Waratahs 2017

[amirite]

I would have conceded that until I saw the ease with which Meakes adapted to soup rugby. He was the best of the Aussie 12s in the first few weeks but I haven't seen him in the last few weeks.

There's plenty of guys in their leagues that would go great in Super rugby, like I said they're just defused across more teams.

Meakes didn't adapt with ease, he played an NRC season and then had a full preseason to integrate.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Meakes didn't adapt with ease, he played an NRC season and then had a full preseason to integrate.

as did every other player bar wallabies: Meakes is a fine example of how poor tahs talent identification is

 

[upthereds#!]

he got injured for a couple rounds. brache played 12...meakes killed it last week

 

[21mmstuds]

Well it will be interesting to see who the tahs sign for locks next year with Skelton gone and Mumm probably retiring. Hopefully some decent locks.

If the Force are wound-up, bring Matt Phillip home.

 

[amirite]

as did every other player bar wallabies: Meakes is a fine example of how poor tahs talent identification is

Sure, but that's an entirely different point that's completely unrelated.

The point I was making is Meakes had time to adjust to the difference between the leagues.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Sure, but that's an entirely different point that's completely unrelated.

The point I was making is Meakes had time to adjust to the difference between the leagues.

Mate, you are all over the shop.
You mentioned training.
They all did it and he was better than all of them, including Simon I his effective replacement at norths.

 

[fatprop]

as did every other player bar wallabies: Meakes is a fine example of how poor tahs talent identification is

This is the perennial argument, whenever some clubchoses "A" over "B" and "B" does better, the sky is falling, whether it be Waugh over Smith, there will always be the one who got away. (the Eels in the NRL are always being given the same shit)

Meakes when he went overseas wasn't any better than the options they already had.

Meakes returning to Aus? well the Tahs decided to go for the best young talent in the NRC, who so far has struggled, but the choice was a valid one.

In the end it really depends on the slots open in any one season, sometimes the slots are contracted, other areas need to be filled and another one gets away.

 

[wamberal]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, innit?

 

[TOCC]

This is the perennial argument, whenever some clubchoses "A" over "B" and "B" does better, the sky is falling, whether it be Waugh over Smith, there will always be the one who got away. (the Eels in the NRL are always being given the same shit)

Parramatta havent won a premiership in 31 years, are they really a good comparison? Broncos are another with a huge catchment, but for the most part retain the players they want.

If it were just a case of the 'one who got away' then people wouldn't be whinging, but when it's a case of the '20 who got away', that's when questions need to be asked of the talent identification in place..

Both the Reds and Tahs do it poorly.

 

[Braveheart81]

So Meakes moved to the UK in 2013.

Almost without doubt they should have signed Meakes in 2013 instead of Michael Hodge (who ended up being a non-starter due to recurring injuries).

Even if Meakes was half the player he is now, his pedigree as an Aussie under 20s player etc. was much better than Hodge.

 

[fatprop]

Parramatta havent won a premiership in 31 years, are they really a good comparison? Broncos are another with a huge catchment, but for the most part retain the players they want.

If it were just a case of the 'one who got away' then people wouldn't be whinging, but when it's a case of the '20 who got away', that's when questions need to be asked of the talent identification in place..

Both the Reds and Tahs do it poorly.

With both the Tahs & Reds, I think the issue is as much, too much loyalty as "bad" talent identification.

 

[I like to watch]

This is the perennial argument, whenever some clubchoses "A" over "B" and "B" does better, the sky is falling, whether it be Waugh over Smith, there will always be the one who got away. (the Eels in the NRL are always being given the same shit)

Meakes when he went overseas wasn't any better than the options they already had.

Meakes returning to Aus? well the Tahs decided to go for the best young talent in the NRC, who so far has struggled, but the choice was a valid one.

In the end it really depends on the slots open in any one season, sometimes the slots are contracted, other areas need to be filled and another one gets away.

Oh really?
Who were the up and comers that were preferred to him?
The sky is falling in, not because the choices are always between a Waugh/Smith
It's because they continually sign players that aren't ready for years to come.
As an aside, Meakes was locked up months before Simone appeared on the radar.

Your position that
A) local players that do not go O/S proves the local recruiters got it right.
B)that any player who gets a gig O/S was a late bloomer that improved whilst O/S, Or
C) that yes, they were worthy, but it was a toss of the coin, and both they & the preferred player were always going to succeed, is way too generous on local recruiters.

It's not an easy job, but most of them need bigger dart boards, cos it seems like a lot of them are just throwing darts when making recruitment decisions.

