Wallabies 2019 Thread

[Braveheart81]

Not at all convinced Maddocks is a better test winger than Koro or Sefa. He's fast and nimble but he's also very light. I think we need at least one hard hitting, hard running winger. I would prefer Sefa given we already have one league convert throwing hail mary's on the opposite wing.

Maddocks is deceptively big. 194cm and 96kg according to wikipedia. That makes him heavier than both Sefa and Koro. He's certainly a chunk taller.

I agree he doesn't play as physically as them and needs to get a bit harder hitting in attack. Some of those Karmichael Hunt angry pills to really hit in attack. I'm less concerned about it in defence. His defence does need to improve but probably more from a completion percentage than big hits.

 

[Derpus]

So, who would you pick?

 

[Braveheart81]

My best 23 assuming everyone was healthy and in decent form would be:

Slipper, Fainga'a Ala'alatoa
Rodda, Coleman
Jones, Hooper, Naisarani
Genia, Foley
Folau, Kerevi, Kuridrani, DHP
Beale

???, Sio, Tupou, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto), Pocock, Phipps, Hunt, Hodge

Squad:
TPN, Kepu, Arnold, Dempsey, Gordon, Cooper, To'omua, Koroibete/Maddocks

Some of that isn't really on current form. I think currently Cooper would be the starting 10 and Beale would be on the bench. If Beale is on the bench you play more of a playmaking 12 like To'omua regardless of who plays 10.

I fear that Pocock isn't going to get through a World Cup playing 80 minutes (he never has in the two previous ones). The logic of having him on the bench is getting a quality half hour to close out a game and I reckon you get 60% of the turnovers he'd get across 80 minutes in that time because he gets to take on tiring players. I think he's more of a impact player than Hooper.

 

[KOB1987]

I fear that Pocock isn't going to get through a World Cup playing 80 minutes (he never has in the two previous ones). The logic of having him on the bench is getting a quality half hour to close out a game and I reckon you get 60% of the turnovers he'd get across 80 minutes in that time because he gets to take on tiring players. I think he's more of a impact player than Hooper.

That's an interesting take on it. I also fear he won't get through a full game, if he actually makes it to the big dance in the first place. I think when comparing apples with apples and both are 100% Pocock is the better player, but what you say is correct, Hooper is definitely still an 80 minute player whereas Poey even as fit as he can be may not be. Part of that's age, part of it's that he bashes the fuck out of himself, and part if it is that others target him to bash. And the reality is that if both are fit the 'Pooper' is going to be on field at some point so it's logical to manage the best timing of it for maximum impact.

 

[Derpus]

That's an interesting take on it. I also fear he won't get through a full game, if he actually makes it to the big dance in the first place. I think when comparing apples with apples and both are 100% Pocock is the better player, but what you say is correct, Hooper is definitely still an 80 minute player whereas Poey even as fit as he can be may not be. Part of that's age, part of it's that he bashes the fuck out of himself, and part if it is that others target him to bash. And the reality is that if both are fit the 'Pooper' is going to be on field at some point so it's logical to manage the best timing of it for maximum impact.

Try to break his neck off you mean?

 

[KOB1987]

Try to break his neck off you mean?

I was trying to be diplomatic

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Maddocks is deceptively big. 194cm and 96kg according to wikipedia. That makes him heavier than both Sefa and Koro. He's certainly a chunk taller.

I agree he doesn't play as physically as them and needs to get a bit harder hitting in attack. Some of those Karmichael Hunt angry pills to really hit in attack. I'm less concerned about it in defence. His defence does need to improve but probably more from a completion percentage than big hits.

Crikey, is he? Doesn't look anywhere near that big.

 

[TSR]

My best 23 assuming everyone was healthy and in decent form would be:

Slipper, Fainga'a Ala'alatoa
Rodda, Coleman
Jones, Hooper, Naisarani
Genia, Foley
Folau, Kerevi, Kuridrani, DHP
Beale

???, Sio, Tupou, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto), Pocock, Phipps, Hunt, Hodge

Squad:
TPN, Kepu, Arnold, Dempsey, Gordon, Cooper, To'omua, Koroibete/Maddocks

Some of that isn't really on current form. I think currently Cooper would be the starting 10 and Beale would be on the bench. If Beale is on the bench you play more of a playmaking 12 like To'omua regardless of who plays 10.

I fear that Pocock isn't going to get through a World Cup playing 80 minutes (he never has in the two previous ones). The logic of having him on the bench is getting a quality half hour to close out a game and I reckon you get 60% of the turnovers he'd get across 80 minutes in that time because he gets to take on tiring players. I think he's more of a impact player than Hooper.

I am with you, or can at least follow your rational, except with the whole Hooper/Pocock thing.

You’re just trying too hard to justify Hoopers selection over Pocock. You simply don’t leave your best player on the bench because he’ll make more ‘impact’. Of course he will - he is a better player.

That’s not intended to be a slight on Hooper. He is an incredibly good player and I am in awe as to the level he carries the Waratahs at times. Truly one of the hardest working guys I’ve seen play. If Pocock is injured I won’t be losing a minutes sleep over Hooper getting the 7.

But Pocock is hands down the best player we have, and you don’t put your best player on the bench so he can create ‘impact’.

 

[Slim 293]

Crikey, is he? Doesn't look anywhere near that big.

Or rather, he doesn't play anywhere near that big......... in last year's Bledisloe he seemed to turn the ball over in every carry.

