• Welcome to the Green and Gold Rugby forums. As you can see we've upgraded the forums to new software. Your old logon details should work, just click the 'Login' button in the top right.

Waratahs 2021

Derpus

George Gregan (70)
You know someone is royally fucked when the board comes out and says 'they have our full backing'. Soon as they come out and say that you should start packing your bags.
 

Pfitzy

George Gregan (70)
You know someone is royally fucked when the board comes out and says 'they have our full backing'. Soon as they come out and say that you should start packing your bags.


I believe Doorn was quoted on March 6th for that. Throw in the bye week and yeah, you're talking a couple of games.

Pretty standard, really...
 

Quick Hands

David Wilson (68)
This is a disgrace (Blackadder will be delighted though)
Davis is showing the capacity to destroy rugby in what has traditionally been the strongest state, he needs to exit the building now.
I don't know whether Penney was the right coach or not, but you can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear. This side is a combination of youngsters who should be being blooded into super rugby off the bench one at a time, and journeymen who anywhere else would just be squad fillers, coming onto the bench when someone was injured.
If these guys were a proper business, a special general meeting would be called and the whole board sacked!

Indeed, but in the world of Australian rugby boards aren't held accountable for anything. Dear old Wamberal would recoil in horror at the very thought of the elites of rugby boardland being held accountable or responsible for anything.

NSW rugby is a steaming mess, and none of those who have been involved in running it for a decade or more have either the wit or the will to implement the changes necessary to turn it around.
 

liquor box

Peter Sullivan (51)
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sp...wallabies-training-squad-20210328-p57eqw.html
With the RFU absurdly prevaricating over Eddie Jone’s future (of course they should keep him) NSW should make their minds up for them by approaching him. If Eddie is off limits, Simon Cron it is.

Interesting, I can't see Eddie wanting to return, unless he wants to get to a safer Covid-19 environment.

I think the Tahs could do worse that throwing as much cash as they can muster at trying to sign Ewan McKenzie, he had an ability to get great performances out of young highly talented players and seems to be able to communicate with young players too.
 

Derpus

George Gregan (70)
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sp...wallabies-training-squad-20210328-p57eqw.html


Interesting, I can't see Eddie wanting to return, unless he wants to get to a safer Covid-19 environment.

I think the Tahs could do worse that throwing as much cash as they can muster at trying to sign Ewan McKenzie, he had an ability to get great performances out of young highly talented players and seems to be able to communicate with young players too.
There is absolutely no way in hell McKenzie would go to the Tahs in their current state (or, probably, ever).

I think one bullshit unjustified sacking is enough for a lifetime.
 

Members Section

John Thornett (49)
There is absolutely no way in hell McKenzie would go to the Tahs in their current state (or, probably, ever).

I think one bullshit unjustified sacking is enough for a lifetime.

Why would anyone want to go there atm, I think only a fresh green face desperate for an opportunity would take it on. Its along long process to recovery not even a players coach like Chiek's or Jones could fix.

If only there was an 8 team comp where players & coaches could learn their craft develop & in 3 years time a super rugby side could benefit & be leading the standings in super rugby full of players from zed comp & a coach that has also done the same thing.
 

KevinO

Geoff Shaw (53)
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sp...wallabies-training-squad-20210328-p57eqw.html


Interesting, I can't see Eddie wanting to return, unless he wants to get to a safer Covid-19 environment.

I think the Tahs could do worse that throwing as much cash as they can muster at trying to sign Ewan McKenzie, he had an ability to get great performances out of young highly talented players and seems to be able to communicate with young players too.
haha, I remember when he resigned one Michael Hooper did not even stay at his side and left the press conference. How on earth do you expect Mckenzie to go-to the tahs when it was all NSWRU who forced his hand when at the Wallabies.
 

Drew

Bob Davidson (42)
Yeah coz the 22yr old marketing girl who bangs out a couple of tweets is going to bite back at that rubbish
Just like the players and the ex coach, someone else has to wear shit because of the boards ineptitude. And why bother putting it up on Facebook? Don’t they get that it’s a controversial issue and people have the capacity to voice their dissatisfaction?
 

Rebels3

Jim Lenehan (48)
Les Kiss
Daniel Halangahu
Darren Coleman

These I suspect will be the most likely names, none of them available until end of the season. They honestly need a Jake White character and strip everything back and work with the absolute basics. Give up been an expansive team. Brumbies did it, Reds under Thorn was very forwards oriented for the first 18months, and I’d argue 18months ago the Rebels gave up trying to be expansive and have now tried to build foundations to work on from (Genia and Quade era). It’d require the people that boo’ed them in the Phil Waugh era to suck it up.
 

