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Morgan T: If the Tahs had kept me, Beale would have been a champion by now!

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RugbyReg

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
WARATAHS five-eighth Kurtley Beale's development into a world-class No.10 could be hindered by the absence of seasoned internationals in the NSW back line, says Queensland Reds centre Morgan Turinui.

Turinui, a former Waratah and Wallaby, said the NSW pivot's predicament was in stark contrast to his Queensland counterpart, Quade Cooper, who, like Beale, started his Super 14 career in 2007 as an 18-year-old school-leaver.

In this year's Super 14, starting on February 13, Turinui said he expected Cooper to show how much he has learnt from training and playing inside Wallabies superstars Matt Giteau and Stirling Mortlock during last year's end-of-year tour.

Cooper will also benefit from playing inside Wallabies stars such as the calm and collected Berrick Barnes, Turinui and wingers Digby Ioane and Peter Hynes at the Reds. Turinui said Cooper had gained invaluable experience from his star performances on the Wallabies tour.

"He [Cooper] is a guy that these tours are designed for," Turinui said on the podcast at www.ruggamatrix.com. "He came back a much more confident, competent and more complete player. He is a lot more confident directing the team around the paddock. Everyone forgets that he has just passed 20 years old. It is important he becomes one of our leaders. Obviously, he has the calm influence of Barnes outside him."

In contrast, Beale, who will be on the bench in the Waratahs' trial match against the Fiji Warriors in Newcastle tonight, has no Wallabies experience after injury ruled him out of last year's tour.

The Waratahs backs have Wallabies in Lote Tuqiri, Lachie Turner, Luke Burgess, Timana Tahu and Sam Norton-Knight, but Turinui says only Tuqiri has the capacity to be a mentor.

"[Beale] has missed out on that mentoring that he would have received from players like Giteau, Mortlock and those style of players [on the Wallabies tour] .. It will be interesting to see if there has been any gap between Quade over Kurtley in their development," Turinui said.

Turinui's observation highlights a situation the Waratahs saw coming months ago.

Waratahs head coach Chris Hickey and assistant Scott Wisemantel have implemented a back-line strategy to alleviate the pressure on Beale. Responsibility for back-line calls, which normally rests with the No.10, will be shared.

The wingers and fullback will be the "eyes" of the back line and read the play, while the centres will make the calls. The half-back and five-eighth become "conduits" for the ball. But Turinui, who will play with Cooper, Hynes and Ioane for the Reds in their trial against the Blues in Auckland tonight, said he expected the pressure would still fall on Tuqiri to guide Beale through an important season.

"Kurtley has Lote, who is not always there because he is off on international duties, and that's about it [in the Waratahs back line] with guys who have been there done that," he said. "When I came to the Waratahs' full-time squad, the incumbent centres were Nathan Grey and Matt Burke and the halfback was Chris Whitaker. You can't ask for three better teachers than that. It will be tough for Kurtley. He has other guys around him, guys who are new to Super 14 or even rugby in Timana. He just hasn't got that really invaluable asset of experience [around him].

"I suppose Lote, a lot of that responsibility will go to him to keep helping and even build [Beale's] confidence and give him pointers."

� Waratahs captain Phil Waugh yesterday was ruled out of tonight's trial after rolling his ankle at training on Wednesday. Beau Robinson will replace Waugh as No.7, while tight-head prop Al Baxter will be captain.
 

fatprop

George Gregan (70)
Staff member
So Cooper is better for his work with Morgs ..................................................


:lmao:
 

RugbyReg

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
I wonder if thats what he says on the podcast? My reading of the article actually suggests that Cooper will be better than Beale because Quade played with Gits, Morty etc. Whereas Beale was eating Burgers.

However I guess Cooper did come in with Cords and Latho and Tunie around him.
 

fatprop

George Gregan (70)
Staff member
He talks about him coming into the Tahs and have Burke & Grey in the centres to learn from.


It actually highlights how well Beale has done in leading such an inexperienced backline to the final.
 

