Reds 2015

[tranquility]

Ben Teo is a very dynamic player on both sides of the ball, I would love to have him at the Reds. However we can't afford him, end of conversation I would have thought. As far as him being a success as a union player, why not? He is a professional athlete, if he shows the right aptitutde I'm sure he could make a fist of it.

As an aside, in the article on Teo in The Australian, they seemed to think that Karmichael was odds on to sign with the Reds. If this does come to fruition it would be a bigger signing that JOC (James O'Connor), and almost the biggest signing in recent Reds history. I think he would be a phenomenal rugby player, and a person who would push the professional standards of the group to another level.

 

[Lindommer]

2015 Reds acquisition rumours to date:

Ben Te'o
Karmichael Hunt
James O'Connor
Hayden Smith

That's one from AFL, one from NFL, one from league and one renegade rugby player from os. Why stop there? Isn't there a soccer player from somewhere looking for a gig? A Spanish fella just signed to play in Melbourne next season, try Spain. Or better still, have a good look around Ireland for a Gaelic footballer.

 

[tranquility]

2015 Reds acquisition rumours to date:

Ben Te'o
Karmichael Hunt
James O'Connor
Hayden Smith

That's one from AFL, one from NFL, one from league and one rugby player from os. Why stop there? Isn't there a soccer player from somewhere looking for a gig? A Spanish fella just signed to play in Melbourne next season, try Spain. Or better still, have a good look around Ireland for a Gaelic footballer.

Bedtime?

 

[biggsy]

Comforting to hear that richard graham was at the brisabne lions training session this week talking about coaching with Justin leppitch.

 

[Train Without a Station]

Hunt is on the suns extended bench this weekend and may gain his first start of the season.

 

[Ignoto]

Comforting to hear that richard graham was at the brisabne lions training session this week talking about coaching with Justin leppitch.

Was Dick counselling Justin about how he too can get his team out of winning the wooden spoon?

 

[Highlander35]

Was Dick counselling Justin about how he too can get his team out of winning the wooden spoon?

That's unfair. At least the Saints are giving a Lions a run for their money.

Sent from my LG-P713 using Tapatalk

 

[TOCC]

Growden claims Brian Smith(coach) and JOC (James O'Connor) could come as a package deal from London Irish..

I guess thats ignoring the fact that JOC (James O'Connor) is no longer at London Irish but has since joined Toulon..

I think a season at Toulon could do JOC (James O'Connor) wonders, hopefully Mitchell and Giteau can help him grow up a bit. Also, having Leigh Halfpenny join Toulon on top of Delon Armitage ensures JOC (James O'Connor) will likely be playing at wing possibly even centre.

 

[Scrubber2050]

The Spin Doctors of Ballymore are at it again.

Karmichael WAS a terrific league player - No question , no doubt

Can he replicate that form from a few years ago into rugby. Fucked if I know and no-one else can. We can all hope blah blah. Would he be another freak like Folau ?? Again, fucked IF I know?

Is he worth the money? Probably yes - straight up from a commercial perspective. The crowds at Suncorp would swell simply to see the guy play at the Reds. Commercially it's a no-brainer. (Same as Wendell back in the day - think the Reds paid for his 3 year contract in the first year by increased crowd attendances).

Is Special K being sought after, firstly on a commercial basis with the hope that he becomes an awesome 15

 

[TOCC]

I don't think any province can afford to recruit a player firstly on his commercial value and then on his playing ability...

That is what the AFL did with Karmchael and Izzy, different circumstances to the Reds.. The Reds are already a commercially successful team, in terms of marketing they have guys like Genia, Cooper and Horwill who appeal to the different demographics.. Whilst in the midst of a poor season on-field, they are still setting membership records off the field.

Karmichael would be a gamble, I don't think it would be big gamble though.. I don't doubt he could become a good super rugby player within 12 months and a test player within 24months.

 

[Train Without a Station]

Also the AFL did it, not the team within their salary cap constraints.

In a salary cap market, a team cannot recruit based on commercial gain being offset by performance risk/loss. Only governing bodies are able to do this.

