Wallabies 2019 Thread

[Tex]

There's minimal need to play him in RC given how much of a known quantity he is. In the pool games the Welsh test is the only match where you could justify risking him. Give him all the time to rehab it properly and use him as an ace.

Magnanimous from the Brumbies too. I get that he's not fit to play, but they would have had to make the sacrifice to let him aim for RWC rather than super play offs

 

[RoffsChoice]

Plan as if Pocock isn't going to be available. If he is, it's a very pleasant surprise.

 

[Tex]

Interview in the SMH doesn't really raise hoes that it's going to be fixed. Apparently a rare injury and has occasionally managed to get it back near 80% a couple of times.

Best to let him focus on the physio work with the long term goal rather than getting up to play a wet cold game in Hamilton or Joburg for the ponies

 

[Dctarget]

Rumour mill has started that Will Skelton will have a crack at the RWC. Do we want him, do we have space for him? Either way it's great news and will only make our team stronger.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/...wqOCyEPHsEqUxU1iCjkJI3StkFg-zgo0ByjPVgqYfHhK0

 

[Dctarget]

Also, Mark McCall is a sound bloke isn't he:

“Will has spoken to me about it,” Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall said of the club’s players’ player of the year winner.
“He is keen to play in the World Cup, but he is also keen to play for Saracens, which is quite complex.
“There hasn’t been much contact from Australia but I think there will be and we want our players to play in the World Cup.

“For that to happen he probably has to sign longer term there, which is not what we want but if that is what Will decides, that is what he decides.

 

[Brumbieman]

Just read an article saying Rennie is firming up for the coaching role after Cheika leaves, great news.


Then it mentioned how there is a big push for LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) to play blindside for the Wallabies. What kind of imbeciles are pushing for that? He's a 2nd row ffs, he doesn't have the pace/dynamism for 6, we saw that multiple times last year!!

 

[Brumby Runner]

Nice team but i’d still have Beale in the team, he’s been very good the past month. His flexibility is invaluable to the team as well. Ask any opposition fan if they’d like to play Aus with or without Beale and they’d take without 99% of the time.

Whites return clearly indicates to me he’s going to be on the plane and I’d doubt they’d do that to be 3rd choice. He will be our reserve no.9.

As a Nic White fan, I have no issue with him being in the 23, but has he been confirmed yet with one of the Super Rugby teams?

I am a permanent anti-Beale person, based on his many behavioural antics over many years. But apart from that, I don't think he offers the stability and security at 15 that DHP does, and I regard Hodge's skills to better suit the Wallabies' bench. So no, I wouldn't have him in the squad for a few reasons.

 

[Slim 293]

Skelton is playing well overseas, but who would he replace from our current domestic options?

As it stands we can't squeeze in all of Rodda, Arnold, Simmons, Coleman, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) and Philip.

On that note, I would be bold with selections - Rodda, Arnold, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) and Philip........ Jones can also cover lock if necessary.

 

[Dctarget]

Skelton is playing well overseas, but who would he replace from our current domestic options?

As it stands we can't squeeze in all of Rodda, Arnold, Simmons, Coleman, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) and Philip.

On that note, I would be bold with selections - Rodda, Arnold, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) and Philip.... Jones can also cover lock if necessary.

Do you have him as bench lock to hopefully smash some tired bodies. If you went with Rodda & Arnold/Coleman starting, does Skelton have more impact for 20 minutes than LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)?

 

[Braveheart81]

So no, I wouldn't have him in the squad for a few reasons.

I reckon he's the red hot favourite to be the Wallabies starting 15 so you probably shouldn't get your hopes up.

Skelton is playing well overseas, but who would he replace from our current domestic options?

As it stands we can't squeeze in all of Rodda, Arnold, Simmons, Coleman, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) and Philip.

On that note, I would be bold with selections - Rodda, Arnold, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) and Philip.... Jones can also cover lock if necessary.

This is where it's difficult. He clearly offers something a bit different but given the current available options it's hard to be sure that he offers an upgrade over any of them.

 

[Slim 293]

Do you have him as bench lock to hopefully smash some tired bodies. If you went with Rodda & Arnold/Coleman starting, does Skelton have more impact for 20 minutes than LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)?

