and that was the Royals hooker Melbourne Lesa who by far was the best hooker in the comp and also Jesse Mogg, Rodney Esekia and the Yakapo brothers, but even the Dan Yakapo cant get a look in to the Academy even though he played for Australia in the 7s and also was one of the better backs in the Canberra Comp....these stand out as players from outside the catchment that are fine with me in terms of being the best in their positions over Canberra players...but for others like Winton and Alone...these players were not the best in their positions in the Canberra comp, Winton has about 4 or 5 better than him in the comp but none of them get a look in. Winton is not S15 material. I still think Seilala Lam is someone who the Brumbies need to look at ahead of Winton...he is proven in the Shute Shield.

 

[tranquility]

I'm intrigued, tranq. Lynton Johnson? You don't by any chance mean Patrick? Although he would hardly fit the description, "great white hope".

When Brett started running those mind boggling times as a 15 year old in Toowoomba he was ranking in the top 10 sprinters in the country. There was so much buzz within the athletics community up here about what he was capable of and the possibility that he might be able to break some of Lynton's schoolboy records that have stood for over 20 years and were thought to be fairly untouchable. As it happens it was wet on the day of the GPS championship meet, which is of course not ideal for sprinting but Brett still ran an incredible race pulling his hamstring 5ms from the line and missing the record by a matter of milliseconds. He did however break Lynton's U16 200m record (21.85).

'Great white hope' was perhaps a lazy piece of prose, but what I meant is that he was the most recent sprinting prodigy since Lynton Johson who could have been anything (you don't peak as a sprinter until often well into your mid-to late twenties.) For the record Lynton badly severed tendons in his arm soon after leaving school and never could run similar times again after he recovered.

Just to put all of these performances in perspective, I looked into Matt Shirvington's times progression of his career. He ran that amazing 10.03 run at the commonwealth games when he was on 20. That is a genuinely incredible performance, however both Lynton and Brett were faster at the same age at Shirvo before both their running careers ended. I guess all this really means is that there are a whole of lot other blokes getting around the place that the chips just didn't fall into place for. But we knew that anyway didn't we.

The waratahs are going to be fast next year!! sorry that this is such an athletics post.

 

[BrumbiesPolynesian]

Ex Brumbies Academy player and current Waikato ITM Cup looseforward Jack Lam has been selected in the Wellington Hurricanes for the Super 15 2011 Season

 

[Brumbies Guy]

Ex Brumbies Academy player and current Waikato ITM Cup looseforward Jack Lam has been selected in the Wellington Hurricanes for the Super 15 2011 Season

Thanks for the info. I'm assuming you're related to the Lam family?

 

[BrumbiesPolynesian]

No relation mate. Know of them though, just take a keen interest in the Island Boys who play in Canberra and are Canberra bred.

 

[Lee Grant]

Good for Jack and for the Kiwis for providing a pro pathway for him.

We should have done better here. The next thing we know may be that Seilala is following the same path. Shame on us.

 

[RugbyReg]

Oh gees.

Peter Kimlin's stay with Exeter Chiefs has been brought to an abrupt end after the Australian international was injured during training on Monday.

The 25-year-old has been told he faces up to 12 weeks on the sidelines after damaging knee ligaments following a collision with a team-mate.

It's an unfortunate setback for Kimlin, who was using his short loan spell as an opportunity to not only try his hand at rugby in the north, but at the same time work his way back to full fitness following a nerve problem in one of his shoulders.

Kimlin will now head back to the Brumbies to undergo a new rehab programme ahead of 2011, with Super Rugby starting on February 19.

"It's a frustrating time for Peter, he came over and we anticipated him being involved in a bit more rugby," said Head Coach Rob Baxter.

"He arrived too late for us to get him involved in the early European games, that held him back from the next round of Premiership games and once he got his feet under the table and an A game under his belt we then ran into the three foreigners rule, with Steeno getting injured and Ignacio Mieres starting to feature in the squad.

"That held him out for another week and then this week in training he's picked up a knee injury that will keep him out for the rest of the time he's here with us. It's very unfortunate for Peter as he was looking to have a big pre-season running into the Super 15s for the Brumbies, but these things do happen in rugby."

 

[TOCC]

on the other hand, i have heard Henry Speight is pretty decent pick up, my New Zealand sources reckon when compared to the Waratahs kiwi imports, the Brumbies definetly got the pick of the bunch..Apparently he was offered a chiefs contract but said no

 

[nathan]

That sucks, Noodles has got to be pretty devo with that. Hope that he has a speedy recovery and get's in shape for the start of the S15 season.

 

[RugbyReg]

That sucks, Noodles has got to be pretty devo with that. Hope that he has a speedy recovery and get's in shape for the start of the S15 season.

for God's sake don't call him noodles. I did once, and I think I got away with it.

Pat McCabe is now the Noodle man.

 

[nathan]

Not really, he came on with a minute left? Not sure if there's a minute based microwave product, but Flanders should be called that.

Noodles will always stick.

 

[Slim 293]

But Noodles now has about a match and a half worth of test time... so it doesn't really fit...

 

[RugbyReg]

yes, he is now a pot roast

 

[Clawhammer]

on the other hand, i have heard Henry Speight is pretty decent pick up, my New Zealand sources reckon when compared to the Waratahs kiwi imports, the Brumbies definetly got the pick of the bunch..Apparently he was offered a chiefs contract but said no

Yeah, I've heard the same. Given Franky has made virtually no impact over the last few seasons hopefully Speight will take his spot.