Tri Nations squad named - NAMED ON PAGE 3 - GENIA IN!!!

[Spook]

waugh is there on his super form which he deserved. i also think he is there with a view that if smith or pocock get injured we need a speacilist 7 on the bench.

the way we play these days i think he also likes to finish with two 7's out there, he is very keen on turnover ball. i would actually think, waugh and smith work better in tandom than smith and pocock at this stage.

I know he had a good S14 but Deans rates Pocock higher it would seem. Given that's the case, why do we neeed another openside in the squad when Palu is coming back?

 

[waratahjesus]

cos palu is a speacilist 8 and deans wants 2 scavingers in his squad at all times.
so if smith or pocock are injured he needs waugh.
they play in a high impact area, one of them having to miss a week or two at some point isnt out of the question.

 

[Spook]

cos palu is a speacilist 8 and deans wants 2 scavingers in his squad at all times.
so if smith or pocock are injured he needs waugh.
they play in a high impact area, one of them having to miss a week or two at some point isnt out of the question.

He's also got Brown and Hodgson. Waugh is taking the place of a younger player who should be developed in the squad.

 

[Gagger]

Whether it's right or wrong, Deans' mantra seems to be pucking a squad of what he considers to be the best football players, rather than best by position. Hence the glut of flankers, LHPs and wingers.

 

[Lee Grant]

I don't know if you are right, or not, but I don't like the demise of the specialist player. We saw in cricket when the Proteas toured here the time before last and crowing about their all-rounders, that our bowlers could dismiss their batsmen twice but their bowlers couldn't do it, vice versa.

And in rugby we saw the backrow all rounders of the All Blacks defeated by specialist fetchers Ouedraogo and Dusautoir in Dunedin.

On the other hand: Deans doesn't get a whole lot of things wrong. I'll back him to pick horses for courses from the squad depending on the opponent, the ground, and the weather conditions.

 

[cyclopath]

cos palu is a speacilist 8 and deans wants 2 scavingers in his squad at all times.
so if smith or pocock are injured he needs waugh.
they play in a high impact area, one of them having to miss a week or two at some point isnt out of the question.

He's also got Brown and Hodgson. Waugh is taking the place of a younger player who should be developed in the squad.

Like who? Who is the other 7 who should be developed?

 

[louie]

beau robinson would be more worth while in the long then waugh. both NSW and Australia.

Waugh spent

 

[cyclopath]

All due respect to Beau, but despite limited chances at the Tahs, no other franchise wants to pick him up, so I fail to see how he demands to be developed. I feel sorry for him, but I can't accept he is at that level yet.

 

[formeropenside]

cos palu is a speacilist 8 and deans wants 2 scavingers in his squad at all times.
so if smith or pocock are injured he needs waugh.
they play in a high impact area, one of them having to miss a week or two at some point isnt out of the question.

He's also got Brown and Hodgson. Waugh is taking the place of a younger player who should be developed in the squad.

Like who? Who is the other 7 who should be developed?

not 7's, but Mowen and Chapman come to mind

 

[rugbywhisperer]

Gentlemen - could it not be a simple as Waugh's time has come. With the emerging talent we need to prepare for RWC2011 and it would be a very optimistic person to say he will be in top form then.
Personally, I have doubts about Smith being there as well but on current form he will probably carry it off - waugh is no where near as goos as he was or as Smith.

 

[Spook]

cos palu is a speacilist 8 and deans wants 2 scavingers in his squad at all times.
so if smith or pocock are injured he needs waugh.
they play in a high impact area, one of them having to miss a week or two at some point isnt out of the question.

He's also got Brown and Hodgson. Waugh is taking the place of a younger player who should be developed in the squad.

Like who? Who is the other 7 who should be developed?

not 7's, but Mowen and Chapman come to mind

Exactly what I was going to say. Doesn't have to a 7.

 

[Groucho]

Gentlemen - could it not be a simple as Waugh's time has come. With the emerging talent we need to prepare for RWC2011 and it would be a very optimistic person to say he will be in top form then.
Personally, I have doubts about Smith being there as well but on current form he will probably carry it off - waugh is no where near as goos as he was or as Smith.

A squad is a complex thing that needs a mixture of both slills and experience. You can't simply pick developing players and hope they progress: you need experience there to steady the hormonal ship and pass on knowldege. Waugh is a stalwart with enormous courage and dedication, and the young players will learn some of that from him. Besides, he is hardly spent: he was in the first tier of S14 players this year on form.

 

[barbarian]

Gentlemen - could it not be a simple as Waugh's time has come. With the emerging talent we need to prepare for RWC2011 and it would be a very optimistic person to say he will be in top form then.
Personally, I have doubts about Smith being there as well but on current form he will probably carry it off - waugh is no where near as goos as he was or as Smith.

A squad is a complex thing that needs a mixture of both slills and experience. You can't simply pick developing players and hope they progress: you need experience there to steady the hormonal ship and pass on knowldege. Waugh is a stalwart with enormous courage and dedication, and the young players will learn some of that from him. Besides, he is hardly spent: he was in the first tier of S14 players this year on form.

Well said Groucho, my thoughts exactly. We ARE developing a young 7, Pocock. There are no other obvious standout youngsters (Beau Robinson? He is hardly a standout at club level at the moment). Having an experienced head there is an obvious benefit, and his attitude will have a great impact on the dynamic of the squad.

 

[the gambler]

:thumb

Took the words right out of my mouth....

 

[cyclopath]

Glad to see I am not alone.

 

[Cutter]

There is more than enough cover for backrowers in the squad. Conversely, there is no genuine tighthead cover and no third hooker. I'd have thought it would be better to drop Waugh and take Dunning or a good young hooker (if we had one).

 

[the gambler]

Every squad could do with a good young hooker, especially league teams. Think of all the scandals that would be prevented.

 

[Spook]

A third scrum half would be appropriate as well.

 

[waratahjesus]

waugh will be there abouts come 2011, if you use the world cup argument there are a few people you have to question about being there, namely

mortlock, cross, sharpe, why is cross ahead of horne?

 

[disco]

Whether it's right or wrong, Deans' mantra seems to be pucking a squad of what he considers to be the best football players, rather than best by position. Hence the glut of flankers, LHPs and wingers.

As the Dutch football team Ajax call it "Total Football" were they believe in picking the best 11 players available & expect them to be able to cover any position needed.

A bit harder in Rugby were we have so many specialist positions for unique body shapes but along those lines.