The Wallabies Thread

[Jagman]

Olympic Gold is far more important for women's games, where they don't have regular, visible international competitions to attract talent or spark interest

Men's sevens doesn't really have any visible competition to attract talent either.
In the past ten Super Rugby seasons, 4 times no aus team has made the semi final. Does the ARU have the capacity to make sure a Super Rugby team makes the final? No. Do they have the capacity to make sure we can compete with the alllblacks? Evidently not. Do they have the capacity to field a very strong sevens side with the cattle that they do have. Yes. Its all hindsight of course but I know which basket I'd be putting my apples in come next Olympic cycle. Its only 5 or 6 star players that's needed anyway and the only irreplaceable ones from what ive proposed are Folau and Hooper (though plenty would disagree on the last one). We'd still win the June tests if it isn't England in 2020 and we'll likely get smashed by NZ either way. It could even help keep more middle tier players in the country after the world cup year knowing that there will be spots vacant.


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[I like to watch]

No-one is doubting that Olympic success is something we should try and achieve.

The question is would the damage to Super and Test teams be worth it to achieve this exposure.

I don't think there is an easy answer, but I suspect there would be a lot of concern from regular rugby fans to see Super sides and the Wallabies sapped of star players in the name of achieving Olympic gold.
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There are 12 spots in a 7's squad,and 5 Franchises to draw from.
So I don't see how many super teams could be gutted.
allowing the Foley's of the world playing continual off seasons is a much bigger issue for Super & Test teams than losing a handful of players every Olympic year.

 

[No4918]

There are 12 spots in a 7's squad,and 5 Franchises to draw from.
So I don't see how many super teams could be gutted.
allowing the Foley's of the world playing continual off seasons is a much bigger issue for Super & Test teams than losing a handful of players every Olympic year.

None of the Super Rugby players that tried 7's this year did particularly well. Best chance for Olympic gold is have the squad settled and building for the next 4 years. If a Super Rugby player wants a chance they should go 2 years early to give the squad the best chance to develop . It takes about a season for them just to see who will be good enough without then improving them and working on other aspects of the team play like settling combinations.

 

[stoff]

What about exposure?
It has a real value to the game.
Had the men been able to match the girls,the hype would have been huuuuge.
The league people would be talking about which players should be poached,and be deciding which League stars would have dominated 7's.
Kids can only covet what they see.

Probably a blessing in disguise they didn't. Doubt we would have retained many of the newly interested fans after Saturday.


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[dru]

The concept that 7's should take priority over 15's under any circumstance seems to me ludicrous. The last thing that Aus rugby needs is to be competing with itself.

In fact part of the plan to assist the Wallabies going forward needs to be opening pathways to those 7's players to enter/return to 15's. I see this happening to some extent in the NRC. It's a good thing.

 

[barbarian]

There are 12 spots in a 7's squad,and 5 Franchises to draw from.
So I don't see how many super teams could be gutted.
allowing the Foley's of the world playing continual off seasons is a much bigger issue for Super & Test teams than losing a handful of players every Olympic year.

There are 12 squad spots, but really you need a playing/training group of around 20 to compete.

Taking 3-5 top players from each side would have a pronounced effect, as we struggle with depth to begin with. So Tahs lose Foley, Phipps, Hooper and Folau. Hard to see them getting close to the finals without those guys.
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[I like to watch]

So now we have gone from cherry picking 2 or 3 super players to boost the squad,to exclusively using only super contracted players in the entire squad?
I don't think anyone has ever promoted that as an option.

 

[Braveheart81]

So now we have gone from cherry picking 2 or 3 super players to boost the squad,to exclusively using only super contracted players in the entire squad?
I don't think anyone has ever promoted that as an option.

Well the post that started this discussion was about prioritising the 7s team in an Olympics year and allocating whichever players would most improve that team there for the season.

It just so happened that four of those Wallaby players were also the key players for the Waratahs.

It's a complex issue to resolve because there are multiple points to address and there is no certainty that we will win an Olympic medal because we include Wallabies or what winning that Olympic medal will do for the ARU. It is pretty clear that the Super Rugby sides and Wallabies will suffer if they lose key players but it is uncertain how much and what the financial impact of that will be both in that year from sponsorship and ticket sales or the impact it could have in the year or two following.

I don't think it really works to say that because the Super Rugby sides and Wallabies are performing poorly in 2016 we should have sent a whole bunch of players to the 7s side this year.

 

[barbarian]

So now we have gone from cherry picking 2 or 3 super players to boost the squad,to exclusively using only super contracted players in the entire squad?
I don't think anyone has ever promoted that as an option.

But the argument is still the same, really. Our sides struggle enough as it is in Super Rugby without losing their two or three best players.

It wouldn't mean that our sides are all cellar-dwellers, but it would be a big task for any of them to be around at the business end of the competition.

