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Aussie Player Exodus

Jimmyjam

Darby Loudon (17)

I know DC has been talking about him for a while but man we need to fix this shit. How can the Tahs, who have had zero strong locking options since 2018, decide that a fucking giant is in the 'too hard' basket when all he needs is some dedicated PT time.

Fucken useless pricks.
You could also interpret as ARU/ Super Rugby franchises decline to sign "overweight, unfit rugby player who won't stop eating shit or improve his own fitness (like amateur era international players somehow managed on their own time) unless he gets paid to." Also read as regular millennial entitlement attitude.
 

Wilson

David Codey (61)
You could also interpret as ARU/ Super Rugby franchises decline to sign "overweight, unfit rugby player who won't stop eating shit or improve his own fitness (like amateur era international players somehow managed on their own time) unless he gets paid to." Also read as regular millennial entitlement attitude.
I think that's well wide of the mark. The guy was looking for a low level pro-contract for a full pre-season so he could focus on getting his body where it needed to be to do what he knew he was capable of. Working full time as a scaffolder meant he couldn't do that and he needed the financial support from a contract and the backing of a professional program to take the next step.

It's not like there wasn't value there - both the NFL and French rugby saw the potential and he's now a proven performer in top flight rugby.
 

pnut

Alfred Walker (16)
You could also interpret as ARU/ Super Rugby franchises decline to sign "overweight, unfit rugby player who won't stop eating shit or improve his own fitness (like amateur era international players somehow managed on their own time) unless he gets paid to." Also read as regular millennial entitlement attitude.
Or you could say our talent ID is average at best
 

Derpus

George Gregan (70)
You could also interpret as ARU/ Super Rugby franchises decline to sign "overweight, unfit rugby player who won't stop eating shit or improve his own fitness (like amateur era international players somehow managed on their own time) unless he gets paid to." Also read as regular millennial entitlement attitude.
Or you could fucking not
 

Jimmy_Crouch

Ken Catchpole (46)
Few things, the player has to take some accountability (if he was tearing it up he would have been signed) and there is just substantially more opportunities overseas for players to develop (based on number of professional teams and squad sizes). More needs to be done from an RA/State Unions perspective to create opportunities for 'project' or 'developmental' players but that is completely different to talent ID. Based on the minimal opportunities in Australia RA/State Unions have to play it safe and take the players most likely to make it.
 

Adam84

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
Or you could say our talent ID is average at best
It's not talent identification, plenty identified his talent and gave him an opportunity in rep teams. Rather it's a a lack of resources to enable a club to spend 2-3 seasons on an overweight player bringing him up to professional standard.

Super Rugby clubs use 35-40 players a season, that's more players them contracted positions, you cant hide a long term development player if you need matchday ready players. French clubs have more squad positions.
 

pnut

Alfred Walker (16)
Agree to
It's not talent identification, plenty identified his talent and gave him an opportunity in rep teams. Rather it's a a lack of resources to enable a club to spend 2-3 seasons on an overweight player bringing him up to professional standard.

Super Rugby clubs use 35-40 players a season, that's more players them contracted positions, you cant hide a long term development player if you need matchday ready players. French clubs have more squad po
It's not talent identification, plenty identified his talent and gave him an opportunity in rep teams. Rather it's a a lack of resources to enable a club to spend 2-3 seasons on an overweight player bringing him up to professional standard.

Super Rugby clubs use 35-40 players a season, that's more players them contracted positions, you cant hide a long term development player if you need matchday ready players. French clubs have more squad positions.

Agree to disagree on that
 

Wallaby Man

Trevor Allan (34)
It's not talent identification, plenty identified his talent and gave him an opportunity in rep teams. Rather it's a a lack of resources to enable a club to spend 2-3 seasons on an overweight player bringing him up to professional standard.

Super Rugby clubs use 35-40 players a season, that's more players them contracted positions, you cant hide a long term development player if you need matchday ready players. French clubs have more squad positions.
100%

Also some people on here wide of the mark with the players attitude. Not everyone is educated enough or have people around them to know how to eat and train properly. Surprisingly for what might seem common sense to some people isn’t to others. There is people out there that think muesli bars are healthy etc.
 

Jimmyjam

Darby Loudon (17)
As a business owner, the key hiring point is attitude, you can train the rest. Poor/lazy/entitled attitude then it's jog on..... Super Rugby clubs are business's where culture is the key driver to success. Seriously, if the bloke can't be bothered looking after himself with all the free information and assistance available these days re diet and training, what does that say about the attitude or motivation there, there are no legitimate excuses. At what point is someone personally responsible for their physical state and preparedness to move into a professional environment?
 

TSR

Mark Ella (57)
His attitude can’t be too bad. He managed to organise a contract in France where he is now getting a very tidy return and there is talk of him being looked at for France.

It is possible that no one was really in the wrong here.
 

Jimmyjam

Darby Loudon (17)
His attitude can’t be too bad. He managed to organise a contract in France where he is now getting a very tidy return and there is talk of him being looked at for France.

It is possible that no one was really in the wrong here.
I don't know the bloke, he may have a fantastic attitude etc. Was just posting an alternate to the prevailing groupthink that there it's always a failure in talent ID.
 
