The Wallabies Thread

[Up the Guts]

Timu in the backrow.
Is Tuttle any worse than any of the other back up halves?
Jono Lance.
What has Uelese done this year to warrant selection?


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BPA has definitely been better than Uelese this year. No one really talks about his throwing in the lineout but it has to be the best in the country, he didn't miss a single throw against the Bulls and the Reds' success rate at the lineout for the year was at 92% a couple of weeks ago largely thanks to his combination with Rodda. That's the sort of prowess at the set-piece you need coming off the bench against a very good Northern Hemisphere team and is why I reckon BPA gets the nod over Uelese if he keeps his form up.

 

[The torpedo]

^^^^
Zero i think you can stop replying and we can all just assume you have requested 'more reds please'.

And that's a bad thing?

 

[Derpus]

And that's a bad thing?

More Reds being in the Wallabies is not. Zero going on and on about reds players every time a non-reds player is discussed certainly is.

 

[Zero_Cool]

So the Reds I think have a chance of being in the 23 are as follows:
Slipper (maybe starting depends on his scrummaging, he's looking very good)
BPA (bench, but you could almost play any of the Super Rugby Hookers)
Rodda (clear starter)
Higgers (should be a starter, but won't be in the squad for reasons...)
Korczyk (might get a game but not likely)
Timu (almost a forced selection to start if Pooper)

Lance (I don't like him and he kills any attack but he's playing very well)
Kerevi/CFS (why don't we have any centers anymore?!)


Also @Derpus I've brought up Wells, Pocock and a few others. I even defended Hanigan once... once.

 

[Derpus]

Can Timu jump in a lineout? If he can then i'd bang him in to start alongside Pocock and Hoops with Hanigan on the bench.

Forget about Higgers.

I'd pick Slipper to start for sure. Wallabies have missed him a lot.

How is Rodda a clear starter when we have so many form locks?

I still think CFS is garbage despite some vague kind of form this year.

Kerevi will be in and around the squad but won't start.

Lance is leaving so meh.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Can Timu jump in a lineout? If he can then i'd bang him in to start alongside Pocock and Hoops with Hanigan on the bench.

Timu is a 3rd/4th choice at the reds - he's taken 3 lineouts this year. Remains to be seen whether he could be more than that, but you'd probably need someone else, a genuine lineout option, in the backrows that the Wallabies will be putting out

 

[Derpus]

Timu is a 3rd/4th choice at the reds - he's taken 3 lineouts this year. Remains to be seen whether he could be more than that, but you'd probably need someone else, a genuine lineout option, in the backrows that the Wallabies will be putting out

So essentially the answer is no.

 

[Rebels3]

Think it will be (if fit) the tried and tested Sio, TPN, Kepu combo. The same combo thats been fairly decent the past few years. On the bench it'll be the QLD combo with Uelese inbetween which will make it one of the best bench scrummaging reserve combinations going around. Tupou for me needs and deserves to be picked, he has been great all year, plus he adds much needed ability in the contact zone thats need if we play Pooper. I like AAT but he is not showing signs of improvement the past 12 months, infact he appears to be down on energy and workrate to what he was this time last year and has been underwhelming at set piece. He's got it in him to be a good player but looks to have stagnated.

With the Pooper combo most likely going ahead Rodda is a must pick with his ability to win the contact zone, its going to be important to get some go forward from our front 5. At 6 i'd probably go Hanigan but that's far from convincing. Timu off the bench to bleed him into the side. Think we are going to surely miss McMahon, he'd be the perfect foil off the bench with his versatility to either go out and add some go forward or even ability to assist Hooper or Pocock to slow down the ruck.

 

[Braveheart81]

The biggest missing piece from the backrow selection puzzle at the moment is Jack Dempsey. He would have been a starter onthe EOYT if he hadn't got injured and would be best placed to continue that in 2018 but he has been out for a long time with a serious injury and will only get 4 or 5 games max to push his case for the June series.