WorkingClassRugger

David Codey (61)
Les Kiss
Daniel Halangahu
Darren Coleman

These I suspect will be the most likely names, none of them available until end of the season. They honestly need a Jake White character and strip everything back and work with the absolute basics. Give up been an expansive team. Brumbies did it, Reds under Thorn was very forwards oriented for the first 18months, and I’d argue 18months ago the Rebels gave up trying to be expansive and have now tried to build foundations to work on from (Genia and Quade era). It’d require the people that boo’ed them in the Phil Waugh era to suck it up.

Coleman is in the states for a couple of years as per an interview he gave on one of the growing list of podcasts based around MLR. So we can probably scratch him.
 

Quick Hands

David Wilson (68)
There is absolutely no way in hell McKenzie would go to the Tahs in their current state (or, probably, ever).

I think one bullshit unjustified sacking is enough for a lifetime.

He was treated appalling by the NSWRU/Waratahs and I think he's made it plain that he wants nothing to do with Australian rugby. And I don't blame him at all.
 

Rob42

John Solomon (38)
Well, that's very disappointing. NSWRU not missing an opportunity to further underline their incompetence, and delay any rebuild for another couple of years. Any recruitment conversations that have been happening are now moot, if we don't have a new coach in place soon we'll miss out on the best recruitment opportunities for 2022 (if any decent player would want to risk their future by going to the Tahs), so we're likely to see more of the same next season.

Cron has been campaigning through the media the last couple of months, so you'd have to think he'd be in the mix.
 

Sheepie

Sydney Middleton (9)
I didn't even watch the Tahs v Rebels match. But I saw the Tahs v Reds. While there were good moments, to be honest I'm not even sure if there is improvement over the first round match. So while I don't agree that Penney should have been dropped, I'm not surprised that he was. There just wasn't the improvement we should have been seeing from the squad by this point.

To my understanding, the squad isn't as much a result of Penney's choices as it should be. It's more Tahs management that let people go, and Penney has just been dealing with the players left to him.

Reds went through a few years where they were more than willing to drop big name stars for any slight reason. The management stuck with the coach (Thorne) as they relied more on young players and getting them up to speed. Now look at the Reds, top of the table.

Waratahs looked like they were trying the same routine. Simply didn't offer big names a new contract, even a token contract to those who would have taken it. Dropped the squad down to juniors some of whom weren't ready to step up but one day will be and some who may never be good enough for this level. But Tahs management didn't have the balls to follow through the way Reds management did. To stick with the multi-year process. For that greater reward down the line.

What they could have had was finally a working development regime where young players regularly get brought up in to the team and developed. Flaws fixed. Introduced at a good rate to make them shine. Now, it's a sure bet Waratahs are going to go back to tried & true old methods of throwing money at weak positions, having a high $$ squad that consistently underperforms. And young players who are better off going elsewhere if they want to become Wallabies rather than just burnt out. At least for their initial few years until they make names for themselves.

These last few years at Waratahs, the big changes and decisions, for what? Nothing. I can guarantee the board will go straight back to the same old same old.
 

wamberal

Phil Kearns (64)
Has anybody mentioned the absence through injury of Jake Gordon?

Is that Penney's fault? He has inherited a dreadful list, and then had some horrible luck.
 

Blackadder

Desmond Connor (43)
Penney had to go. The team looked lost out there. He recruited the dud players, his game plan (If he had one) failed this year and last year as well. He stated that he made the decisions on who came and went.

Attack was predicable, defence non existent.
Many players looked like they wanted to be anywhere else but on the field.

Apparently he was close to being sacked last year. So there wasn't much confidence in him.
Several players looked to being going backwards this year.
Simple basic skills were lacking even from the experienced players
 

TSR

Mark Ella (57)
For significant portions Penney has been missing Gordon, Walton, Perese & Bell. Also missed Dempsey & Swinton on the weekend and lost both starting locks inside 20 minutes.

Injuries will always happen - but when you’re already starting out behind all the other teams in terms of talent and you lose a couple of guys in your best half dozen your pretty well fucked. Looking for improvement while your roster is going backwards seems to be setting the bar a tad high IMHO.
 

TSR

Mark Ella (57)
And based on the comments in his press conference after the game he definitely didn’t get the squad he wants.
 
Top