Brumbies 2009

[Lee Grant]

Kimlin has always looked like a 6 to me.

It would be good to have the depth in props and locks that we have at 6.

 

[RugbyReg]

I love that the players have nicknamed him Noodles, for his 2 minutes of playing time on the Wallaby tour.

 

[Lee Grant]

:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

That's a classic.



I had heard a nasty rumour that they called him Noddy after a well known rugby forum identity, though I can't work out the connection between him and 2 minutes.

 

[Lee Grant]

Meantime, back at the Brumbies, it is sad news that Huxley has not been cleared to play rugby again this year.

That he would have played, or not, is neither here nor there in the greater scheme of things, but one hoped that his medical condition would have been such that he would have got a medical tick to play. We are not told the medical details, nor should they be told.

Meanwhile Huxley has taken a few weeks off from his Brumbies kicking coach duties to regroup.

 

[RugbyReg]

:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

That's a classic.



I had heard a nasty rumour that they called him Noddy after a well known rugby forum identity, though I can't work out the connection between him and 2 minutes.

my love of the 2 minute row as a fitness test?

 

[TOCC]

Meantime, back at the Brumbies, it is sad news that Huxley has not been cleared to play rugby again this year.

That he would have played, or not, is neither here nor there in the greater scheme of things, but one hoped that his medical condition would have been such that he would have got a medical tick to play. We are not told the medical details, nor should they be told.

Meanwhile Huxley has taken a few weeks off from his Brumbies kicking coach duties to regroup.

I think it was more of a cautious decision then anything, the medical advice was that he could play but he probably shouldnt, the brumbies obviously are liable if further injury happens to him and its not worth the risk.

 

[Spook]

Re Huxley, thank god sanity prevailed.

 

[Ash]

Re Huxley, thank god sanity prevailed.

My sentiments exactly. Good on him for wanting to keep playing, but geez, when the chances are so greatly raised that it could kill you or give you brain damage...you'd hate to see that happen. Hope he remains in the game though...somehow.

<edit> reminded me of the interview with Al Kanaar I saw - they asked him about his knees, and he's pretty much in constant pain every pain. Really sad thing to hear.

 

[Spook]

Life goes on eh? Hux is a man of many talents. I'd say we'll see him in the media at some stage.

Been interesting to hear some of things Owen Finegan (and Andy Friend) have been saying to the Brumby forwards. To put it mildly, they have been extremely blunt (this is just one example - Melon was quoted the other day saying that certain players careers were on the line this year). I have bolded some very good comments - Friend doesn't like seagulls:

Blunt chat lifted Chisholm
BY PETER FITZGERALD
RUGBY UNION

9/01/2009 1:00:00 AM
It was the meeting Mark Chisholm didn't want to have, but one that rejuvenated his career.
It was mid last year. Chisholm had been dumped from the Wallabies squad, was playing club rugby in Sydney and was seemingly at a crossroads in his career.

But a meeting with ACT Brumbies coaches Andy Friend and Owen Finegan who both gave blunt assessments on where they believed Chisholm was at in his career and the 27-year-old was back.

Back into form. Back into the Wallabies squad. And he's hoping back into the mantle of Australian rugby's premier lock.

''The chat I had with those guys, I admit it hurts, for sure because it was blunt, real blunt, especially with Owen and his assessment,'' Chisholm said.

''I finished playing with Owen a few years ago but it's reassuring he can be so honest and up front about things like that. There was no sugar-coating, trust me.

''I had to take it on the chin and work up from there.

''I'd like to think I've stepped up as I needed to.''

The major issue Friend and Finegan had with Chisholm, who has been a regular in the Brumbies' starting side the past two seasons, was linked to his role on the field.

Chisholm wanted to be and at the time was a ball-running lock.

His new coaches wanted less running with the ball and more physical, gritty work at the breakdown.

Despite not totally agreeing with his coaches' views, Chisholm made the required alterations to his game and the results have been evident.

''I got back into the Wallabies squad so that was a good start,'' Chisholm laughed.

''I initially saw myself as a ball-running forward but they saw things differently.

''Every chance I get I put my hand up to run the ball I don't shy away from that but they wanted me to have more emphasis on winning the breakdown, which I think I've done.''

Friend praised Chisholm on his attitude and approach following what he described as a ''fairly in-depth'' meeting.

The coach had long been a fan of Chisholm's but wasn't convinced he was playing the correct role of a lock.

''I asked him what he thought a second-rower should be doing,'' Friend said. ''We were similar in the fact he's got to win his scrum and lineout but a little dissimilar that he wanted to run the football, as I'd much prefer a second-rower to be cleaning rucks out.

''To his credit he changed his style, he got in and did the harder stuff.

''That doesn't mean he can't run with the footy you still saw him run an 80m try in against Wales so if he's going into a ruck and the ball pops up, by all means run but let's use his bulk and use his physicality and make himself legally damage opposition.''