I think we do need to have a better strategy for taking 15s players into the 7s program. What we've learned this year is you can't do half measures - you've got to be with the squad all year if it's going to work.

I would be in favour of talking to three or four 15s players at the end of the 2019 season, and scoping their enthusiasm for playing season 2020 with the Sevens program.

This should be geared towards what the team needs at the time – so this year would have been playmakers and speed men. Maybe it’s Foley, Lealiifano, Morahan and Folau. Those four are enough to build a team around, and while their absence would hurt at Super and Wallaby level, the damage could certainly be mitigated.

Then we continue to look at fringe Super guys like McCutcheon, Kingston etc to bolster the squad numbers and provide depth.


I’d favour that approach over a larger influx of 8-12 Super players.
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[I like to watch]

Totally agree that the optimum approach would be to assign 4 top players to the 7's program for a year.
One thing we learned again this year, is that doing things half arsed never works,in any endeavour.
That, and the 7's coach that we re appointed for another two years adds no value.

 

[Tomikin]

So totally different subject (not sure this is the place to post it) but I'll make it relevant. To'omua and his head knocks must be getting bad, his been knocked out too many times to count.

I'm concerned he won't make it back to play Super rugby after a stint in England.

 

[Tomikin]

But the argument is still the same, really. Our sides struggle enough as it is in Super Rugby without losing their two or three best players.

It wouldn't mean that our sides are all cellar-dwellers, but it would be a big task for any of them to be around at the business end of the competition.

I think we do need to have a better strategy for taking 15s players into the 7s program. What we've learned this year is you can't do half measures - you've got to be with the squad all year if it's going to work.

I would be in favour of talking to three or four 15s players at the end of the 2019 season, and scoping their enthusiasm for playing season 2020 with the Sevens program.

This should be geared towards what the team needs at the time – so this year would have been playmakers and speed men. Maybe it’s Foley, Lealiifano, Morahan and Folau. Those four are enough to build a team around, and while their absence would hurt at Super and Wallaby level, the damage could certainly be mitigated.

Then we continue to look at fringe Super guys like McCutcheon, Kingston etc to bolster the squad numbers and provide depth.


I’d favour that approach over a larger influx of 8-12 Super players.
.

I agree, we have the player, this year I think Speight was a great addition and was going to do it the right way, but injury crippled him. If they where smart they would have looked at a guy like Liam Gill, played 7's before great player, unlikely to effect the Wallabies, although massive lose for the Reds.. Morahan would be another.. Foley is too big of a lose for the Wallabies but at the start of the season, I think someone like Jono Lance's and probably Lealifano would have been wise move's but still would have hurt the Brumbies/Force..

 

[Strewthcobber]

So totally different subject (not sure this is the place to post it) but I'll make it relevant. To'omua and his head knocks must be getting bad, his been knocked out too many times to count.

I'm concerned he won't make it back to play Super rugby after a stint in England.

Must be the forth or fifth concussion in the last few years. Hopefully the ARU aren't sparing any money to medically monitor him and Leicester continue to do so.

Almost time for to find something else to do

 

[Brumby Runner]

So totally different subject (not sure this is the place to post it) but I'll make it relevant. To'omua and his head knocks must be getting bad, his been knocked out too many times to count.

I'm concerned he won't make it back to play Super rugby after a stint in England.

I definitely believe he should take a rest for the remainder of the Aus season and hopefully get himself in better health for his stint in England.

 

[Tomikin]

And next thing i hear is Brad Thorn, laughing about how he finds it funny how the AB's smashed us... well dont settle down in brisbane and fuck off back to NZ.. trying to stay humble and keeping the smile off my face.. wanker..

 

[dru]

And next thing i hear is Brad Thorn, laughing about how he finds it funny how the AB's smashed us. well dont settle down in brisbane and fuck off back to NZ.. trying to stay humble and keeping the smile off my face.. wanker..

OK, where did that come from?

 

[dru]

One thing we learned again this year, is that doing things half arsed never works,in any endeavour.

So we choose to be half arsed with the Wallabies team on the basis that 7's is too shakey to stand on its own feet?

This thread is WBs onwards, not lets more issues to whittle away the WBs.

 

[No4918]

OK, where did that come from?

http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/b...i/news-story/399d1e0278c9e2db391d1549ece3d2bd

 

[Tomikin]

OK, where did that come from?

Rugby Heaven

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[TOCC]

Did you actually watch the interview? Wasn't really the context of what he said...

And you know what, it's about time someone involved in Australian Rugby doesn't sugar coat shit.. Too many coaches and players make excuses for each other, it was a poor performance by the Wallabies plain and simple, it deserves its criticism. Australian Rugby is in a bad state, so let's call a spade a spade and get on with fixing it.