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Off to create a separate thread around the consistent failure of the Comms/PR team at the ARU.
Hopefully someone will actually have a real list of 30 at some point?!
Blah.. Deans... Blah Cooper...
I would like to be a Deans fan, but the comments around tries "not being important" got under my skin, especially since the 'Saders of old would pour in 40pts a game. A wicked combination of fast, accurate, be-everywhere forwards getting over the advantage line...
I assume Sharpie get's a bump for being captain?
It's not that we're encouraging the guy to ask for more,... he's bloody worth more than what they valued him at.
Not just from the leadership standpoint, but also the 'he doesn't break down or quit' standpoint.
I'd hate to see his contract...
Someone please remind me the deal Sharpie was given by the ARU again..
Oh, that's right!.. they gave him the shaft, publicly.. then begged him to take a game by game deal rather than a full contract.
Has that changed at all? Is he the first temp contract "Captain" in any top tier nation...
Also notice how SBW doesn't mention that the owes the PWKs a good performance for the $1M he's earning.. subtle but very well trained by the same douche that manages QC (Quade Cooper) ....
The difference between SonnyBill and QC (Quade Cooper):
Quote from SBW following his teams sub-par performance while he is on the field.
It has not worked out that way so far, and Williams could not suppress his irritation after the Panasonic Wild Knights lost 32-22 to Toshiba Brave Lupus, despite his debut...
According to RugbyeNews.com
Understandable problem but shouldn't one expect the WRU to:
i) Keep track of the national players contracts
ii) Be always in the know who has and does not have release clauses
iii) Be actively encouraging their players to have clauses given that the november...
This is just a bit of devils advocate around the whole marquee player regulation.
I don't believe it is the IRB forcing us to do it, so that takes them out of it.
There'd be countless examples of Kiwi teams playing current or ex pacific islander reps...
and we're in a position where we are...
So, I guess I need to clarify.
Given that:
i) His international career is done for, he's 30 and they won't be touring Aus for a long time.
ii) He will qualify to be an Aussie resident (and potentially in another 12months and Aussie citizen)
..at what point would we (the ARU) be prepared to...
With Delve staying on this could take the international player quota into some uncharted territory (unless there is a pacific islander example I am unaware of)
If Delve, a capped international, appplied for and got Aussie residency, would the ARU take him off the marquee player list?
It would...
It's fairly clear the starting 15 played pretty well.
For me the glaring difference between us and real RWC contenders is this:
Substitutes
16. Saia Fainga'a - 5 - didn't make much impact.
17. Pekahou Cowan - 4 - he did concede a silly penalty in his own twenty two and didn't do much...
A lot of teams would be glad the blues aren't retaining Luke McAlister.. a combo of
10: McAlister
12: Nonu
13: Ranger/ (SBW?)
would have been pretty hardening up for the likes of QC (Quade Cooper)
Couldn't agree more re: Douglas.. I've been fuming since watch his piss poor efforts. No heart when it counted, and no rugby brain either (eg when he let Fruean go through on the wing and when he let Whitelock go running past him within arm reach and didn't even bother to fall over in a fake...