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Reds v Sharks, Rnd 5 2020, Lang Park Sat 29 7:15 EDST

PhilClinton

Tony Shaw (54)
Very surprised they left Hegarty out of the 23 all together. I guess Thorn has faith in Campbell's goal kicking, and if he is off target maybe JOC (James O'Connor) to take over? I would hate for us to go down by 2-3 points in a nail biter due to some missed conversions/penalties, and to be honest I can see the game being that close.
 

Zero_Cool

Arch Winning (36)
I'm a little surprised we aren't seeing Hegarty brought back. I guess the Reds think they are outright better than the Sharks, or the Brumbies are better than us.

We lose this game and I think we'll lose touch with the Brumbies.

A lot of kickers in the side, but no one is quite the sharp shooter that Hegarty is (reminds me of what Foley was supposed to be).
 

Woldog

Peter Burge (5)
I'm a little surprised we aren't seeing Hegarty brought back. I guess the Reds think they are outright better than the Sharks, or the Brumbies are better than us.

We lose this game and I think we'll lose touch with the Brumbies.

A lot of kickers in the side, but no one is quite the sharp shooter that Hegarty is (reminds me of what Foley was supposed to be).

Foley was great until the ice man melted and he became a pointless selection each week.
 

RedsHappy

Tony Shaw (54)
I'm a little surprised we aren't seeing Hegarty brought back. I guess the Reds think they are outright better than the Sharks, or the Brumbies are better than us.

We lose this game and I think we'll lose touch with the Brumbies.

A lot of kickers in the side, but no one is quite the sharp shooter that Hegarty is (reminds me of what Foley was supposed to be).

There will be Super matches that could be critical to the Reds season that, in the winning thereof, penalties and conversion kicks make the difference. (An aside but to point: was it not so that a crucial penalty kick by QC (Quade Cooper) at Suncorp late in the 2011 season secured the Reds a home Final?)
 

Zero_Cool

Arch Winning (36)
Foley or Hegarty have their place, but if they aren't kicking their goals they can't be selected. Hegarty has been kicking his goals and that might prove the difference.

I also love the selection of LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) coming off the bench. I don't mind the lock/backrow rotation. I suspect/expect ASY (Angus Scott-Young) is going to be pushed to get through a LOT of work before we unleash McReight for like 30 min.

Reserve ront row is a worry but that's been the case since we've had 2 or 3 of our props injured and BPA go down.

We are going to expect a lot from Lucas this game coming off the bench, and Filipo is always exciting (both good and bad)!
 

TSR

Andrew Slack (58)
I'm very happy with that team. A couple of different selections could have been made, and I would have still been happy, but I like the side overall.

With regards to players left out/benched - if we take Thorn at his word about developing a squad mentality and squad depth, then players aren't necessarily being dropped but asked to fill a different role (or indeed no role at all) compared to last week. I'm sure being competitive players that doesn't always sit fine with them but it does seem that every player is being given at least some opportunity to grab their jersey.

My biggest concern, obviously shared by a few others, is goal kicking. However I will note that while it is always very clear who successful or otherwise a kicker is, what we can't quantify is how many tries one player may create or stop compared to the other possible alternatives. I don't mind Hegarty - but if Campbell isn't already worth an extra 5 or so points in general game play now, it seems pretty likely to me he will be soon enough. I just don't see Hegarty creating the opportunities that Jock is.

That is not to underplay the importance of kicking and, if Jock is going to be the kicker he needs to improve significantly. But the pressure shouldn't just be on him. If he is kicking at 60 - 70% and is still being picked as the first choice kicker, there should also be pressure on the likes of O'Connor & Stewart as to why the aren't considered a better option as well as pressure on Alred to get one or more of the other guys up to that level.

Hopefully that can be done before that crucial game(s) come along so that we end up on the right side of the ledger.
 