The obvious option is to pick Hooper at 7, Pocock at 8 and a 6 that suits them. Ideally that player is both a lineout jumper and a ball runner but I would argue that the lineout jumping capabilities are more important than the ball runner bit as I expect both our starting locks will fit that bill.

I see the options there as being Ned Hanigan or a converted lock. The challenge here is that none of the pure locks have any great experience at 6 and putting them there for a June series would be a huge risk.

Caleb Timu is the best ball running option but he isn't a great lineout option. That would leave us fairly exposed with only two key jumpers in the pack.

The other main backrow option is to pick Hooper at 7, Timu at 8 and have Pocock on the bench. Hanigan works fairly well at 6 there for his lineout jumping and workrate. Adam Korczyk would be a decent option with them but I don't see it as likely.

If Dempsey returns well I think he is a really strong chance to get the first crack at 6 again because he probably works pretty well with all the number 8 options.

 

[fatprop]

Not sure if Hanigan fits

I think the mix of Hooper & Pocock requires a unit who can work in the wider channels as a runner and be an effective lineout option.

I think Hanigan was used last season as the central backrower operating close to the ruck with McMahon and Hooper working the edges.

I see Pocock staying close to the centre this season and I don't see Hanigan as a running edge backrower

 

[Zero_Cool]

So essentially the answer is no.

No the answer is the Reds have a fuck ton of quality lineout jumpers in the back row. Rough order of lineout ability Korczyk, Higginbotham, Scott-Young, Wright. All of them are good lineout options. Timu isn't going to be that pure lineout jumping 6 (like Korczyk, Higgers and Hanigan) but he's a decent jumper, but no worse than Wells, Dempsey or McMahon.

Oh and he's like a fucking cannonball!

Think it will be (if fit) the tried and tested Sio, TPN, Kepu combo. The same combo thats been fairly decent the past few years. On the bench it'll be the QLD combo with Uelese inbetween which will make it one of the best bench scrummaging reserve combinations going around. Tupou for me needs and deserves to be picked, he has been great all year, plus he adds much needed ability in the contact zone thats need if we play Pooper. I like AAT but he is not showing signs of improvement the past 12 months, infact he appears to be down on energy and workrate to what he was this time last year and has been underwhelming at set piece. He's got it in him to be a good player but looks to have stagnated.

With the Pooper combo most likely going ahead Rodda is a must pick with his ability to win the contact zone, its going to be important to get some go forward from our front 5. At 6 i'd probably go Hanigan but that's far from convincing. Timu off the bench to bleed him into the side. Think we are going to surely miss McMahon, he'd be the perfect foil off the bench with his versatility to either go out and add some go forward or even ability to assist Hooper or Pocock to slow down the ruck.

I'm not sold on Uelese, I've been really impressed with Fainga'a (Brumbies) but you can throw a blanket over the hooker options. I do agree Aaaaaaaa has been flat this year but he could easily turn that around.

I do think Rodda is a better player than Tui but assuming Tui is playing well I'd say he might be a better fit because he can monster people in defence and can smash the line. But it'll probably be one of Rodda or Tui. Maybe even Tui could be viable at 6.

 

[Derpus]

No the answer is the Reds have a fuck ton of quality lineout jumpers in the back row. Rough order of lineout ability Korczyk, Higginbotham, Scott-Young, Wright. All of them are good lineout options. Timu isn't going to be that pure lineout jumping 6 (like Korczyk, Higgers and Hanigan) but he's a decent jumper, but no worse than Wells, Dempsey or McMahon.

Yeah that still sounds like a no, hey. Like, if i asked if he was ready to regularly jump at an international level and you said he doesn't even regularly jump for his province the answer is no.

 

[Strewthcobber]

They'll still be running with the 1,3,3,1 setup presumably, with Hooper and Pocock on the edges.
Means we need one of the 1,2,3 pod to be the lead ball carrier, and someone to lead the 4,5,6 pod into contact.

Moore/TPN have been the former for a long time, so it will be interesting to see what happens there.