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fatprop

George Gregan (70)
Staff member
As a business owner, the key hiring point is attitude, you can train the rest. Poor/lazy/entitled attitude then it's jog on..... Super Rugby clubs are business's where culture is the key driver to success. Seriously, if the bloke can't be bothered looking after himself with all the free information and assistance available these days re diet and training, what does that say about the attitude or motivation there, there are no legitimate excuses. At what point is someone personally responsible for their physical state and preparedness to move into a professional environment?
There are numerous players with immense talent you don't realise that talent until they get kicked up the arse and learn that hard work and professionalism are as important as the talent

Some get it when they have that truth conversation with the coach, others don't get it until they leave

As one assistant coach said, "you can't stop a player stopping at the KFC drive through on the way home"
 

The Ghost of Raelene

Mark Ella (57)
He may have also matured with age which helps a lot of young men change their behaviours.

I wonder if moving away also caused a change in behaviour. When you are removed from the environment you were too comfortable in it can be amazing for how you change adapt to new surroundings. Support structures in the French Clubs were probably a lot stricter with him than anything he got here when he wasn't in the full squad for a Super Rugby side.
 

fatprop

George Gregan (70)
Staff member
He may have also matured with age which helps a lot of young men change their behaviours.

I wonder if moving away also caused a change in behaviour. When you are removed from the environment you were too comfortable in it can be amazing for how you change adapt to new surroundings. Support structures in the French Clubs were probably a lot stricter with him than anything he got here when he wasn't in the full squad for a Super Rugby side.
There is also higher expectations from the club of the O/S player's performance
 

Rebel man

Peter Johnson (47)
As a business owner, the key hiring point is attitude, you can train the rest. Poor/lazy/entitled attitude then it's jog on..... Super Rugby clubs are business's where culture is the key driver to success. Seriously, if the bloke can't be bothered looking after himself with all the free information and assistance available these days re diet and training, what does that say about the attitude or motivation there, there are no legitimate excuses. At what point is someone personally responsible for their physical state and preparedness to move into a professional environment?
Just because he has talent doesn’t mean he has the education and knowledge to get into shape
 

Ignoto

John Thornett (49)
You could also interpret as ARU/ Super Rugby franchises decline to sign "overweight, unfit rugby player who won't stop eating shit or improve his own fitness (like amateur era international players somehow managed on their own time) unless he gets paid to."
Australian rugby teams have demonstrated an inability to help the big rigs trim down. I can't speak first hand of how under funded the Super Rugby teams are when it comes to nutrition.

Without doxxing this person, I was told how Reds players would go to have a bite to eat after a training session and there either was no food, or not enough food. They'd then have to go to subway/Nandos at Kelvin Grove to go and get a fed. Compare that to the gold standard NFL/Soccer and there are chefs that feed 100+ people without batting an eye lid, where they get exactly what they need.

When you're a rugby player, especially a large player trying to trim down, its not as simple as putting the fork down and having a salad. There's a pretty big balancing act to work at a calorific deficit but ensuring you're fueled for your training session and able to recover. If you don't have the knowledge, it's bloody difficult and not as simply as "don't swing by the KFC drive through after training".

Also read as regular millennial entitlement attitude.
You couldn't have missed the mark any further.

He's clearly demonstrated the attitude you want in your players. He was told no in so many different clubs, travelled overseas to a foreign country where he doesn't speak their language, applied himself both at training and in the kitchen and now Australia is complaining about missing out on a gem.
 

Jimmyjam

Darby Loudon (17)
Australian rugby teams have demonstrated an inability to help the big rigs trim down. I can't speak first hand of how under funded the Super Rugby teams are when it comes to nutrition.

Without doxxing this person, I was told how Reds players would go to have a bite to eat after a training session and there either was no food, or not enough food. They'd then have to go to subway/Nandos at Kelvin Grove to go and get a fed. Compare that to the gold standard NFL/Soccer and there are chefs that feed 100+ people without batting an eye lid, where they get exactly what they need.

When you're a rugby player, especially a large player trying to trim down, its not as simple as putting the fork down and having a salad. There's a pretty big balancing act to work at a calorific deficit but ensuring you're fueled for your training session and able to recover. If you don't have the knowledge, it's bloody difficult and not as simply as "don't swing by the KFC drive through after training".


You couldn't have missed the mark any further.

He's clearly demonstrated the attitude you want in your players. He was told no in so many different clubs, travelled overseas to a foreign country where he doesn't speak their language, applied himself both at training and in the kitchen and now Australia is complaining about missing out on a gem.
I also added the following post which you may have missed...

I don't know the bloke, he may have a fantastic attitude etc. Was just posting an alternate to the prevailing groupthink that there it's always a failure in talent ID.
 

Drew

Bob Davidson (42)
Maybe we need to look at how these French teams are playing to maximize these big blokes potential and limit their shortcomings? If they feel they have a role to fill and expectations to fill that role we may get more out of them.
 

John S

Desmond Connor (43)
Maybe we need to look at how these French teams are playing to maximize these big blokes potential and limit their shortcomings? If they feel they have a role to fill and expectations to fill that role we may get more out of them.
Maybe better S&C coaches?

It could also be a cultural thing over there, possibly too the French teams may be struggling for local players so actively looking for "fringe" players that have potential
 
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