Despite being satisfied with Chisholm's improvement, Friend believed there were still aspects of his game that Chisholm needed to improve before the Brumbies' opening Super 14 match against the Otago Highlanders in Dunedin on February 13.

But he backed his No1 lock to keep improving and be primed for a first-up assault.

''I thought his fitness wasn't up to it then and I still think he needs to work on his fitness and just altering what he's trying to achieve out there,'' Friend said. ''He's a senior Super rugby player as well as being a Wallaby so he's somebody who is very much a key to this team.''

BRUMBIES TRIALS

January 30 v Wellington Hurricanes at Canberra Stadium.

February 5 v NSW Waratahs at the SFS.

 

[RugbyReg]

Life goes on eh? Hux is a man of many talents. I'd say we'll see him in the media at some stage.

Been interesting to hear some of things Owen Finegan (and Andy Friend) have been saying to the Brumby forwards. To put it mildly, they have been extremely blunt (this is just one example - Melon was quoted the other day saying that certain players careers were on the line this year). I have bolded some very good comments - Friend doesn't like seagulls:

Blunt chat lifted Chisholm
BY PETER FITZGERALD
RUGBY UNION

9/01/2009 1:00:00 AM
It was the meeting Mark Chisholm didn't want to have, but one that rejuvenated his career.
It was mid last year. Chisholm had been dumped from the Wallabies squad, was playing club rugby in Sydney and was seemingly at a crossroads in his career.

But a meeting with ACT Brumbies coaches Andy Friend and Owen Finegan who both gave blunt assessments on where they believed Chisholm was at in his career and the 27-year-old was back.

Back into form. Back into the Wallabies squad. And he's hoping back into the mantle of Australian rugby's premier lock.

''The chat I had with those guys, I admit it hurts, for sure because it was blunt, real blunt, especially with Owen and his assessment,'' Chisholm said.

''I finished playing with Owen a few years ago but it's reassuring he can be so honest and up front about things like that. There was no sugar-coating, trust me.

''I had to take it on the chin and work up from there.

''I'd like to think I've stepped up as I needed to.''

The major issue Friend and Finegan had with Chisholm, who has been a regular in the Brumbies' starting side the past two seasons, was linked to his role on the field.

Chisholm wanted to be and at the time was a ball-running lock.

His new coaches wanted less running with the ball and more physical, gritty work at the breakdown.

Despite not totally agreeing with his coaches' views, Chisholm made the required alterations to his game and the results have been evident.

''I got back into the Wallabies squad so that was a good start,'' Chisholm laughed.

''I initially saw myself as a ball-running forward but they saw things differently.

''Every chance I get I put my hand up to run the ball I don't shy away from that but they wanted me to have more emphasis on winning the breakdown, which I think I've done.''

Friend praised Chisholm on his attitude and approach following what he described as a ''fairly in-depth'' meeting.

The coach had long been a fan of Chisholm's but wasn't convinced he was playing the correct role of a lock.

''I asked him what he thought a second-rower should be doing,'' Friend said. ''We were similar in the fact he's got to win his scrum and lineout but a little dissimilar that he wanted to run the football, as I'd much prefer a second-rower to be cleaning rucks out.

''To his credit he changed his style, he got in and did the harder stuff.

''That doesn't mean he can't run with the footy you still saw him run an 80m try in against Wales so if he's going into a ruck and the ball pops up, by all means run but let's use his bulk and use his physicality and make himself legally damage opposition.''

Despite being satisfied with Chisholm's improvement, Friend believed there were still aspects of his game that Chisholm needed to improve before the Brumbies' opening Super 14 match against the Otago Highlanders in Dunedin on February 13.

But he backed his No1 lock to keep improving and be primed for a first-up assault.

''I thought his fitness wasn't up to it then and I still think he needs to work on his fitness and just altering what he's trying to achieve out there,'' Friend said. ''He's a senior Super rugby player as well as being a Wallaby so he's somebody who is very much a key to this team.''

BRUMBIES TRIALS

January 30 v Wellington Hurricanes at Canberra Stadium.

February 5 v NSW Waratahs at the SFS.

Perhaps they should get Jake the Muss down to Brumby training, as he says "too much weights, not enough speedwork. Useless prick."

 

[Gagger]

Great article Spook. Looks like Williams and Deans had a similar chat with Sharpe and his beard on tour.

This is a good sign for Aussie rugby if we're getting these values back.

 

[Lee Grant]

Thanks for posting that about Chisholm, Spook.

These are the parts that grabbed my eye:

His new coaches wanted less running with the ball and more physical, gritty work at the breakdown.

Andy Friend - I'd much prefer a second-rower to be cleaning rucks out.

I have been a consistent critic of Chisholm over the years and have been saying this kind of thing for a while, though at no point did I think it was rocket science. Nor was I the Lone Ranger.