 

[amirite]

Mate, you are all over the shop.
You mentioned training.
They all did it and he was better than all of them, including Simon I his effective replacement at norths.

Here is your post that started the tangent -

I would have conceded that until I saw the ease with which Meakes adapted to soup rugby. He was the best of the Aussie 12s in the first few weeks but I haven't seen him in the last few weeks.

 

[Micheal]

This is the perennial argument, whenever some clubchoses "A" over "B" and "B" does better, the sky is falling, whether it be Waugh over Smith, there will always be the one who got away. (the Eels in the NRL are always being given the same shit)

Meakes when he went overseas wasn't any better than the options they already had.

Meakes returning to Aus? well the Tahs decided to go for the best young talent in the NRC, who so far has struggled, but the choice was a valid one.

In the end it really depends on the slots open in any one season, sometimes the slots are contracted, other areas need to be filled and another one gets away.

I think people often view players as black-and-white, without accounting for any sort of development or regression, and this doesn't help the situation either.

Reece Hodge made the Australian schoolboys at the last minute as injury cover for Lalaki Foketi (whatever happened to him by the way?)

I knew a lot of people who weren't happy as they simply thought he wasn't up to it.

As a u19 the same people thought he'd gotten a bit better, and they were genuinely impressed by the time u20s came around. He literally became better as a player, and we've seen that he's continued to do so as he was one of the first players in his age cohort to debut for the Wallabies.

Around the same time he filled out massively from a lanky schoolboy to quite a large center by international standards (indicative of his commitment and attitude)

On the other hand, you have people like Frisby, Godwin, CFS, Browning, Kellaway (to an extent) who have regressed or not lived up to their initial expectations. The recruiters simply can't get it right every time as there are so many unknowns.

I think Meakes probably falls into the former category. Just because he's a good player now doesn't mean the Waratah's recruitment process failed miserably when he left years ago to play at some of Europe's smallest and weakest clubs.

 

[amirite]

Reece Hodge made the Australian schoolboys at the last minute as injury cover for Lalaki Foketi (whatever happened to him by the way?)

Went to lower levels in France, made good money. Now he plays NZ Provincial Rugby.

I do not know the full story, but I wouldn't be surprised if much like JJ Taulagi he's no longer Aussie qualified and thus our pathway isn't open to him (if you're not a citizen, and you never get an international cap, you reset your residency when you move).

 

[Twoilms]

On the other hand, you have people like Frisby, Godwin, CFS, Browning, Kellaway (to an extent) who have regressed or not lived up to their initial expectations. The recruiters simply can't get it right every time as there are so many unknowns.

This concerns me more than the recruitment process. The Tahs seem incapable of properly developing talent. Classic example for me being Nemani Nadolo. We had him as an emerging talent. Never made an impact and left. Becomes a gun winger for the crusaders 3-4 years later after some time in Europe.

It's hard to tell whether it's on the players or the club but players definitely seem to stall at the tahs often. (see Kellaway, Horwitz etc.)

 

[Braveheart81]

Classic example for me being Nemani Nadolo. We had him as an emerging talent. Never made an impact and left. Becomes a gun winger for the crusaders 3-4 years later after some time in Europe.

By his own admission, it wasn't until someone sacked him for not putting in the required effort that he pulled his finger out and worked hard.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Here is your post that started the tangent -

 

[MACCA]

I think people often view players as black-and-white, without accounting for any sort of development or regression, and this doesn't help the situation either.

Reece Hodge made the Australian schoolboys at the last minute as injury cover for Lalaki Foketi (whatever happened to him by the way?)

I knew a lot of people who weren't happy as they simply thought he wasn't up to it.

As a u19 the same people thought he'd gotten a bit better, and they were genuinely impressed by the time u20s came around. He literally became better as a player, and we've seen that he's continued to do so as he was one of the first players in his age cohort to debut for the Wallabies.

Around the same time he filled out massively from a lanky schoolboy to quite a large center by international standards (indicative of his commitment and attitude)

On the other hand, you have people like Frisby, Godwin, CFS, Browning, Kellaway (to an extent) who have regressed or not lived up to their initial expectations. The recruiters simply can't get it right every time as there are so many unknowns.

I think Meakes probably falls into the former category. Just because he's a good player now doesn't mean the Waratah's recruitment process failed miserably when he left years ago to play at some of Europe's smallest and weakest clubs.

It could be worse, we could be recruiting overseas (scottish & saffers) juniors like the Force.

 

[fatprop]

It could be worse, we could be recruiting overseas (scottish & saffers) juniors like the Force.

It is always laudable to support refugees from third world countries, especially if they can play rugby