James Buchanan
Trevor Allan (34)
I am curious where they'd want to play him. Backrow looks likely but many of the reports suggest he's quite quick. Maybe Chieka wants his own version of Jamie Roberts?
Waratahs 2014
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Bowside
Peter Johnson (47)
He looks like more of a 6 or 8 than a winger?
I wonder if he is any good at the breakdown.
I think he'd be a winger like he is in league.
He has not played an NRL game so he would not be an expensive signing and would certainly not be expecting a spot in the matchday 23 immediately if he came to the Tahs.
I see an opportunity in rugby for development of units who are decent at getting momentum off static ball.
Too often we see static slow ball being shoveled out to a static runner to get smashed.
Now we have another code around that sees units, in motion, running hard, taking the ball after picking up a load of steam getting over the advantage line, is this guy an answer? dunno
Could be interesting though
Too often we see static slow ball being shoveled out to a static runner to get smashed.
Now we have another code around that sees units, in motion, running hard, taking the ball after picking up a load of steam getting over the advantage line, is this guy an answer? dunno
Could be interesting though
He's a winger.
He's massive and apparently very fast.
I don't think any coach would be thinking of trying to turn him into a forward. It would be a bridge too far in my opinion.
JSRF10
Dick Tooth (41)
Is this the downside to Folaus success? Every rugby league player having contract issues is going to be linked with a move to heavens game?
That said physically he looks like he has the goods but there have been enough failed converts to show that those aren't any precursor to success. I'd make it a condition of signing him that he can't go the the RL World Cup so that he has maximum time to adapt to unions quirks.
That said physically he looks like he has the goods but there have been enough failed converts to show that those aren't any precursor to success. I'd make it a condition of signing him that he can't go the the RL World Cup so that he has maximum time to adapt to unions quirks.
Are we still talking about the Fijian bloke from the Tigers and not Benji Marshall.
If we're talking about Taqele, then he could even come across to rugby on an EPS contract. He has not played one first grade game. It's not like he's made a name for himself in the NRL and is now coming to rugby as a high profile player worth plenty of coin.
If we're talking about Taqele, then he could even come across to rugby on an EPS contract. He has not played one first grade game. It's not like he's made a name for himself in the NRL and is now coming to rugby as a high profile player worth plenty of coin.
JSRF10
Dick Tooth (41)
Apologies, it was the Fijian bloke I was talking about.
I know we'd get him on the cheap, but all his potential is based on the fact that he is big and quick, surely there are young wingers who've played the game all their life that the money would be better invested in. That said I wouldn't lose sleep either way.
James Buchanan
Trevor Allan (34)
There's nothing wrong with getting former league U20s or players early in their career (say pre-23). Its when you attempt to recruit the 25+ y/o players for media purposes that things start going awry.
Jimmyjam
Watty Friend (18)
There's two things in rugby you can't teach..... you can't teach them to be big, and you can't teach them to be fast!!
The rest of it you can learn. He's from Fiji, probabaly played park rugby all his life anyway. I'd grab him for a year or two and see how he goes. Worst case he could turn into another Jone Tawake, best case........!!
The rest of it you can learn. He's from Fiji, probabaly played park rugby all his life anyway. I'd grab him for a year or two and see how he goes. Worst case he could turn into another Jone Tawake, best case........!!
Hawko
Tony Shaw (54)
We do not need any more wingers unless its an EPS spot. The video shows good skills breaking through tackles close to the ruck. He's tall, so he may be a worthwhile backrower. As JJ said, he's probably had a lot of rugby experience in Fiji, so he'll know what a ruck is, though Fijian rucks tend to be very loose so he won't know too much about accurate cleanouts.
Won't cost much though so its not a huge dollar risk.
We have also lost a shitload of players.
Sitaleki Timani, Lopeti Timani, John Ulugia, Grayson Hart, Drew Mitchell, Tom Kingston, Berrick Barnes, Ollie Atkins (is this confirmed?), Tom Carter and possibly a couple more depending on how contracts end up.
Whilst the recruiting has been pretty good so far there are plenty of spots to fill. Out of the players listed above, 5 would be in the matchday 23 most weeks when the whole squad is fit.
something
Jim Clark (26)
Agreed, but the players whom Chieka has kept are, in my opinion, far more valuable than the ones he has let slide.
You can see in any wallabies thread that the majority of people find Timani & Barnes overrated. Kingston never really gelled with the tahs. Mitchell is past his prime by two years. Carter was pretty much going to finish it up anyways *and everyone bitched about Carter. Never heard of Hart or Atkins (sydney boys?)
The only person out of those who are leaving i'd be worried about is Ulugia.
He has retained most of the key players (izzy, douglas, dennis, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) etc.) and dumped the expendable. Good play
We haven't retained Folau yet although it's certainly hopeful and likely based on the information that has been made public.
I agree that Barnes is probably a good player to lose based on his Super Rugby form relative to his price tag. He needs to be suitably replaced though (which Beale would achieve nicely).
I think Sitaleki Timani is the biggest loss. He is a big reason why our scrum is so strong and if we'd gone into next season with Timani, Douglas and Skelton we'd have had an excellent set of locks. Timani might be overrated in terms of where Deans saw him in his selection ranking but that doesn't mean he isn't a strong Super Rugby lock.
I agree that Barnes is probably a good player to lose based on his Super Rugby form relative to his price tag. He needs to be suitably replaced though (which Beale would achieve nicely).
I think Sitaleki Timani is the biggest loss. He is a big reason why our scrum is so strong and if we'd gone into next season with Timani, Douglas and Skelton we'd have had an excellent set of locks. Timani might be overrated in terms of where Deans saw him in his selection ranking but that doesn't mean he isn't a strong Super Rugby lock.
I like to watch
David Codey (61)
Huh?
What has he done to warrant any interest?
Failing in another code should not be the pathway.
the Toyota Cup is not a good standard.92% of Toyota Cup players make it no further.
It's like that Littlejohn,fails in Mungo.trains all Summer with the Tahs and then done what?
By all means welcome him into the code.
At SS level to see what he's got.
Spots with the Tahs and their EPS spots should be earned by deeds in this game.It shouldn't be for discards from another code.
He is absolutely massive and is apparently really fast as well. I think that is where any interest lies.
I agree with you that this shouldn't be the first point of recruitment but I also think that taking a gamble with one $50k EPS spot isn't such a bad idea. If it doesn't work out you really haven't lost much and if it does it could be a massive bonus.
I like to watch
David Codey (61)
If none of the 16 Mungo clubs want to risk $50k or even $20k,why should the Tahs?If they all pass on him, there are good reasons.It's not like he would have slipped under their guard,is it?
I am a big believer that a good league player will be a good Rugby player.
I am a strong believer that an ordinary league player will be an ordinary rugby player.
I am a big believer that a good league player will be a good Rugby player.
I am a strong believer that an ordinary league player will be an ordinary rugby player.
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