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RedsHappy

Tony Shaw (54)
I'm very happy with that team. A couple of different selections could have been made, and I would have still been happy, but I like the side overall.
..............
That is not to underplay the importance of kicking and, if Jock is going to be the kicker he needs to improve significantly. But the pressure shouldn't just be on him. If he is kicking at 60 - 70% and is still being picked as the first choice kicker, there should also be pressure on the likes of O'Connor & Stewart as to why the aren't considered a better option as well as pressure on Alred to get one or more of the other guys up to that level.

Hopefully that can be done before that crucial game(s) come along so that we end up on the right side of the ledger.

Yes, this whole kicking for points area for the 2020 Reds is a complete mystery to me.

We have arguably the best rugby kicking coach in the world in Alred yet Jock C, clearly still a poor kicker with a dangerously low kicking success rate (of a type that could one suspects worsen under severe pressure to decide a win at the end of a game), is given the primary kicking role. Go figure. And he doesn't seem to be improving.

Yet there is, eg, JO'C who is actually a good clutch kicker (recall, 2010 wasn't it, Wallabies @ Hong Kong v ABs, the final kick to win the match) not involved in this potentially crucial duty for the team.

Just don't get it.
 

Beer Baron

Phil Hardcastle (33)
Maybe Thorn's mantra is to pick a side where kicking % won't matter!! - lets hope.
I recall in 2011 Quade was terrible off the tee in games that weren't close and a sniper when it did (Stormers away). Could just be my recollection though.
 

PhilClinton

Tony Shaw (54)
Lucas/Daugunu offers a lot less versatility than Lucas/Hergarty positionally as well. Daugunu is exclusively a winger, which means Lucas will be expected to cover 10/12/13/15. Ironically, if Thorn continues to pick this side, we may see Lucas become Ben Lucas 2.0.
 
B

Bobby Sands

Guest
Lucas/Daugunu offers a lot less versatility than Lucas/Hergarty positionally as well. Daugunu is exclusively a winger, which means Lucas will be expected to cover 10/12/13/15. Ironically, if Thorn continues to pick this side, we may see Lucas become Ben Lucas 2.0.

Not really, Speight/CFS can play 13. JOC (James O'Connor) can play 12. Daugunu plays 11/14.

So Lucas is covering 10/15 as expected.
 
B

Bobby Sands

Guest
I love that ASY (Angus Scott-Young) is starting, he reminds me of a very good rugby league player Andrew Ryan (nickname the bobcat).

Bobcat didn't dominate on either side of the ball, but he was head down bum up, and was one of the most effective backrowers of his generation. ASY (Angus Scott-Young) brings grit, and you can never have enough of that.

As Penney said yesterday, theres a big different between talent and effort, and sometimes the most talented players don't have the effort. Its one thing that ASY (Angus Scott-Young) is not short of.
 

Finsbury Girl

Trevor Allan (34)
Picked it like a dirty nose.

I am also a little baffled with Daugunu. Hegarty adds a lot more starch in D.

QLD to win.
 

Woldog

Peter Burge (5)
Are there any more Lucas brothers yet to come through? I figure if we get em all back we would have a versatile backline and the commentators would have an easy job.
 
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PhilClinton

Tony Shaw (54)
Stewart and Daugunu are also goal kickers, it’s not just Campbell and Hegarty


If Stewart (or JOC (James O'Connor)) were half decent surely they would have had a kick by now - Campbell's kicking hasn't inspired much confidence. Anyway its nice to finally have some confidence in the team itself, if our biggest grip is the goal kicker (and yeh I could come down to that) then it shows we finally have a side that people enjoy watching.
 

Adam84

Rod McCall (65)
What did Hegarty kick at in 2019 during Super Rugby and the NRC, I remember him been good, but don’t remember him been that good.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
I attended the captain's run of the Wallabies vs Samoa test last year. JOC (James O'Connor) was one of the three players doing goal kicking practice at the end of the session.

I would be surprised if he wasn't doing any goal kicking at the Reds.
 
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