Lindommer

Simon Poidevin (60)
Staff member
Morgan T: If the Tahs had kept me, Beale would have been a champion by now!

Yeah, the Southern Hemisphere pie-eating champion. The crap at training champion. The worst defender in the backs champion.:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:
 
R

rugbywhisperer

Guest
Mate - if you need transport though - who ya gonna call - the bus
 
T

TOCC

Guest
sheesh, imagine how much fatter beale would have got over the off-season if he had Morgan Turinui to learn from...

and Morgan didnt actually say what this title indicates, i have read the extracts and he was somewhat implying that Cooper is better off having learned from Latho, Cordingley, Hynes and himself. Not, specifically himself but the other players in the backline as well.
 

Gagger

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
Staff member
I've listened and he wasn't talking about himself at all. Was just saying that Cooper got a leg up on the Wallabies tour learning from the likes of Gits, Morty etc, whereas Beale has no-one. He was actually pretty humble saying how lucky he was to learn from Burkey, Grey and Whitts when he started out.
 

naza

Alan Cameron (40)
Thanks for the Planet Rugby subject line.

And thanks for poaching Turinui so Carter, Tahu & Horne have a turnstile to run at.
 
S

Spook

Guest
Lote not happy with Pies comments!:
;D

Attack on Kurtley a bit rich - Lotsa Tequila


NICE to see my old mate Morgan Turinui draw the NSW-Queensland Super 14 battle lines nice and early this season.

We haven't even kicked off a Super 14 game and I'm reading where Kurtley Beale is under pressure to perform and the Waratahs don't have enough experience to go one better.

Well, I'll tell you what we do have. We have the nucleus of a team who went within 80 minutes of winning last year's title.

Now, with due respect, let's remember where Queensland have finished over the past few seasons. It hasn't been too flash - but you don't see the Waratahs lining up to bag them.

Whenever I hear anyone ripping in and criticising a teammate, I will always ask them to back off. It's just the done thing. And in this case, the potshots are unnecessary.

Morgs reasoned Reds five-eighth Quade Cooper would be more slick than Kurtley because of the experience he gained on the Wallabies' european tour.

While I understand where he's coming from in terms of playing alongside Matt Giteau, there's a flipside to the argument. Kurtley has been forced to step into a leadership role at the Waratahs all off-season.

KB (Kurtley Beale) got a rocket when he came back last October a little bit top-heavy and since then he's knuckled down and been in slick touch.

Not only has he stepped up his talk and direction, he's stepped up as a leader. Add to him the likes of Tom Carter, Lachie Turner and Rob Horne, and it's hardly an underdone backline.

Last year, a lot of these blokes were a bit green. But with another full season of Super 14 under their belts, they are really coming of age.

They have adjusted their attitudes slightly, and it's for the better. Whereas last year they were the young, easygoing squad members, this year they have taken on the added responsibility. It excites me to think what we can do at the Waratahs this season.

Sure, we have lost some experienced forwards in Rocky Elsom and Daniel Vickerman, but Phil Waugh, Wycliff Palu and Dean Mumm are still damn good players. And we've bought Scott Fava as well, who brings experience.

With Waugh as captain, you know you've got someone who will lead from the front.
He might not be able to stand next to Kurtley all the time, but he can damn sure protect him most of the time.

I'm looking forward to playing the Reds
 

Ash

Michael Lynagh (62)
Spook said:
Lote not happy with Pies comments!:
;D

Attack on Kurtley a bit rich - Lotsa Tequila

...

Not only has he stepped up his talk and direction, he's stepped up as a leader. Add to him the likes of Tom Carter, Lachie Turner and Rob Horne, and it's hardly an underdone backline.

Last year, a lot of these blokes were a bit green. But with another full season of Super 14 under their belts, they are really coming of age.


...

First paragraph says how wrong Turinuri was. Second one says how inexperienced the backline is.

Er, wasn't that Morgan T's point? Is Lote really that dumb?
 
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