 

[Up the Guts]

I'd like to see Timu at 8 but agree Pocock and Hooper combination seems likely. My question is how good does Timu have to be to break up the combination? If, for instance, someone as good as Mafi could play 8 for the Wallabies would that force one of Hooper or Pocock to the bench or do we still find a way to play the Pooper because they are both too good for one to be sitting on the bench?

 

[Zero_Cool]

I'd like to see Timu at 8 but agree Pocock and Hooper combination seems likely. My question is how good does Timu have to be to break up the combination? If, for instance, someone as good as Mafi could play 8 for the Wallabies would that force one of Hooper or Pocock to the bench or do we still find a way to play the Pooper because they are both too good for one to be sitting on the bench?

I get the impression Cheika just plays who he thinks are his best players fitting them in where he can... what do positions matter anyway.

Look at Karmichael Hunt last year -- he wasn't told he was playing 12, he wasn't even training at 12 before the June series saw him starting at 12 for the Wallabies!

 

[Strewthcobber]

I'd like to see Timu at 8 but agree Pocock and Hooper combination seems likely. My question is how good does Timu have to be to break up the combination?

They are competing for different positions (even if they have the same number on the back). Timu is (probably) going to be in the central pod, with whoever else you pick in the backrow replacing Pocock on one of the edges.

 

[Up the Guts]

They are competing for different positions (even if they have the same number on the back). Timu is (probably) going to be in the central pod, with whoever else you pick in the backrow replacing Pocock on one of the edges.

Ok so you'd play whoever is at 6 in one wide channel and Hooper on the other and stick Timu in a pod with the two second rowers? I'd be tempted to have Timu playing wide and keep the 6 with the second rowers, given that's where he has been making a lot of metres for the Reds.

 

[dru]

They'll still be running with the 1,3,3,1 setup presumably, with Hooper and Pocock on the edges.
Means we need one of the 1,2,3 pod to be the lead ball carrier, and someone to lead the 4,5,6 pod into contact.

Moore/TPN have been the former for a long time, so it will be interesting to see what happens there.

If we are focussed on the pods then you have to consider Tupou to lead the 1, 2, 3 pod. I'd place him with Slipper as the pod link man. NOTE: focussed here on the pods.

I'm not convinced that Pocock would be placed wide. He is better in the 4, 5, 6 8 pod. Again, simply based on the pods, you'd be better with Timu over Pocock at 8 in the attack pod.

Others have said it, but to balance the Pooper in the loosies ("balance" being relative) you need a jumper combined wide hard runner. It does open up looking for a 4/6 player. Ignoring Higgers seems foley (edit: Freudian slip unintentional) folly, though is expected. Dempsey must get the nod, but surely we will be calling Rodda and Tui in the squad.

 

[fatprop]

They'll still be running with the 1,3,3,1 setup presumably, with Hooper and Pocock on the edges.
Means we need one of the 1,2,3 pod to be the lead ball carrier, and someone to lead the 4,5,6 pod into contact.

Moore/TPN have been the former for a long time, so it will be interesting to see what happens there.

Or Pocock plays as the "6" in the pod

 

[cyclopath]

Not sure if Hanigan fits

I think the mix of Hooper & Pocock requires a unit who can work in the wider channels as a runner and be an effective lineout option.

I think Hanigan was used last season as the central backrower operating close to the ruck with McMahon and Hooper working the edges.

I see Pocock staying close to the centre this season and I don't see Hanigan as a running edge backrower

I agree. Everyone seems to agree his selection last year was premature. To his credit he has bulked up a bit, and is carrying a bit better (he occasionally even bumps people off!), with a good workrate. But I think he is still getting there, and we will need more abrasive options this Test season. Needs more development.
If we were NZ, we'd have Hooper or Pocock starting, the other finishing, and a raft of good options at 6 and 8 to reinforce that approach. But with our lesser depth, we have 2 really good back-rowers who get picked together, despite the limitations. I don't think this will change, although it aint ideal. And so the 3rd backrower is going to be some sort of compromise choice. Matt Philip???