Reds 2018

[liquor box]

I think Ready will start, and my bold prediction for the season is that he will get a bench spot for the Wallabies on the spring tour after a great season.

My other bolder prediction is that Perese will start at 13 at some point this season in front of Kerevi. Kervevi can be great but I think Thorn is the type of coach who will drop a guy to make him earn back his spot.

 

[TSR]

You may we’ll be right Liquor Box - but I am hoping Thorn’s influence on Kerevi will be to make him a reliable defender and lift his game to another level.

Edit: hopefully without having to drop him

 

[TOCC]

Ben Lucas had minor surgery on the knee but will be good by Rd 3, and Izack Rodda could be back anytime between Rd 1 and Rd 3.

 

[Scrubber2050]

I think Ready will start, and my bold prediction for the season is that he will get a bench spot for the Wallabies on the spring tour after a great season.

My other bolder prediction is that Perese will start at 13 at some point this season in front of Kerevi. Kervevi can be great but I think Thorn is the type of coach who will drop a guy to make him earn back his spot.

Yeak I think you are correct LB

Ready seems to have got his head out of his arse and back on his shoulders. Played well in the Tens. His off field"accomplice" is now overseas. I reckon Thorn will unleash him pretty quickly.

I have been critical at the insane support for Kerevi at all levels. On his day he is a game breaker
in attack. Nowadays he is heavily marked personally yet doesn't seem to have the necessary ball security and skills
to counteract opposition defence (to take advantage of a support player in a better position to promote the ball).

I agree that Thorn seems to be the sort of coach who would be unforgiving for a lack of skills. Samu has been around for a few years now yet his ball security, defence, passing skills and knowing when to pass all need solid improvement.

 

[TOCC]

I have been critical at the insane support for Kerevi at all levels..

Interesting tact

 

[liquor box]

Yeak I think you are correct LB

Ready seems to have got his head out of his arse and back on his shoulders. Played well in the Tens. His off field"accomplice" is now overseas. I reckon Thorn will unleash him pretty quickly.

I have been critical at the insane support for Kerevi at all levels. On his day he is a game breaker
in attack. Nowadays he is heavily marked personally yet doesn't seem to have the necessary ball security and skills
to counteract opposition defence (to take advantage of a support player in a better position to promote the ball).

I agree that Thorn seems to be the sort of coach who would be unforgiving for a lack of skills. Samu has been around for a few years now yet his ball security, defence, passing skills and knowing when to pass all need solid improvement.

I have also always been critical of Kerevis distributing skills or lack thereof. He is often mentioned as having the skills required for a 12 but I just don't see it.

I hope he can prove me wrong and show what he can do and despite my questions about Thorns ability to set a game plan I do think he will be able to motivate a team to improve skills by being hard on them, hopefully the team can accept an old school approach to this.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Interesting tact

Incisive

 

[Zero_Cool]

Yeak I think you are correct LB

Ready seems to have got his head out of his arse and back on his shoulders. Played well in the Tens. His off field"accomplice" is now overseas. I reckon Thorn will unleash him pretty quickly.

I have been critical at the insane support for Kerevi at all levels. On his day he is a game breaker
in attack. Nowadays he is heavily marked personally yet doesn't seem to have the necessary ball security and skills
to counteract opposition defence (to take advantage of a support player in a better position to promote the ball).

I agree that Thorn seems to be the sort of coach who would be unforgiving for a lack of skills. Samu has been around for a few years now yet his ball security, defence, passing skills and knowing when to pass all need solid improvement.

I really do hope we see Ready starting at some point, although BPA has been really very impressive. I do think Ready could be the starting Wallabies Hooker before the years end (also I don't really rate Ulesee at that International Level).

As for Kerevi I'd suggest looking at that Wales game and England game, where the Welsh & English defence specifically targeted Kerevi, and Kerevi was specifically used knowing they were going to be targeting him. And he still had 14 runs for 55m against Wales and 8 for 64 against England. So I think he's clearly got the capacity to be outstanding against anyone, when he's playing.
I think in the case of Kerevi he can only really be tested at Super Rugby level. But I do think CFS is going to push him along (although I prefer CFS coming off the bench as he can play 11, 13, and 14 whereas Kerevi can only play 13, maybe 12.

 

[upthereds#!]