 

[Ash]

http://www.theroar.com.au/2014/06/06/cooper-graham-oconnor-what-is-the-reason-for-the-reds-downfall/

Trashy, rubbishy article you see from writers without much of a clue on The Roar.

But, a few interesting snippets about Graham and JOC (James O'Connor) in the comments. Could be mere scuttlebutt, but if you believe everything on the internet, then it seems that the players are not happy with Graham as coach.

Personally, I don't like Graham as coach for at least two reasons:
- his key area, defence, has gone to crap with inside balls not being covered, defensive lines being too static (not enough pressure), and then being caught short when not pressuring through moving up or contesting rucks, all a huge fail of a system, and
- clearly overly conservative game plans that aren't far off resembling Jakeball, but missing the key areas of aggressive defence and pressure at the ruck

What's still killing me is how few of the Reds tries come from outside the 22. Even all 5 tries vs the Clan either originated within the 22, or had many phases within the 22. The Reds seem incapable of creating a line break and finishing it off this year.

 

[Braveheart81]

Aggressive defence combined with excellent line speed seem to have become absolutely critical to the game in the last couple of years.

The huge increase in offloading from most teams means that teams with more passive defence are getting found out badly.

 

[Sully]

Remember Graham ran the defence last year when it was one of the best in the comp.

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[Ash]

I have a theory that Link and Richard Graham have slightly different ideas about defensive systems, and Link had oversight last year and insisted on a more aggressive defensive structure.

 

[Scoey]

I'm going purely from memory here @Ash but on your point RE scoring tries from outside the 22, in 2011 the Reds had ~80% of their tries coming from attack starting in their own half! The best of this stat in the comp. The second best team at it was the Saders with just under the ~80% the Reds had and these were the two finalists.

I know the game has changed in those few years slightly but I think being able to attack (read: Be dangerous) from all points of the field would still be a key factor to a winning side.

 

[TOCC]

I'm going purely from memory here @Ash but on your point RE scoring tries from outside the 22, in 2011 the Reds had ~80% of their tries coming from attack starting in their own half! The best of this stat in the comp. The second best team at it was the Saders with just under the ~80% the Reds had and these were the two finalists.

I know the game has changed in those few years slightly but I think being able to attack (read: Be dangerous) from all points of the field would still be a key factor to a winning side.

I believe the Brumbies stats last year indicated the majority of their tries were initiated in the opposition 50..

 

[hammertimethere]

2015 Reds acquisition rumours to date:

Ben Te'o
Karmichael Hunt
James O'Connor
Hayden Smith

That's one from AFL, one from NFL, one from league and one renegade rugby player from os. Why stop there? Isn't there a soccer player from somewhere looking for a gig? A Spanish fella just signed to play in Melbourne next season, try Spain. Or better still, have a good look around Ireland for a Gaelic footballer.

I see your point, option #1 needs to be look within rugby for an off contract fullback. Plus with Dick graham saying for him JOC (James O'Connor) is a winger and nothing else, which would probably frustrate the fuck out of james, may mean he is an unlikely signing. That said the thought of,
9 Genia 10 Cooper 11 F'Sautia 12 Taps 13 Ant 14 O/'connor 15. Hunt is enough to give any opposition the willies

Here's a thought, if the reds were to sign O'connor with a view to playing him at 14 or 15, is there merit in us signing a power running centre. A savage bastard with the frame to lay on the hurt? What are Inman and McCabe's contract situations (pat would be awesome)

 

[TOCC]

I think CFS fills that big ball running outside centre role..
I would like:

9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. Shipperly/Turner
12. Tapuai
13. CFS
14. JOC (James O'Connor)
15. Hunt

But the Reds are still lacking a ball running back rower, Curtis Browning played into that role a bit last week, is he the answer for 2015 or should we look at someone like JackPot

 

[gel]

What's wrong with the big unit the reds ran on in the last game at outside centre (I forget his name - Kerevi?).

He looked quite comfortable and poised considering the pressure of the match and he was certainly no shrinking violet - he went forward with the ball and dominated the defence when doing so.

Pretty impressive start for the guy I reckon.