Wallabies 2021

[Forcefield]

Fiji are going pretty well, but we played bloody stupid rugby in 2019. We played right into their hands. This year hasn't been inspiring, but I think we'll be a different beast to the one that struggled in the pool stages in 2019.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I think we'll be a better side next year. The young blokes will continue to develop and I think Rennie and Wisemantel's game plan will bed down. I think we should be optimistic.

 

[Braveheart81]

Michael Hooper won his third John Eales Medal

He was first with 91 points, Koroibete second with 88 points and Slipper third with 79 points.

 

[RugbyReg]

The players love him don't they?

Personally I was surprised Matt Philip didn't come higher (didn't see his name at all?). He was my tip.

 

[Braveheart81]

The players love him don't they?

Personally I was surprised Matt Philip didn't come higher (didn't see his name at all?). He was my tip.

Philip didn't make the top 5 which is really surprising.

4th and 5th were Nic White and Reece Hodge.

 

[swingpass]

The players love him don't they?

Personally I was surprised Matt Philip didn't come higher (didn't see his name at all?). He was my tip.

bashed too many in training ?

 

[Tomikin]

The players love him don't they?

Personally I was surprised Matt Philip didn't come higher (didn't see his name at all?). He was my tip.

That was his problem right there... if you hadn't of tipped him

 

[Up the Guts]

Michael Hooper won his third John Eales Medal

He was first with 91 points, Koroibete second with 88 points and Slipper third with 79 points.

Wish the front page was still going.

 

[Viking]

Surprised Koro was so high too. He had one great game from memory.

I would have Slipper, Hooper, and Philip as the top scorers.

 

[Up the Guts]

Surprised Koro was so high too. He had one great game from memory.

I would have Slipper, Hooper, and Philip as the top scorers.

Effort players always get rewarded more in these sorts of things. It often happens in Dally M voting (although that’s not done by the players), guys that run around everywhere making last ditch tackles do better than the guy who consistently gets over the ad line in tight. It just sticks in the mind of those voting.

For instance, I’d be willing to bet that the tackle that Hooper and Koro made on Caleb Clarke in Sydney to save a try would have bagged them a lot of votes even though it was just one action.

 

[Dctarget]

Koro had 2 great games from memory.

 

[cyclopath]

who do we verse in quarters?

We verse no-one. We might play someone.

 

[Braveheart81]

We verse no-one. We might play someone.

Any thoughts on the chorus?

 

[formerflanker]

Michael Hooper won his third John Eales Medal

He was first with 91 points, Koroibete second with 88 points and Slipper third with 79 points.

Only the second player to win 3, after Folau.
made a nice comment - "I am very proud to receive this award from a new cohort of guys ... in what's been a very challenging year," Hooper said. "It's always nice to receive an award named after John Eales."


On a far more serious note, the John Eales Award is backrowist. 9 of the 19 awards have gone to back rowers.The first 3 were solely back rowers - Smith, Waugh, Lyons. Of the 4 players who have won more than once, 50% are back rowers.
Not bad for a position which only comprises 20% of the team.

 

[Adam84]

I think thats a reflection of the position rather then the individuals, i think the margin of error allowed for in the backrow is greater then other positions on the field, i think they can do less wrong then other positions. The expectation of them is to work hard, make tackles and hit rucks. If a back-rowers accuracy at the ruck or tackle is off marginally, you dont really notice it. One ineffective tackle or one poor clean out doesn’t usually change the game. Whereas i think mistakes in other positions magnify the impact on the teaml.

A a fly-half will be crucified for one bad pass in the game, a hooker will be remembered for the lineout throw he got crooked, a kicker will be remembered for the kick he missed and a prop will be remembered for the one scrum he got wrong. Conversely if they get it right they get praised, but I think the metrics which they are judged by are a high bar which are difficult to hit consistently.

 

[Braveheart81]

I definitely think an element of it is that openside flankers in particular have often been the star players in every team they've played in growing up.

Obviously once you get to test level, everyone is a star player but 7 has always been a position where the gun player ends up playing.

 

[wamberal]

I think we'll be a better side next year. The young blokes will continue to develop and I think Rennie and Wisemantel's game plan will bed down. I think we should be optimistic.

If we weren't optimistic we would not follow the game!

 

[Froggy]

As to the idea of 7 being a star player, I was a 7, and therefore probably the exception that proves the rule!

 

[fatprop]

Surprised Koro was so high too. He had one great game from memory.

I would have Slipper, Hooper, and Philip as the top scorers.

Koro works so hard off the ball - it is the stuff that TV cameras don't catch, but teammates appreciate

 

[Braveheart81]

As to the idea of 7 being a star player, I was a 7, and therefore probably the exception that proves the rule!

Maybe it was just the junior teams I played in but the guy who ended up as the 7 was always that guy who had the speed to play in the backs but the physicality to play in the forwards and was generally really skillful too.