Wallaby Squad Predictions 2010!

[en_force_er]

If TPN is injured Fainga'a is the obvious choice but I would love to see a bolter picked from left field.

Namely I'd like to see Charles or Hanson. So much potential.

Obviously as soon as TPN and Moore (I've forgotten how badly he is broken) are uninjured this bolter would not see field time anymore. Great development chance.

 

[Lindommer]

If Freier's fit he should slot straight back in. I fail to see why Edmonds warrants consideration, he's nearly 29 while the middle Finger's only just 23 and Fitzy's about to turn 21. The two up-and-comers are Fainga'a and Fitzpatrick, Saia's grasped his opportunity in Queensland resulting in a lot more run-on time than Damien and deserves to be ranked ahead of him. These early tests are wonderful opportunities to blood worthy young players like these two. But please, not Edmonds, too old and too loose.

 

[CanadianRugby]

totally agree Lind. Time for Fitz or Fainga'a to get a run. See what the young kids can do.

 

[TOCC]

If we are going to base this on merit, then i think Fainga'a deserves the shot, apart from a pretty horrible first game off the bench against the Tah, i dont remember him having any bad games there after.

Admittedly its only agaisnt Fiji as well, they dont exactly have the best forwards either

 

[Scotty]

I would be very reticent to start Fa'ainga vs the Boks or Kiwis. If it comes to that, then I'd choose Freier to start with Fa'ainga on the bench.

 

[topo]

Freier is not a realistic proposition until he has strung some games together.
And he hasn't done that for 2 years.
S Finger for me.

 

[TOCC]

I would be very reticent to start Fa'ainga vs the Boks or Kiwis. If it comes to that, then I'd choose Freier to start with Fa'ainga on the bench.

he was almost MOM against the Bulls and Stormers

 

[fatprop]

Fa'ainga deserves his chance

 

[Scotty]

Probably does, but doesn't mean I'm not worried about it.

 

[MrMouse]

Not the biggest of surprises, but if SMH can be believed we have a few "confirmed" and a few dead'uns.

Confirmed: Quade Cooper, Matt Giteau, Digby Ioane, Drew Mitchell, Peter Hynes, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Berrick Barnes, James O'Connor and Lachlan Turner, and Nathan Sharpe.
Dead in the water: Mortlock, Baxter, Waugh

The only surprise there to me is Baxter, particularly given how light we are in front row stocks.

Oh yeah, http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/sharpe-set-to-survive-wallabies-cut-20100526-wdpw.html

 

[#1 Tah]

$50 that Frier gets injured if selected

 

[Langthorne]

Probably does, but doesn't mean I'm not worried about it.

That is my feeling too - deserves a go, but putting him in against top opposition is a worry.

 

[Brumbies Guy]

Not the biggest of surprises, but if SMH can be believed we have a few "confirmed" and a few dead'uns.

Confirmed: Quade Cooper, Matt Giteau, Digby Ioane, Drew Mitchell, Peter Hynes, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Berrick Barnes, James O'Connor and Lachlan Turner, and Nathan Sharpe.
Dead in the water: Mortlock, Baxter, Waugh

The only surprise there to me is Baxter, particularly given how light we are in front row stocks.

Oh yeah, http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/sharpe-set-to-survive-wallabies-cut-20100526-wdpw.html

both faingaas also confirmed

 

[fatprop]

The rugby club had Chisolm in the squad as well .....

 

[#1 Tah]

WHY?????

 

[Groucho]

People need to relax.

Chis may not be the best lock going round but he's an experienced head in a young group. We have a lot of players down injured at the moment and we can use all the caps we can get, for the sake of the overall squad, especially with so many in just their second year of tests.

After all, this is only the start of a long season. Over tiime the best players will rise to the top.

I may be in a minority here, but I fully trust Deans on this. It may seem like a conservative strategy but it's really just sensible to do it the way he has. There is a lot of time for some of the youngsters who missed out this time to work their way in: Houston for example. We had a lot of very fast promotions last year, because we needed to clear the decks, but now we can go back to slower percolation, which is how it should be.

The only player I'm personally sad that didn't make it this time is Humphries. I guess it was due to his age but he would've been a damned useful body to have in there to shore up the gaps.

 

[Hawko]

People need to relax.

Chis may not be the best lock going round but he's an experienced head in a young group. We have a lot of players down injured at the moment and we can use all the caps we can get, for the sake of the overall squad, especially with so many in just their second year of tests.

The only player I'm personally sad that didn't make it this time is Humphries. I guess it was due to his age but he would've been a damned useful body to have in there to shore up the gaps.

If we needed Chisolm for his experience, would it not have been better to put an experienced lock like Humphries in? Chisolm was decidedly poor this S14 and Van was outstanding. If we needed experience to back up a young squad, Waugh and Baxter both had excellent seasons but couldn't make the grade. I don't think experience was the reason he got in. At least one of the three selectors supported him out of personal preference. It certainly wasn't on performance, there are six or seven better locks in Oz based on S14 performance.

 

[DPK]

People need to relax.

Chis may not be the best lock going round but he's an experienced head in a young group. We have a lot of players down injured at the moment and we can use all the caps we can get, for the sake of the overall squad, especially with so many in just their second year of tests.

The only player I'm personally sad that didn't make it this time is Humphries. I guess it was due to his age but he would've been a damned useful body to have in there to shore up the gaps.

If we needed Chisolm for his experience, would it not have been better to put an experienced lock like Humphries in? Chisolm was decidedly poor this S14 and Van was outstanding. If we needed experience to back up a young squad, Waugh and Baxter both had excellent seasons but couldn't make the grade. I don't think experience was the reason he got in. At least one of the three selectors supported him out of personal preference. It certainly wasn't on performance, there are six or seven better locks in Oz based on S14 performance.

Chis has played Test footy, Van hasn't. I don't think Deans would want him.

 

[Viking]

People need to relax.

Chis may not be the best lock going round but he's an experienced head in a young group. We have a lot of players down injured at the moment and we can use all the caps we can get, for the sake of the overall squad, especially with so many in just their second year of tests.

The only player I'm personally sad that didn't make it this time is Humphries. I guess it was due to his age but he would've been a damned useful body to have in there to shore up the gaps.

If we needed Chisolm for his experience, would it not have been better to put an experienced lock like Humphries in? Chisolm was decidedly poor this S14 and Van was outstanding. If we needed experience to back up a young squad, Waugh and Baxter both had excellent seasons but couldn't make the grade. I don't think experience was the reason he got in. At least one of the three selectors supported him out of personal preference. It certainly wasn't on performance, there are six or seven better locks in Oz based on S14 performance.

Chislomn is much more experienced then Van Humphries. International experience i believe counts much more then super 14 experience. Therefore Deans must have picked him for that reason. 3 experienced locks in an international squad is more then appropriate and when you think about it his choice in locks is very limited (with horwill being out) and he really only had to choose between Sharpe, Mumm, Chis and Humphries, and then some bolters.