When he was teamed with Al Campbell it was a double whammy of 2nd row softness - and AWH was no great shakes either when he locked. As always these are generalities but there was a vein of seagull blood in the lot of them.

I didn't notice any difference in his grunt form at the end of the Sydney club season to be honest but obviously Deans did because he picked him. I was extremely pleased about having to eat my words after his performances on the EOYT. Sometimes I couldn't remember who that tall Wallaby player was who was having a dig - and it was Chisholm.

The Brumbies had the worst scrum in the S14 last year and they need a good TH lock. Given the good performance of the Wallabies scrum on the EOYT with Chiz scrummaging in that spot, he has to stay there for the Ponies.

There's nobody else really. They've already said Kimlin is a 6, Timani is dynamite in the tight at club level, but loves to seagull too, and Ben Hand is not the most physical lock you ever saw.

Whoever is the regular no. 6 for the Brumbies has to be given the Chisholm talk too. The efforts of 3M and Mumm when they played at 6 on the Oz EOYT were instructive as to how important a hard 6 is. It will be no use having Chiz as the Brumbies version of Vickerman and Horwill at TH lock if the seagulling is transferred their 6 man.

 

[RugbyReg]

I still think Mitchell Chapman played his best footy for the Reds at lock.

Although he loved a seagull, but more often than not just waiting for a Berrick Barnes cross kick.

 

[Scotty]

But a meeting with ACT Brumbies coaches Andy Friend and Owen Finegan who both gave blunt assessments on where they believed Chisholm was at in his career and the 27-year-old was back.

Back into form. Back into the Wallabies squad. And he's hoping back into the mantle of Australian rugby's premier lock.

When did he ever have that mantle?

 

[Ash]

But a meeting with ACT Brumbies coaches Andy Friend and Owen Finegan who both gave blunt assessments on where they believed Chisholm was at in his career and the 27-year-old was back.

Back into form. Back into the Wallabies squad. And he's hoping back into the mantle of Australian rugby's premier lock.

When did he ever have that mantle?

That's what I wondered too...

 

[Spook]

I think Kimlin will be made into full time lock whether he likes it or not. He's in the 2m+ bracket and has the size. I've never thought of him as a seagull in any of his appearances but timme will tell..

 

[Spook]

Ben Hand is not the most physical lock you ever saw.

The Brumbies have updated "some" (pathetic by the way) of their player profiles. Hand is listed as 114kgs at 1.96cm. I thought he was a lot lighter than that :-\ No excuses for being soft then.

 

[Lee Grant]

It's the size of the ticker that is important and the volume of the work rate. But if a tight five player has those and also has size, AND footie intelligence and technical skills to apply those ticker, workrate and size attributes - then you have the perfect tight five forward.

Such forwards are rare.

But if somebody doesn't have ticker and work rate then it doesn't matter what size, technical skill and footie intelligence they have.

 

[RugbyReg]

Stirling Mortlock?s five years as ACT Brumbies captain is over. The Australian skipper will today officially stand down from the primary leadership role he has held at the Super 14 club since taking over from George Gregan in 2004.

Stephen Hoiles, who only joined the Brumbies two seasons ago from the NSW Waratahs, will become his replacement.
Mortlock?s decision to surrender the captaincy comes as little surprise, after he would not commit to the role before Christmas following a discussion with coach Andy Friend.

The 31-year-old intends to remain as Wallabies skipper but it is understood he believed the time was right to hand the Brumbies mantle to a younger player destined for an eventual leadership role.

Friend informed the playing group of the announcement on Sunday night in Jervis Bay, where the players are spending the week at a naval training base.

Hoiles, 27, will become the fourth player appointed as long-term captain of the Brumbies ? behind Brett Robinson, Gregan and Mortlock ? since the club joined Super rugby in 1996.

Ewen McKenzie, Owen Finegan, Alister Campbell and George Smith are the only other players to have acted as stand-in skippers in that time.

Hoiles? only senior captaincy experience came last year with Sydney club Randwick, which he played for after the Super 14 season when snubbed by Wallabies selectors.

He led the team to the NSW final but lost to Sydney University.

In an indication of his backing for him, Friend also elevated Hoiles into the Brumbies? senior leadership group for the coming
season.

Smith was the obvious replacement for Mortlock but the veteran Wallabies openside flanker has baulked in the past at the possibility of becoming the club?s next long-term leader.

Even as recently as the first half of last season, when he led the team while Mortlock was sidelined with a shoulder injury, Smith indicated he would prefer not to be the permanent future captain.

Odd one for mine, if only because it guarantees Hoiles selection. Puts pressure on Chapman, considering Salvi's form last year, and Timani's and Kimlin's cases for the 6 jersey.

 

[fatprop]

Odd one for mine, if only because it guarantees Hoiles selection. Puts pressure on Chapman, considering Salvi's form last year, and Timani's and Kimlin's cases for the 6 jersey.

As well as Chisolm being told to play like a forward and they then give the captaincy to the biggest seagull in the club.