Rugbynutter39
Michael Lynagh (62)
Reds have a lot of work to do to be anywhere near the kiwi teams based on TT just witnessed as they had one very good half against 14 men but otherwise been part of lot of lopsided results.
Reds 2021
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dru
Tim Horan (67)
Thorn has made firm advocacy for the TT. I'm not convinced he has yet demonstrated why the fans should be behind him on the issue.
It is what we will get all the same and we can only support his attempts to build for it.
Rugbynutter39
Michael Lynagh (62)
liquor box
Greg Davis (50)
TSR
Mark Ella (57)
People keep harping about the Reds playing 14 or 13 - which they caused because of pressure.
No-one discounts the losses when the Aussie teams lose a player or two due to the pressure.
Nor should they - but it’s funny how some people consistently frame things in the worst possible light.
hammertimethere
Trevor Allan (34)
The thing that will make the biggest difference is our players from this year who aren't going to be with the Wallabies (e.g Nonggorr, Feao, Asiata, Hoopert, Nasser, Uru, Blyth, Smith, ASY (Angus Scott-Young), Sorovi and Thomas, Hegarty, Stewart, Henry, Grealy, Campbell etc). all need to keep playing for the rest of the year ideally at a higher level than club footy usually offers them.
Something has got to replace the NRC to give them that opportunity
Something has got to replace the NRC to give them that opportunity
TSR
Mark Ella (57)
Dru - I know you didn’t mean to offend me. I simply meant that the solution you are presenting as obvious isnt at all an obvious good solution in my eyes. And I suspect a lot of others, including the likes of Brad Thorn & Dave Rennie.
These are the things I know -
- we won’t drop any sides
- we need to play the Kiwis regularly to be competitive at test level
- we need our domestic comp to be compelling
- we need the Kiwis & they need us
- we don’t have truck loads of money to spend
I get that those things don’t fit together at the moment, maybe they never will. But I’d suggest chucking in the towel on TT is the worst of the alternatives available to us. So, somehow we need to manage a moneyball situation where we make lift the standards of our teams (or at least 3 of them) to be competitive at TT.
Now, having an NRC would be a big help, but it just may not be an option. And it would only be a start.
But, for the life of me, I can’t see how Qld, NSW, ACT & the Western Force organisations wouldn’t back themselves to bridge that gap in 2 seasons.
That isn’t meant to deride the Melbourne Rebels but, from my perspective, they seem to have the toughest job - although having said that they have some very good players in the core of their squad and I am placing a lot of perhaps unwarranted faith on the Waratahs to turn their ship around in a short time.
It also comes with the caveat that I feel the Force should be able to continue to utilise the benefits of the strength of their financial backing by Twiggy to supplement their roster with international talent.
These are the things I know -
- we won’t drop any sides
- we need to play the Kiwis regularly to be competitive at test level
- we need our domestic comp to be compelling
- we need the Kiwis & they need us
- we don’t have truck loads of money to spend
I get that those things don’t fit together at the moment, maybe they never will. But I’d suggest chucking in the towel on TT is the worst of the alternatives available to us. So, somehow we need to manage a moneyball situation where we make lift the standards of our teams (or at least 3 of them) to be competitive at TT.
Now, having an NRC would be a big help, but it just may not be an option. And it would only be a start.
But, for the life of me, I can’t see how Qld, NSW, ACT & the Western Force organisations wouldn’t back themselves to bridge that gap in 2 seasons.
That isn’t meant to deride the Melbourne Rebels but, from my perspective, they seem to have the toughest job - although having said that they have some very good players in the core of their squad and I am placing a lot of perhaps unwarranted faith on the Waratahs to turn their ship around in a short time.
It also comes with the caveat that I feel the Force should be able to continue to utilise the benefits of the strength of their financial backing by Twiggy to supplement their roster with international talent.
TSR
Mark Ella (57)
Great - if you can work out a way for us to play consistently in one of the top European comps I’ll agree playing the Kiwis regularly at Super level becomes less critical.
Edit- and I would argue it is doing very significant things for the likes of Valetini, Wilson, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto), Lolesio, Tupou, BPA, Lonergan, Paisami, Perese, Daugunu, Koroibete, Wright et al. Not always positively - or at least not in the sense of promoting their cause, but definitely highlighting where the shortcomings are for some of them.
I’d be guessing it has been significant for Rennie too.
Edit- and I would argue it is doing very significant things for the likes of Valetini, Wilson, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto), Lolesio, Tupou, BPA, Lonergan, Paisami, Perese, Daugunu, Koroibete, Wright et al. Not always positively - or at least not in the sense of promoting their cause, but definitely highlighting where the shortcomings are for some of them.
I’d be guessing it has been significant for Rennie too.
Rebels3
Jim Lenehan (48)
This year we actually play kiwi teams more (5 games) than we did in the previous incarnation of Super Rugby (4 games). We are also on track to have the worst points differential for a round after been exposed for 5 weeks.
Wilson
David Codey (61)
I do think having 5 kiwi teams in a row makes it worse than it otherwise would be. Backing up must have been so bloody hard for the Australian sides in this comp.
Rugbynutter39
Michael Lynagh (62)
No it is actually saying that this one half of brilliance comes with qualifier that yes a) faced 14 players and b) they FAILED to back this up with any other significant half of footy dominance
Sorry point B) hugely significant. To be real I want to laud an Ozzie side but to be Frank reds deserve more criticism then praise from this TT and hope they use it to come back way better as they under achieved where I felt they should be...I doubt thorn would disagree...
TSR
Mark Ella (57)
Sure - but people keep including the fact that the Reds played 14 like it’s a disclaimer. But it’s never a disclaimer when the shoe is on the other foot for any of the Aussie teams.
The Chiefs lost one player to lack of discipline and the other to pressure. One win is a poor outcome from TT, but there is no asterisk attached to the win.
The Chiefs lost one player to lack of discipline and the other to pressure. One win is a poor outcome from TT, but there is no asterisk attached to the win.