Nah. Not emotive. Just something I heard around the traps. Perhaps I should stay clear of those rugby whispers though.
Brumbies 2011
- Thread starter Lee Grant
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Nah. Not emotive. Just something I heard around the traps. Perhaps I should stay clear of those rugby whispers though.
1. This is true but is beside the point: that Friend should have had a more seasoned player in his stable to cover for Smith. He didn't and everything turned out OK, but I wouldn't have like an 18 y.o. son of mine used like that after he had had a shoulder reconstruction.
2. Friend was warehousing two teenagers in the academy and didn't want anybody else to nab them; so he gave those pro academy spots to them instead of one to the likes of local Jack Lam who ended up playing in the ITM Cup in NZ.
At least you didn't use the customary "If they're good enough, their old enough" deflection. I would have gagged on that knee jerker.
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
I was only surprised that Hooper was promoted before Fainga'a...
I think they've just been recognised as better prospects than Lam...
Brumbies Guy
John Solomon (38)
Jack was poached and has been playing in NZ since 2008. Pat Lam (cousin/coach of Blues) had plenty to do with that I'm sure. He didn't just "end up" there through missing out at Brumbies, NZ was just the better offer. Expect to see him in the 7 jersey for Chiefs this year.
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Brumbies Guy
John Solomon (38)
What he said... too use to watching him with Waikato
You miss the point that for 2010 Friend should have had a seasoned player to replace Smith either in the S14 squad or the pro academy. He used an 18 y.o Academy player, who had a recent shoulder reconstruction, instead. Everybody dodges that point, as they have to, as it's an inconvenient truth.
That's all from me about Mr. Friend.
R
Rothschild
Guest
never would Lee - I do not subscribe to that theory. While a lad may have skills and an apparent physical presence there is more to development than what is at first obvious. I agree - if my 18yr old was placed in the same situation I would be extremely apprehensive and helpless.
To RReg, considering your pevious knowlegeable and informed comment it seems a little cowardly to hide behind third party innuendo and heresay. I am no legal officianado but I do know that to repeat what someone else has said without verification is a very careless thing to do.
R
Rothschild
Guest
Go for the typo - I have watched him for years.
Apologies to the pedantic pedants amongst us.
Journalism at its very best here eh.
Happy new year to all - I'm off on a cruise - crossing a creek in Qld now qualifies as a voyage.
Bon voyage!
Bruce Ross
Ken Catchpole (46)
Let me be the first to say how much I enjoy seeing LG arc up. So often the voice of calm self control and reason, it is good to see him cut loose.
I don't have any particular opinion about Andy Friend but I have a great aversion to coaches who don't give kids time and opportunity to perfect their craft.
Historically, of course, the Brumbies have also erred in the opposite direction. A prime example is warehousing kids like Luke Burgess without giving them any game time.
One of the great failings of Australian rugby is the lack of focus of our coaches on player development and lack of ability to foster it.
Bruce Ross
Ken Catchpole (46)
I have no idea what to make of your comment, Slim. He was with the Brumbies from 2003 to 2007, that is, five seasons. He made his first of only two appearances for them in 2005.
By "never fit" do you mean that he was not sufficiently physically conditioned or that he was injured throughout all of those seasons?
Bruce Ross
Ken Catchpole (46)
That's what I was hoping to draw out, TK. On this interpretation, "Burgess was never [good enough] in his time with the Brumbies [five seasons] to even make the bench..."
Interesting that he played Australian Under 21s in 2004, and was named in the Wallabies train on squads in both 2006 and 2007.
Within 12 months of leaving the Brumbies and joining the Waratahs where he trained under backs coach Todd Louden, Burgess played 10 Super 14 games then made his debut for the Wallabies. In that year, 2008, he started in the opening six Tests before being sidelined with a knee injury. He recovered to start in all five Tests on the 2008-09 Spring Tour.
My original point was about "warehousing kids like Luke Burgess without giving them any game time."
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Actually, that's not what I meant at all...
I did mean that he generally wasn't fit enough to play when he had the opportunities...
The Brumbies had both Gregan and Henjak until 2005... and let's not forget that Burgess got his only caps with the Brumbies during that period!
He was injured a LOT during his time with the Brumbies which is why he never challenged Phibbs for Gregan's backup spot...
And it's a bit rich for a Waratahs fans to put down another team for 'warehousing talent'...
I did mean that he generally wasn't fit enough to play when he had the opportunities...
The Brumbies had both Gregan and Henjak until 2005... and let's not forget that Burgess got his only caps with the Brumbies during that period!
He was injured a LOT during his time with the Brumbies which is why he never challenged Phibbs for Gregan's backup spot...
And it's a bit rich for a Waratahs fans to put down another team for 'warehousing talent'...
Bruce Ross
Ken Catchpole (46)
Thanks for the clarification, Slim.
And I concede your final point and agree with it. As I said in my original post: "One of the great failings of Australian rugby is the lack of focus of our coaches on player development and lack of ability to foster it."
DPK
Peter Sullivan (51)
See, if you had said what you meant in the first place, there wouldn't have been a problem.
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