Wallabies 2019 Thread

[Derpus]

It's funny though, the common denominators for the successful lineups over the past 4 seasons are Hodge & Koroibete, which seems to be where we are at right now. Maybe that's just simply the best of the available options.

Well we ought to throw some Folau money at another league winger eh.

 

[KOB1987]

Well we ought to throw some Folau money at another league winger eh.

Won't help us right now but not silly for the next cycle.

 

[Adam84]

Given Valentine Holmes a crack if he doesn't make it in the NFL, Reds tried signing him 3 or 4 years ago before he started locking down rep positions, to no avail.

 

[Slim 293]

He still needs to lock down a Super Rugby starting spot, but both times Tom Wright has played in the outside backs this year he’s looked very good.........

Granted, one of those times was against the Rising yesterday (but to be fair it was at outside centre)......... he’s got speed and very good ball skills.

 

[Derpus]

He still needs to lock down a Super Rugby starting spot, but both times Tom Wright has played in the outside backs this year he’s looked very good...

Granted, one of those times was against the Rising yesterday (but to be fair it was at outside centre)... he’s got speed and very good ball skills.

I'm encouraged by all the talent coming through, to be sure.

But sometimes you just need a guy who's already good enough.

 

[shanky]

Matt Burkes probably only faster then AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) these days,

I’m sure that if we each think about, we can all come up with a really good sounding reason why AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is in the squad.

Then we’ll pause and quietly accept the realisation that; yeah/nah, he’s actually there because he’s Cheika’s mate.

 

[KOB1987]

I’m sure that if we each think about, we can all come up with a really good sounding reason why AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is in the squad.

Then we’ll pause and quietly accept the realisation that; yeah/nah, he’s actually there because he’s Cheika’s mate.

That doesn't wash though. I wouldn't doubt that Cheika pushed his case, but whatever that case was was solid enough to get Johnson at least, and potentially Snoz as well, over the line.

 

[Slim 293]

I just assume they didn't want to be fielding angry phone calls from AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)'s mother.........

 

[shanky]

That doesn't wash though. I wouldn't doubt that Cheika pushed his case, but whatever that case was was solid enough to get Johnson at least, and potentially Snoz as well, over the line.

Fair point but I don’t buy that whole thing.

The coach gets the team he wants. He’s ‘responsible’ for the results and so he has to be allowed to get the casting vote, despite what the clowns at HQ say.

 

[wamberal]

Fair point but I don’t buy that whole thing.

The coach gets the team he wants. He’s ‘responsible’ for the results and so he has to be allowed to get the casting vote, despite what the clowns at HQ say.

So if the other two selectors do not want a particular player, are you saying that the coach can use a casting vote to override their votes?


If that is so, what is the point of having the other two selectors? Who would want to be part of a set-up like that?

 

[shanky]

So if the other two selectors do not want a particular player, are you saying that the coach can use a casting vote to override their votes?


If that is so, what is the point of having the other two selectors? Who would want to be part of a set-up like that?

The 3-person system no doubt works fine for 90% of the cases. However, it would be entirely sensible to concede the casting vote to the coach on players he feels strongly about.

To take your point, would you want to be (one of) the other selectors who denied the coach his "captain's pick" or his "X factor player"?

 

[Forcefield]

I'm not a fan of the AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) selection, but I can see the point. He is presumably a player who has a significant positive impact on tesm culture and one who is very unlikely to play in any important match unless we have a catastrophe. There are slways players in a squad that get almost no game time. Having watched Ireland capitulate against England, I wonder on the value of someone who brings the "vibe" (assuming AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) does).

 

[fatprop]

Matt Burkes probably only faster then AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) these days,

Morgan Turinui suggested that AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is still as fast as Hodge on his podcast (but still couldn't work out the logic of selecting him)

 

[fatprop]

There is no death of dual wingers. Every country in the world uses them.

This notion of strike winger has been made up on this forum.

We just don’t have two Koriobetes.

The concept of having a 14/15 hybrid winger makes eminent sense, as most sides try to run one wing who is very solid under the high ball and can kick, so the pendulum defensive structure negates the offensive kick. (It worked better for Aus when we had the worlds best kick disburser in the back three)

 

[John S]

The 3-person system no doubt works fine for 90% of the cases. However, it would be entirely sensible to concede the casting vote to the coach on players he feels strongly about.

To take your point, would you want to be (one of) the other selectors who denied the coach his "captain's pick" or his "X factor player"?

How can there be a "casting vote' with a three person selection panel? The extra casting vote in that case would just cause a tie? And isn't that the whole point of an uneven number on the selection panel - so there is no need to rely on a "casting vote"?

 

[Tex]

Morgan Turinui suggested that AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is still as fast as Hodge on his podcast (but still couldn't work out the logic of selecting him)

Makes perfect sense when you see that Hodge has the running style of a gut-shot wildebeest

 

[shanky]

How can there be a "casting vote' with a three person selection panel? The extra casting vote in that case would just cause a tie? And isn't that the whole point of an uneven number on the selection panel - so there is no need to rely on a "casting vote"?

I was using the term loosely to make the point. If you prefer, we can use the words 'Preference Vote' or "Final Say vote"

 

[Tomikin]

That doesn't wash though. I wouldn't doubt that Cheika pushed his case, but whatever that case was was solid enough to get Johnson at least, and potentially Snoz as well, over the line.

They are a selection panel, but I'm certain Cheika, would probably get what he wanted AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is there because it sounds like he trains hard, and his use to world cups. I think his spot could have gone to someone who was quicker and more of a on field benefit, but it didn't.

I hope the prick comes out and dominates the WC and makes us all look like idiots.

 

[Braveheart81]

Banks > Beale.

Sameway as Lilo > Foley before it happened.

Just because the selection hasn't happened, doesn't mean it isn't the case. The ARU selectors dont have a secret meritocracy machine, they are riddled by cognitive bias like anyone else.

That was the point though. What anyone else thinks doesn't change the fact that Beale is the first choice fullback right now and that is the principal reason why Banks isn't in the squad.

You can argue all day whether they have got that wrong or not but as I said, it's the reality of the situation right now.

Ok so let me get this straight, we picked a fast winger (strike) and a more balanced winger (read: slower, maybe has played fullback, has better ball-skills etc) even when we have the option of another "strike" winger?

Who else is using this tactic? NZ aren't, England certainly aren't (May, Cokanasiga) Ireland no (Stockdale, Conway) South African absolutely do not?

NZ have regularly picked a fullback type player on the wing going back to 2015 and before (Milner-Skudder, Dagg, Ben Smith etc.). They particularly did this when Savea was on one wing and also Naholo. They have paired Ioane and Naholo together more times in the last couple of years but seemingly still like having one winger who has played a fair bit of fullback (or at least has a reasonable kicking game).

Our biggest problem and why I think we steer towards these sort of selections is that we don't have many/any complete wingers and we have a number of wingers who lack a decent kicking game and/or the positional awareness of playing fullback. A jack of all trades player like Hodge or an actual fullback (DHP) have played a lot of wing because we don't want to pick two wingers with zero or little kicking game. This was exacerbated when we had Folau at fullback so we desperately wanted one winger who had a strong kicking game.

 

[Bobby Sands]

The concept of having a 14/15 hybrid winger makes eminent sense, as most sides try to run one wing who is very solid under the high ball and can kick, so the pendulum defensive structure negates the offensive kick. (It worked better for Aus when we had the worlds best kick disburser in the back three)

Which teams?