Hunt pleads guilty - no conviction recorded - pays $600 fine for xanax possession and contravening order.

Think they will flick him for 'bringing the game into disrepute' and move on?

 

[Scrubber2050]

Hunt pleads guilty - no conviction recorded - pays $600 fine for xanax possession and contravening order.

Think they will flick him for 'bringing the game into disrepute' and move on?

You'd have to think that Thorn would move him on to keep faith with the "No Dickhead Policy"

 

[dillyboy]

Well if Hunt plays but Quade's cut what sort of message does that send????

On the other hand, $600 fine & no conviction so as said, Higgers g Smith did worse....

 

[Braveheart81]

I'm tipping that Hunt will be in the 23 by round 4.

Whilst people have made the connection that Cooper isn't in the team because he doesn't get on with Thorn or is seen as a bad influence, everything Thorn has said contradicts that.

The message it would send if Thorn picks Hunt would be that he thinks he will be of benefit to the matchday 23 whereas he doesn't hold the same opinion of Cooper.

 

[dru]

I'm tipping that Hunt will be in the 23 by round 4.

Whilst people have made the connection that Cooper isn't in the team because he doesn't get on with Thorn or is seen as a bad influence, everything Thorn has said contradicts that.

The message it would send if Thorn picks Hunt would be that he thinks he will be of benefit to the matchday 23 whereas he doesn't hold the same opinion of Cooper.

Completely agree.

 

[Zero_Cool]

I'm tipping that Hunt will be in the 23 by round 4.

What about Quade, are you expecting him to be brought into the Squad at some point?

Whilst people have made the connection that Cooper isn't in the team because he doesn't get on with Thorn or is seen as a bad influence, everything Thorn has said contradicts that.

So I think if you actually watch Thorn speaking on Quade there is more to the story than is being told.

 

[Braveheart81]

What about Quade, are you expecting him to be brought into the Squad at some point?

So I think if you actually watch Thorn speaking on Quade there is more to the story than is being told.

Nope. Given the signings of Lance and Lucas, I don't think Cooper will be seen unless there are multiple injuries to playmakers.

I have watched that interview. I just think Thorn was pretty ineloquent on a topic that is not an easy one to address politely.

For good or for bad he's decided that he doesn't think Cooper is up to playing 10 for the Reds and leading them on to a new era. There's no polite way to say that he doesn't think Cooper in 2018 is worth selecting.

 

[Zero_Cool]

Nope. Given the signings of Lance and Lucas, I don't think Cooper will be seen unless there are multiple injuries to playmakers.

I have watched that interview. I just think Thorn was pretty ineloquent on a topic that is not an easy one to address politely.

For good or for bad he's decided that he doesn't think Cooper is up to playing 10 for the Reds and leading them on to a new era. There's no polite way to say that he doesn't think Cooper in 2018 is worth selecting.

Could argue the same with Toua (perhaps even Lance and/or Lucas) at 15 negating Hunt.

 

[Braveheart81]

Sure, but I think he's going to pick Hunt.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Sure, but I think he's going to pick Hunt.

He very well might but it would still surprise me.

No-one will socialse with the bloke and that doesn't fit in with the
cultural targets Thorn is trying or demanding to reach.

Hunt still hasn't played the house down and I think the extra signings together
with the newish lads adequately would compensate for Hunt's departure.

 

[Brumby Runner]

D

Well if Hunt plays but Quade's cut what sort of message does that send????

On the other hand, $600 fine & no conviction so as said, Higgers g Smith did worse..

Don't recall the Higgers' case in detail, but think all charges were dropped. No fine?

I believe George was in a similar situation after spending 18 days or thereabouts in the slammer, he was also released with no charges, and no fines.

The QRU may have, and probably did, impose fines on each, but that is different to a fine being imposed in a court situation. In what way were their cases worse than Hunts'? Hunt was charged and pleaded guilty on two of the charges, and was fined by the court. It remains to be seen what further action the QRU might take even if it doesn't involve tearing up his contract.

 

[eastman]

He very well might but it would still surprise me.



No-one will socialse with the bloke and that doesn't fit in with the

cultural targets Thorn is trying or demanding to reach.



Hunt still hasn't played the house down and I think the extra signings together

with the newish lads adequately would compensate for Hunt's departure.

I think you will find that Hunt is pretty popular within the playing group (probably not the only one who indulges as well).