 

[Slim 293]

Just having a crack at naming my Wallabies team, prepared to cop flack for the amount of Waratahs and selection of Swinton (anyone who supports the Waratahs gets belted it seems) but I think the Ben Darwin philosophy of cohesion is so important.

1. Sio 2. Fitzpatrick 3. Alalaatoa 4. Rodda 5. Simmons (vc) 6. Hanigan 7. Hooper (c) 8. Dempsey 9. Phipps 10. Foley (vc) 11. Kerevi 12. Beale 13. Ashley-Cooper 14. Haylett-Petty 15. I Folau

16. Polota-Nau or Hugh Roach 17. Kepu 18. Tupou 19. Swinton 20. Pocock 21. Gordon 22. Hodge 23. Magnay

Genia and Cooper are too polarising and I'd need to be 110% sure that I could trust them to follow Hoops and not try and run the show themselves. Kerevi and Magnay to play the Naiyaravoro role of big meat on the left wing. Swinton selection is to add enthusiasm plus I rate him very highly and would also take Scott-Young and Liam Wright to the World Cup to encourage them to stay in Aussie rugby.

You left out Mason.........

 

[Brumby Runner]

In the midst of that disappointing performance by the Tahs v the Sunwolves, I again came to the conclusion Gordon offers a lot more threat to the opposition than Phipps does. His sniping runs around the ruck area constantly pose a threat and often gets the forwards moving forward. Gordon would be my backup to Genia at the moment.

I still don't get the love for Hunt's defensive efforts. He simply is not the best defender or tackler going around. His effort against Maseraiwa last night is a prime example. That is not an outlier. He misses tackles in every game he plays. Should not be in the Wallabies' squad based on his defensive deficiencies alone.

When it comes to filling the No 12 spot, it needs to be Kerevi every day of the month. Beale is over-rated and on form over some years now, should not be in the side.

The other change that is simply crying out to be made is to dismantle once and for all time, the Pooper. Start Pocock when fit, or start Hooper otherwise, but both are not needed in the 23 let alone the starting 15.

 

[Dctarget]

I still don't get the love for Hunt's defensive efforts. He simply is not the best defender or tackler going around. His effort against Maseraiwa last night is a prime example. That is not an outlier. He misses tackles in every game he plays. Should not be in the Wallabies' squad based on his defensive deficiencies alone.

You'll find your favourite Beale shot up out of the line and failed to make the hit. Leaving Hunt to turn on his heel and out of position.

 

[Derpus]

Beale fucked up, but Hunt also got shredded. He's no 13.

 

[wamberal]

Beale fucked up, but Hunt also got shredded. He's no 13.

Most of us knew that Hunt was not a 13. Absolutely ridiculous selection. They should have gone with Izzy at 13, Beale at 15, and Hunt in his best (only?) position at 12.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Wamb, it mystifies and galls me that coaches fail to select players in their best spots. Gibson is doing it with Hunt, Beale and Folau, but most disappointingly Cheika has been doing it for 4 - 5 years with Folau, DHP, Beale, and Pocock.

 

[eastman]

Most of us knew that Hunt was not a 13. Absolutely ridiculous selection. They should have gone with Izzy at 13, Beale at 15, and Hunt in his best (only?) position at 12.

Absolutely spot on. This might be controversial but I feel if Israel wasn't so strong under the high ball that he would have locked up the 13 jersey for the Waratahs and Wallabies for years. He's by far the best ball runner in Australian rugby and not defensively weak either. People who suggest playing him on the wing are overlooking that he's far better ball runner with options outside him to set up rather than just the sideline.

 

[gel]

The Folau at 13 experiment was tried a year or two ago and was a pretty poor. When he plays 15 other teams have to adjust their game plans to try to avoid his impact from 15. His best games for the wallabies and tags have been at 15. I just can't understand the fascination with changing that. Any time he's not at 15, opposition bombs start raining down onto whoever the poor soul is that is now trying to fill Izzy's role.

Similarly with Pocock - he is so utterly dominant when he's on the field then I just can't understand the logic of trying to have him fill another role (that of an 8) when he isn't one. The 8 is a specialist role and a key part of the spine of the team, rigging something up just so we can slot in Hooper at 7 just doesn't make sense to me. Pick Hooper or Pocock - I even kinda agree with ^^^^ whoever it was that suggested Pocock comes on as a sub due to his history of not necessarily finishing games due to the physical attention he receives.

Pick players in their actual positions though, and if it means we can't have our two best on the park at the same time then so be it. One things for sure, we've tried shoehorning players into all kinds of positions over the years and it has not worked consistently, so why not try a different approach and have players play consistently in their actual positions (/roles).

Or we can just continue to do what we've been doing for quite a while and hasn't been working, and just hope that at some point doing the same thing will just magically yield different results.

 

[BIgz20]

Anyone think cheika going to the UK at the same time Johnson hits town is well planned by cheik..
still running his own show..
how can we go to the WC with no bks coach??

 

[Strewthcobber]

Poey at 8 wasn't really a choice that Cheiks wanted to make necessarily. It was done because of complete lack of other options thrown up by RA development pretty much since Kefu.

If we had a specialist 8 worth playing there, he'd one playing there.

Now there's a few options there this year, but we don't know if they are test quality (yet). Exciting to find out though

 

[Slim 293]

how can we go to the WC with no bks coach??

From all accounts it sounds like we didn’t really have one last year either......... and everything was just peachy.