Wallabies 2025

[JRugby2]

Is this on the basis that none of our players are impactful?

He's our equal leading try scorer for the season and has been pretty pivotal in the few games we've won.

We're obviously paying him a lot but people are treating him like he should be the best player in the team each week which seems like an expectation problem more than a performance issue.

Without wanting to turn this into a black-or-white / he's good vs he's shit debate, I absolutely agree - but he's also been the reason for a few tries scored against us, has regular defensive lapses and his impact in positional play is pretty muted most of the time. It's an argument of Henry's more impactful, not that JAS hasn't been at all.

As it's argued before - that's probably got a fair bit to do with the system he's playing in, players inside him to and not consistently giving him the time and space to show his wares.

But primarily, it's on the basis that when Pollock's been on the field, England seem to go to another level.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

4 tries as equal highest isnt saying much

Yeah but Wright only had 2 tries for the Brumbies all year but you'd say he's pivotal to success.

 

[JRugby2]

How many broken tackles?
How many defenders beaten?
How many metres gained?
JAS has played more games so he’s had way more involvement and definitely had more errors. Not really a fair comparison imo.

None of this is a fair comparison, blokes all play in different positions for the most part - and have come onto the scene in different times of the year.I don't think there is any hard metric(s) that you can definitively point to, to make a judgement as to why someone is more or less impactful than someone else.

Which is why I'm right and all of you are wrong, again.

 

[Major Tom]

Recognise that it’s subjective. But Pollock absolutely shouldn’t be winning this. He’s played 3 tests, all off the bench. Great that he’s been recognised but the sample size is too for him to win this. I win, end of story.

 

[PhilClinton]

Had dinner with a group of friends last night and couple of current Reds players were at the table.

Discussion about the Wallabies obviously began.

The feedback from the guys they’ve spoken to in the squad at least is that Schmidt is still very well liked within the playing group. Apparently the tour has been very ‘tour like’ with a fair bit of non rugby activities.

Not sure I have strong feelings about that either way but it was interesting to hear that (albeit not from the horses mouth) as from the outside it seems the group is very flat.

 

[JRugby2]

Had dinner with a group of friends last night and couple of current Reds players were at the table.

Discussion about the Wallabies obviously began.

The feedback from the guys they’ve spoken to in the squad at least is that Schmidt is still very well liked within the playing group. Apparently the tour has been very ‘tour like’ with a fair bit of non rugby activities.

Not sure I have strong feelings about that either way but it was interesting to hear that (albeit not from the horses mouth) as from the outside it seems the group is very flat.

Might be us projecting.

 

[Tomthumb]

You almost hope they are flat, because if they are all in a great space and still getting belted 46-19 by Ireland I think we might be stuffed

 

[Strewthcobber]

Schmidt isn't desperately hoping to keep his job. based on performances by piling pressure on the players. That's the environment where tours go bad. When the desperation kicks in.

The reality that we probably don't want to face is not too many people on this tour really care that much how it goes, and mostly they just want it to end. No-one would ever admit it, but it's probably true

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Glad they bond. It's good for the group and desire to be in those squads.

To play Devils advocate, when they are on a bit of a performance spiral, having a good ol fashioned tour makes me think their on substitute teacher mode.

 

[rugbyAU]

You almost hope they are flat, because if they are all in a great space and still getting belted 46-19 by Ireland I think we might be stuffed

this group would have been flat so many times this year and over the years, after losing 2nd Lions, the Bledisloe etc. but it dosent change anything

 

[Tomthumb]

Schmidt isn't desperately hoping to keep his job. based on performances by piling pressure on the players. That's the environment where tours go bad. When the desperation kicks in.

The reality that we probably don't want to face is not too many people on this tour really care that much how it goes, and mostly they just want it to end. No-one would ever admit it, but it's probably true

If this is truly how the players feel, then it's pretty shameful and goes a long way to showing why we haven't sniffed the Bledisloe in 25 years

 

[Braveheart81]

I feel like all of these comments could have been written at pretty much any point in the last 20 years.

 

[JRugby2]

I feel like all of these comments could have been written at pretty much any point in the last 20 years.

Are you claiming that sometimes these forums have a tendency to repeat themselves regularly over time?

What are your thoughts on Australia ditching super rugby and going it alone with a model based on existing premier club teams instead?

 

[Braveheart81]

Are you claiming that sometimes these forums have a tendency to repeat themselves regularly over time?

What are your thoughts on Australia ditching super rugby and going it alone with a model based on existing premier club teams instead?

Yes, but moreso coming from the angle that the Wallabies have largely been an inconsistent and frustrating team for a lot of the last 20 years.

Absolutely not on the second question. I think going it alone would be catastrophic financially. We would need a substantial amount of privatization with owners willing to wear significant losses for it to be remotely possible.

 

[Slim 293]

The feedback from the guys they’ve spoken to in the squad at least is that Schmidt is still very well liked within the playing group.

Strange, because JOC (James O'Connor)'s agent told Christy Doran that Schmidt had lost the playing group...

 

[JRugby2]

Yes, but moreso coming from the angle that the Wallabies have largely been an inconsistent and frustrating team for a lot of the last 20 years.

Absolutely not on the second question. I think going it alone would be catastrophic financially. We would need a substantial amount of privatization with owners willing to wear significant losses for it to be remotely possible.

Sorry that last bit was a joke - if these forums revisited the topic for the 18th time this year I'd unsubscribe from earth.

 

[rugbyAU]

If this is truly how the players feel, then it's pretty shameful and goes a long way to showing why we haven't sniffed the Bledisloe in 25 years

and probably never will again

 

[FNC Rugby]

I want to be the first to call this, however i am going all in on Angus Grover being part of the World Cup squad in 27 and expect him to be taken to the Northern Hemisphere next Autumn tour.

 

[JRugby2]

I want to be the first to call this, however i am going all in on Angus Grover being part of the World Cup squad in 27 and expect him to be taken to the Northern Hemisphere next Autumn tour.

Huge call - I don't think it'll happen but I can see a future where both him and Fowler wear gold.

 

[Strewthcobber]

If this is truly how the players feel, then it's pretty shameful and goes a long way to showing why we haven't sniffed the Bledisloe in 25 years

It's probably how the All Blacks are feeling too

edit - with the extra layer of Razor is relying on performances to keep his job