I would have LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) on the bench as he's shown before he can provide good impact from there and can cover both lock and 6, which is handy if we have a smaller backrower on the bench in Pocock or Samu.........

 

[Brumby Runner]

Think you need to proof read this post, you’ve left a Waratah player in. (Smiley face emoji not working from my iPad)

QH, the record of the Wallabies with a good measure of Tahs players making up the core over the past 4 years has been the worst in the professional era. Right now, Hooper is the only player worthy of a Wallaby jersey. Kepu or Robertson, Dempsey and Foley will make the squad, but few others if any imho.

 

[Derpus]

As a Nic White fan, I have no issue with him being in the 23, but has he been confirmed yet with one of the Super Rugby teams?

I am a permanent anti-Beale person, based on his many behavioural antics over many years. But apart from that, I don't think he offers the stability and security at 15 that DHP does, and I regard Hodge's skills to better suit the Wallabies' bench. So no, I wouldn't have him in the squad for a few reasons.

Hodge is pants. He's got middling pace, runs okay lines, can tackle fine, can position himself reasonably well but excels at exactly nothing but booting the ball a fuck off huge distance in a near random direction.

Beale can't tackle, granted. But if you want someone to come of the bench and offer something other than being able to 'do a job' in a random position then Beale is a much better choice.

As soon as Kerevi came back from injury last year it became apparent just how badly we had missed a proper 13.

 

[Joe Blow]

Do you have him as bench lock to hopefully smash some tired bodies. If you went with Rodda & Arnold/Coleman starting, does Skelton have more impact for 20 minutes than LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)?

No. His lineout work is still not up to scratch. We need a strong lineout and now have it available both starting and finishing. Arnold offers much more as a finisher as does LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) and Phillip.

 

[Derpus]

QH, the record of the Wallabies with a good measure of Tahs players making up the core over the past 4 years has been the worst in the professional era. Right now, Hooper is the only player worthy of a Wallaby jersey. Kepu or Robertson, Dempsey and Foley will make the squad, but few others if any imho.

Yawn, the worst performance over those four years, against Argentina, had exactly 2 tahs in the starting line up.

Correlation does not equal causation. Besides, its debatable whether the core was actually made up of Tahs.

Have you ever tried contributing something to the conversation that wasn't 'too many fucking tahs'?

 

[Braveheart81]

QH, the record of the Wallabies with a good measure of Tahs players making up the core over the past 4 years has been the worst in the professional era. Right now, Hooper is the only player worthy of a Wallaby jersey. Kepu or Robertson, Dempsey and Foley will make the squad, but few others if any imho.

Maybe part of the problem is that the players from the other teams have been worse than some of those Waratahs players you don't like.

2018 was our worst year since the game went professional. Maybe the way to improve that was to select more players from teams that performed worse over the season?

Looking through a lot of our lineups from last year, there were similar numbers of Waratahs, Rebels and Brumbies in the 23 in plenty of games and then less Reds.

 

[TSR]

Just read an article saying Rennie is firming up for the coaching role after Cheika leaves, great news.


Then it mentioned how there is a big push for LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) to play blindside for the Wallabies. What kind of imbeciles are pushing for that? He's a 2nd row ffs, he doesn't have the pace/dynamism for 6, we saw that multiple times last year!!

That was last year. Have you watched him this year? Different player.

 

[Ballboy]

Would Justin Harrison be worth considering as coach ? Googie seems to be sniffing around with his face on Fox recently ,, great player and seems to have had some success overseas

 

[JeepsTragic]

Did anybody read the Australian today? Wayne Smith was rating open side flankers. he think Smith and Pocock are the two best flankers we have ever had. Does everyone agree? I rated Wilson and would probably put him ahead of Smith and Pocock. probably only because of the teams he was involved in but I thought Dave was more constructive at the breakdown. Smith got there faster but Wilson did more when he got there. Who was the best?

 

[RugbyReg]

Interesting. I loved Wilson but he doesn't have the skills of Smith nor the physicality of Pocock.

I think they were all awesome at the breakdown.

I'd agree with:

1 Smith
2 Pocock
3 Wilson