Reds 2015

[kiap]

Supposedly Link has no love for JOC (James O'Connor) - so would he even figure in Wallaby contention ????

Reckon Link just doesn't want to put up with JOC (James O'Connor)'s shit.

I'd say he can see some talent in the bloke. That's if he sorts himself out, of course. And even then, there plenty of competition for back line spots. Who knows what could happen in 9-12 months time, though?

 

[Wilson]

Reckon Link just doesn't want to put up with JOC (James O'Connor)'s shit.

I'd say he can see some talent in the bloke. That's if he sorts himself out, of course. And even then, there plenty of competition for back line spots. Who knows what could happen in 9-12 months time, though?

Yeah from everything Link's shown so far you'd have to think that if JOC (James O'Connor) comes back, demonstrates that he has pulled his head in and is one of the form wingers in the country that he'll get selected.

 

[Jets]

I would have a rule that he has to share a room with Stephen Moore while with the Wallabies. One slip up and he's gone.

 

[gel]

(I would rather they piss the top ups off altogether and split that money in some manner to (a) increase the match payments for test matches and (b) increase funding to the super rugby franchises.

I am not sure of the total dollar value allocated to top ups, so not confident about what the split should be and obviously would be subject to whatever that top up sum actually is as to whether the split is actually 0/100 or 50/50.)

Bit distressed to see so many fairly experienced players leaving the reds with not a lot of noise about many replacements. The Hunt talk appears to be just talk and not majorly realistic, but then it is really hard to judge these days. Have NFI about JOC (James O'Connor).

I think injury cover is pretty important and that is where Harris and Lucas have been so important. They pretty much play constantly to cover so many injuries that are inevitable.

From what I can see thus far, unless we maintain zero injuries to our starting side, we will be running out a lot of boys against men next year which won't make for very pretty viewing. It's not hard to identify a pretty major problem in the opposition ranks and then start running through that player again, again and again (thinking back to Murphy a couple of years ago and JJ against the just about anyone this year).

It is very difficult to maintain the interest of my wife in memberships and gong to the games if we just lose constantly - in which case the memberships just go into hibernation again

 

[cyclopath]

@gel - I am inclined to agree re top-ups. Yes, I do agree with you at times. I guess the provide a backup for good players who might get injured to stop them leaving, but the process is murky, and ultimately they'll leave anyway if they want for more money anyway. Pay them more for Tests played, as you say.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Just don't know if McKenzie wiuld take the risk. He has instilled a great culture in the Wallabies already and in a short time and don't know whether he would be prepared to potentially fuck with it.

On top of that, we already have some great coverage on the wings - AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Speight, Tomane, Horne, The Badger. So, where does he fit in????

 

[Train Without a Station]

The ARU and the franchises aren't always in agreement. Doing away with top ups and giving the franchises extra funds likely will not benefit the Wallabies. We could end up with those extra funds in fact going to 5 players around the country all playing the same position because their franchise values them more than the ARU.

 

[something]

well, in form he is probably better than all of them. Maybe not speight but he isn't proven at international level. Also he provides a needed safe boot from the back 3 and he's the best goal kicker.

 

[Scrubber2050]

@gel - I am inclined to agree re top-ups. Yes, I do agree with you at times. I guess the provide a backup for good players who might get injured to stop them leaving, but the process is murky, and ultimately they'll leave anyway if they want for more money anyway. Pay them more for Tests played, as you say.

If no top ups then the top players, probably some 15 may look elsewhere unless you increase tests from $10K to $30-40K. That would be untenable to the public

 

[Wilson]

@gel - I am inclined to agree re top-ups. Yes, I do agree with you at times. I guess the provide a backup for good players who might get injured to stop them leaving, but the process is murky, and ultimately they'll leave anyway if they want for more money anyway. Pay them more for Tests played, as you say.

Yeah financial security is a huge part of it. Douglas was reportedly offered as much or more by the ARU as he was to go overseas, but it included match fees he would only get if fit and selected for all tests. There is nothing inherently wrong with top-ups, but plenty of work needs to be done to improve the process as it stands.

 

[cyclopath]

I know. But the top up process is Byzantine, and some of the money ends up misplaced, IMO. We won't fix the OS poaching issues with top-ups, given the ARU's parlous state.

 

[gel]

The ARU and the franchises aren't always in agreement. Doing away with top ups and giving the franchises extra funds likely will not benefit the Wallabies. We could end up with those extra funds in fact going to 5 players around the country all playing the same position because their franchise values them more than the ARU.

A very valid point. I guess my reasoning is that what will ultimately produce the best results for Australian rugby is 5 successful super rugby franchises (both financially and results wise). This would be the breeding ground for good quality players across the board that would mitigate the risk that we would need to be so dependent on those 5 players (who the franchises may be doubling up on as you say).

If no top ups then the top players, probably some 15 may look elsewhere unless you increase tests from $10K to $30-40K. That would be untenable to the public

I don't really know the numbers, so can't really say what the increase in the test match payments would/should be. I personally wouldn't be to concerned if they earned quite a bit more than the current 10k though.

(I would be OK with 20k - 25k as it is a pretty prestigious award and worthy of a very elite level of payment. Also gives the others another big incentive to get in the team and stay there).

 

[Train Without a Station]

I do understand your viewpoint but ultimately for the best interests of the wallabies, it needs to be at the ARU's discretion.

We have factors also like marquee internationals. What if the Force spent less on their local players to keep Alby Matthewson? Every team needs a quality halfback so the 4th string halfback would have a greater value to the Super franchise than the ARU.

Also the franchises may consider certain players to be less valuable to how they play, and therefore may be offered reserve money when they ARU consider them critical to the Wallabies. E.g. Kepu not starting every game for the Waratahs but being a regular starter for the Wallabies.

 

[gel]

True.

Some good points.

 

[Troy]

Just don't know if McKenzie wiuld take the risk. He has instilled a great culture in the Wallabies already and in a short time and don't know whether he would be prepared to potentially fuck with it.

On top of that, we already have some great coverage on the wings - AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Speight, Tomane, Horne, The Badger. So, where does he fit in????

Link and JOC (James O'Connor) are in contact quite often. JOC (James O'Connor) was on a Total Rugby podcast recently saying as much and Link also stated as much on Rugby HQ a few weeks ago.

 

[Tomikin]

Deleted

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[ChargerWA]

Back to the Reds recruitment issues, it will be interesting to see if RG continues as he did at the Force. One of my criticisms of him at the Force was he seemed to back his ability to get the best out of players who had elsewhere deemed not good enough instead of seriously looking elsewhere.

While he was at the Force when we were scraping the bottom of the barrel he kept bringing in players like Dave Harvey, Paddy Dellit and James Stannard (no diss, they are all 10 x the player I would ever be, but it is telling the Tahs never picked them up).

In fairness, the Force was hardly a glamour destination at the time, but I did wonder if RG perhaps preferred to back his coaching ability to take these type of players to the next level.

 

[A mutterer]

Yeah from everything Link's shown so far you'd have to think that if JOC (James O'Connor) comes back, demonstrates that he has pulled his head in and is one of the form wingers in the country that he'll get selected.

that's an awful lot of "if's" when talking about homebrand

 

[Sully]

So we have lost a lot of players. Hoe many of the three mentioned do we need to sign to make it worth it? Is one enough? Two? Or do we need all three?

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[tranquility]

Given all those blokes are tough as teek, and Captain Blood is less sane than Randle McMurphy, but I back GAGR's own to instill the straight and narrow.

4am after way too many shandys! I always said I made more sense when I wasn't sober.