Wallabies world cup squad selection

Well, all I can say is last time we had a Queensland Lock leading us into a world cup we all know what happened.

Well, don't leave us hanging Scotty.What happened?

Just saw the squad. Very surprising decisions but potentially good ones. It look strong on paper with the return of taf, palu, mitchell, horne and barnes, but the question is if those class players can regain test match form. Well I guess we'll wait and see

Also, with the All Blacks game at suncorp probably to decide the tri-nations, maybe Deans thought it to be a good move to make Horwill start his captaincy on his home ground with the aim to have a better shot at securing a trophy leading into the WC.

Anybody know why we have named our World Cup squad today and only our arch-rival Namibia named as well.

What was official deadline?

Monday, August 22.
I'd say that they used Thursday as part of the news cycle.

Was so the players could spend the week focused upon the coming game for at Suncorp apparently. Makes a lot of sense, esp if you are going to change Captain, and gives our team another week to gel.

I think it's a great squad considering. Sure I've got the usual gripes with Ma'afu and you have to feel sorry for Beau Robinson, but I completely understand the logic Deans is going with. for once.

As far as Giteau getting dropped, I don't think it's because he is out of form or because he is a bad influence - although it could have been the deciding factor b/w him & Barnes - it's just Robbie has realised a change in strategy was needed to get the best out of Cooper. IMO Robbie realised that Cooper plays better with a foil in the form of a ball-carrying 12, ala A. Faingaa. Amongst other reasons, this why he has been very adamant about JOC staying on the wings this year. With the ball-playing, running 12 now obselete in the Wallabies game plan, what is the point of Gits being there? He is distinctly average - at international level - at 10 and 9.

I still do believe that he is a world class running centre and one of the best I have seen, up there with Horan and soon to be JOC. He was made to look average outside Cooper because he was continually cut out and when he did get the ball was taking it to line in awkward situations.

Really? My man-love for Horan aside, I'm not sure the comparison is valid.

In the vid, who's the fellow on JON's left please?

Darkhorse, Barnes has been very successful outside QC too. But I think you're right: more about combinations than any other factor.

One Team.

I want some of whatever Deans is on.

How could he justify picking Elsom as captain from game 1 in 2011. He had the perfect, ready made excuse not to. He could have brought him back from the bench in game 1. Maybe picked him in game 2 or given him more game time. It would have been bleeding obvious that he hadn't done enough to be sure to start and the transition could have been as smooth as a baby's bum. Instead, he lets Elsom play himself into form so that he had his best game this year against the meat eaters and then promptly drops him as captain, thereby signalling that he's no certainty to make the run on team in NZ.

I dont think Elsom was ever the right guy for the job but I also think that this sequence of events sends entirely the wrong message. And that message is one that Deans has no power to control simply because these guys are not all entirely stupid. They will read it for what it is, over time, irrespective of what is said in team talks or how it is spun to the media as the purge we had to have (note: Growden has already swallowed that one). The moderately intelligent in the squad will be given to thinking "WTF were those last 4 tests all about?" - "how come rocky played his best game and was stripped of the captaincy?" - "how come it took us 4 years to get to this point 2 weeks out from the RWC?"

It is not to be forgotten that the last time Deans took a team to a World Cup, in 2003, that team collapsed in a heap on ANZ stadium..true it is that they did so at the feet of a team that went as close to winning the world cup as you can without winning it. And they were coached by a bloke we were all very happy to see the back of.

So, in one sense, he is entering water in which his charts may not be up to date.

It is also more than odd that he picks 3 hookers and 3 half backs. Only 1 pool game will be a contest - for that we need the A team. For every other game it wouldn't matter who we picked and it cant seriously be suggested that performance on the training paddock will determine who gets the nod in the 1/4s.

Of course the shooting match all falls apart when the noted crocks limp home: It has to be a huge risk with Mitchell and Barnes - perhaps the lesser of the 2 being MItchell since at least you can x ray his injury! How long will Palu and Horne last?

Finally Deans has ODd on whatever he is smoking in picking only one 7. If he thinks that the gutless mob of refs assembled for RWC 2011 are going to be tough on "fetchers", as Growden calls them, thus favouring lopers, he has completely forgotten what NZ crowds can do to the will of even the strong willed - let alone refs. McCaw will have a field day, aided and abetted by the local press and the spectators - what are the odds he even gets 1 yellow card?

When has barnes been successful outside Cooper? It comes up alot but I can't think of a single occasion

He noticeably straightened the attack when he came on against the ABs in HK. Good game in the SdF win against France, as well.

Plays the percentage game well, the worry is whether he ever fully gets over those concussions.

Agreed. Also, if he comes on late in a game and we are slightly in front, he should take decision making of QC to steady and play the game out

I would agree with your rant except for this bit, this team in the last two years lost to scotland and Samoa and has struggled with Ireland. It will not be the walk over you might expect.

I read an interesting theory on another sports site today. Someone pointed out that Deans' sacking of Elsom directly coincided with his contract extension. This poster surmised that perhaps Deans had wanted to drop Elsom for awhile, but due to some sort of outside pressure was forced to retain him. When it came time to negotiate a contract extension, Deans may have demanded more power to make the changes he wanted. And lo and behold, Giteau and now Elsom are dealt with in rapid succession.

It may be a bit of a stretch, but it's certainly plausible.

Good squad Robbie. You have continually worked, and shaped the squad with this day in place. I could not be happier, and I think we are a real chance to beat the blacks in Brisbane, and then win that little gold drinking utensil later in the year.

Cheers

Welcome to the forum, TB. Naza has been complaining the new posters are too soft, seems you have answered the call.

Thanks - I have to say the Gnostic makes a good point but i dont see today's bombshell as addressing our ability to lose the unlosable game here and there.

On Drewprint's point: I like the theory except that whoever was keeping rocky on life support would, presumably, have been opposed to reappointing Dingo. having said that the machinations at the ARU are beyond the comprehension of mere mortals and John O'Neill is more like Stalin than Stalin himself - i think we all know that he got what he wanted. However, Deans should never have been renewed before the RWC was over.