• 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.

Aussie Player Exodus

Spieber

Bob Loudon (25)
How many players have come back and been better after a stint overseas? Pretty much all I can think of have been at best the same, however most are worse. Jury still out on Beale obviously.

I been thinking about this recently and can only come up with Billy Meakes.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
I been thinking about this recently and can only come up with Billy Meakes.


Dane Haylett-Petty.

We're certainly in new territory where players on the whole are going overseas earlier and then coming back.

Most of the players coming back currently are in the twilight of their career.

We're going to see more mid career players coming back in the next few years.
 

Slim 293

Stirling Mortlock (74)
Good list. Seems the younger players that go over can come back improved.

Does this have implications for the 60 cap club and the usefulness of the rule?


I think that the Giteau rule worked out for us for the 2015 RWC, but was a spectacular failure the following year during the England test series.

I'm not sure if its a good idea to scrap it yet, but definitely there should be a priority on Australian based players.
 

swingpass

Peter Sullivan (51)
young blokes going away os will be for a whole variety of reasons, but i disagree with many of you about why. these are professionals (using the term loosely i know), its what they do for a living and if no one in australia is going to offer them a contract or a salary commensurate to what they can earn elsewhere, why stay.

one fewer franchise is going to make it a wjole lot worse. The departing young Rebels, Placid, Fox, Debreczini can all see the writing on the wall , Mc Mahon might be a different story, thanks ARU. the starry eyed concept, "i'll hang around to become a wallaby and represent my country" is just simply outdated for most of these blokes. the "imported" players are in general NOT taking their spots in Super Rugby, and by and large the players we are talking about are unlikely ever to be test players.

super teams picking the wrong players (eg Jake Ball vs Rory Walton, et al) is a whole different story.
 

Brumby Runner

David Wilson (68)
And there goes another of our champion up and coming N0 10s whom no Super franchise is interested in, now that they are mixing it with the big boys. The selections at Schoolboys and U20s et al just aren't making the grade once they have to play against men. In case you missed it. it seems that Jooste has also gone from the Brumbies but no info yet on his future.
 

neilc

Bob Loudon (25)
And there goes another of our champion up and coming N0 10s whom no Super franchise is interested in, now that they are mixing it with the big boys. The selections at Schoolboys and U20s et al just aren't making the grade once they have to play against men. In case you missed it. it seems that Jooste has also gone from the Brumbies but no info yet on his future.

Why do you think that is? I don't have an opinion, but I am genuinely interested in what others closer to this might view as the reason that the 'stars' from the younger age groups are not cutting it at senior level, or is it just not getting the chance to develop at the higher level? There have been quite a few 10's who have not really looked up to it at top level in Australia who have shone in the NH and I wonder whether that is down to just more game time to develop or something else?
 

Gnostic

Mark Ella (57)
Why do you think that is? I don't have an opinion, but I am genuinely interested in what others closer to this might view as the reason that the 'stars' from the younger age groups are not cutting it at senior level, or is it just not getting the chance to develop at the higher level? There have been quite a few 10's who have not really looked up to it at top level in Australia who have shone in the NH and I wonder whether that is down to just more game time to develop or something else?



I have always thought because they are "pushed" (selected and contracted into EPS/Squads) before they have truly developed. In some cases despite their undoubted abilities which a structured game could be based around, just like the Tahs under Link to Foley, 10s who do not fit the myth of running Rugby like Parkes and Malone.

Remember that David Knox was a founding 10 at the Brumbies and they played "running" rugby yet Knox was primarily a kicking 10.

We have created the prison we live in with the myths of the "Australian Game"
 

cyclopath

George Smith (75)
Staff member
Why do you think that is? I don't have an opinion, but I am genuinely interested in what others closer to this might view as the reason that the 'stars' from the younger age groups are not cutting it at senior level, or is it just not getting the chance to develop at the higher level? There have been quite a few 10's who have not really looked up to it at top level in Australia who have shone in the NH and I wonder whether that is down to just more game time to develop or something else?

I reckon a big factor for guys in their early 20's is the chance to live and play overseas for a few years. If you're 21-22 and get that chance, it's pretty good money at that age, it's a life experience, and after a couple of years if you look at coming back, you'll be 24-25 and could have years ahead of you in rugby here, if you're good enough. I reckon.
 

Brumby Runner

David Wilson (68)
I have always thought because they are "pushed" (selected and contracted into EPS/Squads) before they have truly developed. In some cases despite their undoubted abilities which a structured game could be based around, just like the Tahs under Link to Foley, 10s who do not fit the myth of running Rugby like Parkes and Malone.

Remember that David Knox was a founding 10 at the Brumbies and they played "running" rugby yet Knox was primarily a kicking 10.

We have created the prison we live in with the myths of the "Australian Game"

I really don't know why they mostly fail at higher levels, and I don't disagree with you in that regard, but David Knox had the fastest pair of hands I've ever seen in rugby. The speed and accuracy with which he passed the ball onwards set up the Brumbies' backline to score many a try. Pity about his defense though.
 

MACCA

Ron Walden (29)
Good Luck Andrew Deegan

Disappointing loss for Australian Rugby. Thought he was better than Mack Mason from what I saw in the Shute Shield. Obviously those that make the selections for the Waratahs know what they are doing ....(whoops sorry for that cheap shot - couldn't help myself)
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
Disappointing loss for Australian Rugby. Thought he was better than Mack Mason from what I saw in the Shute Shield. Obviously those that make the selections for the Waratahs know what they are doing ..(whoops sorry for that cheap shot - couldn't help myself)


He's looking for opportunity.

Whether or not he should have been ahead or behind Mason at the Tahs, the reality is Mason has played 1 and a bit games of Super Rugby.

Hopefully he comes back in a couple of years with a lot more experience under his belt.

The reality is that the opportunity for Super Rugby experience wasn't really there in Australia, particularly if he stayed with the Tahs. I would be surprised if there is literally no contract available at the Tahs or even in Australia which is what has forced him to leave.
 

fatprop

George Gregan (70)
Staff member
He's looking for opportunity.

Whether or not he should have been ahead or behind Mason at the Tahs, the reality is Mason has played 1 and a bit games of Super Rugby.

Hopefully he comes back in a couple of years with a lot more experience under his belt.

The reality is that the opportunity for Super Rugby experience wasn't really there in Australia, particularly if he stayed with the Tahs. I would be surprised if there is literally no contract available at the Tahs or even in Australia which is what has forced him to leave.


Yeah Foley is pretty durable and Beale will add further cover with Mason in the squad (who I think signed for a couple of years)
 

Gnostic

Mark Ella (57)
I really don't know why they mostly fail at higher levels, and I don't disagree with you in that regard, but David Knox had the fastest pair of hands I've ever seen in rugby. The speed and accuracy with which he passed the ball onwards set up the Brumbies' backline to score many a try. Pity about his defense though.



Have a look at Llyod Walker, he had better hands and feet than Knox by far, which is probably where Knoxy learnt. It wasn't the point of my post though.
 
Top