He still struggles at one of the two core skills of a hooker
Wallabies 2024
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He still struggles at one of the two core skills of a hooker
upthereds#!
Ken Catchpole (46)
Without changing anything else, I'd go with Gordon & Toole on the bench. Jorgensen is at best the 3rd rank fullback in Aus - the starting team already has 2 starting 15s and a wing who can play 15. Gordon can cover 10/ 12, Paisami & Petaia can cover 13 if needed, Toole has wing and Kellaway, Petaia and Wright all interchangeable wings/15s. Having Donaldson as a 10/15 and Jorgenson as a 15/wing isn't the best balance with the starters.
Merrow
Arch Winning (36)
I’d prefer someone that can throw
Derpus
George Gregan (70)
You're all wrong. The team to beat the might of Georgia and Wales is as follows:
1. Bell
2. Faessler
3. Tupou
4. Frost
5. Skelton
6. Uru
7. McReight (c)
8. Valetini
9. White
10. Lolesio
11. Toole
12. Foketi
13. Ikitau
14. Petaia
15. Kellaway
16. Slips
17. Nongorr (I guess?)
18. Edit: Pollard
19. LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)
20. Wright
21. McDermott
22. Lynagh
23. Wright
Tupou gets in by default, unfortunately, despite being very obviously well out of shape.
If, for some reason, we don't decide to play Skelton then I'd throw LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) in at TH lock and bring Neville or Swain onto the bench.
There's pretty much nothing between Donaldson, Lolesio and Lynagh at the moment. I'd probably just pick whoever finishes with the highest kick accuracy. Stuck with my obvious biases for now.
Preferred Uru over Hanigan for 6. Hanigan has been very hot and cold this year. Brilliant cameo against the Crusaders from the bench followed by the worst performance you are likely to see the next week. Uru has been knocking at this door for a while so he gets the nod. I like Leota's work in possession but find him lacking in defence/around the ruck. I think we are likely to move on from Holloway in this spot so that leaves Wright covering the bench spot.
Nothing between Wilson and Valetini or Ikitau and Flook - would be happy with any but went with the incumbents (also none really suited to a bench spot). Don't think Perese brings enough nuance to the role for test level.
Happy to move on from Kerevi and Koroibete but would understand if they were ultimately picked.
Edit: and McReight captain. Only bloke who demands selection and will be on the field the full 80, basically.
1. Bell
2. Faessler
3. Tupou
4. Frost
5. Skelton
6. Uru
7. McReight (c)
8. Valetini
9. White
10. Lolesio
11. Toole
12. Foketi
13. Ikitau
14. Petaia
15. Kellaway
16. Slips
17. Nongorr (I guess?)
18. Edit: Pollard
19. LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)
20. Wright
21. McDermott
22. Lynagh
23. Wright
Tupou gets in by default, unfortunately, despite being very obviously well out of shape.
If, for some reason, we don't decide to play Skelton then I'd throw LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) in at TH lock and bring Neville or Swain onto the bench.
There's pretty much nothing between Donaldson, Lolesio and Lynagh at the moment. I'd probably just pick whoever finishes with the highest kick accuracy. Stuck with my obvious biases for now.
Preferred Uru over Hanigan for 6. Hanigan has been very hot and cold this year. Brilliant cameo against the Crusaders from the bench followed by the worst performance you are likely to see the next week. Uru has been knocking at this door for a while so he gets the nod. I like Leota's work in possession but find him lacking in defence/around the ruck. I think we are likely to move on from Holloway in this spot so that leaves Wright covering the bench spot.
Nothing between Wilson and Valetini or Ikitau and Flook - would be happy with any but went with the incumbents (also none really suited to a bench spot). Don't think Perese brings enough nuance to the role for test level.
Happy to move on from Kerevi and Koroibete but would understand if they were ultimately picked.
Edit: and McReight captain. Only bloke who demands selection and will be on the field the full 80, basically.
Last edited:
dru
Tim Horan (67)
Derpus, I have to say I like this a lot. +1
Ignoto
John Thornett (49)
Nice one Derpus, I wouldn't mind seeing how this goes. Onl thing I would like to see is Kerevi at 12 just to give Noah the "o shit" offload option.
Dismal Pillock
Simon Poidevin (60)
Deans, Schmidt, Cron, fuck these arseclowns and their treasonous switching of national allegiances-on-a-whim bullshit.
"But it's the age of professionalism, free market, freedom of movement, wah wah"
Just strips test rugby of its last vestiges of parochialism and patriotism. Spill all the IP, clutch the badge and belt out the anthem you cash chasing mercenary charlatans.
Why should we care who wins when the coaches clearly don't beyond their win bonuses?
Foreigners should be prohibited from coaching other nations there I said it.
The top provincial coach each year should be given the national team to run, salary paid by his national union.
Shut up, yes, I'm a communist.
dru
Tim Horan (67)
F'sake, comrad, we are after-all Belorussian. And it isn't unless we beat the black, then Bwahaha. (1:Billion though)
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
The Wallabies have landed a Kiwi ‘national treasure’ as scrum coach. It is a massive coup
Two-time World Cup winner Mike Cron is regarded as the world’s foremost expert on scrummaging - and he just joined Australian rugby.
Sword of Justice
Bill McLean (32)
I have such a clear memory in my mind of Deans singing Advance Australia Fair on the pitch (for some reason) before a game. The first of many questions I would ask him if I was in the same elevator would be if that hurt or if he was able to do the mental sums required to make it worth it. Second question would be why he thought JOC (James O'Connor) playing at 10 for the first time professionally against BIL Lions was ever going to work.
Deans, Schmidt, Cron, fuck these arseclowns and their treasonous switching of national allegiances-on-a-whim bullshit.
"But it's the age of professionalism, free market, freedom of movement, wah wah"
Just strips test rugby of its last vestiges of parochialism and patriotism. Spill all the IP, clutch the badge and belt out the anthem you cash chasing mercenary charlatans.
Why should we care who wins when the coaches clearly don't beyond their win bonuses?
Foreigners should be prohibited from coaching other nations there I said it.
The top provincial coach each year should be given the national team to run, salary paid by his national union.
Shut up, yes, I'm a communist.
Wilson
David Codey (61)
Vailanu's eligibility remains unclear to me, but unless he has a parent/grand parent born here I don't think he'll be eligible until 2027.
Derpus
George Gregan (70)
Ah that's a shame. Clearly the form hooker at the moment. The rest would miss the planet if they dropped a ball out the window of a plane.
Marce
John Thornett (49)
He's a Tongan Australian player according Wikipedia, I have not idea. He's in Australia since 2017, maybe a good attorney can get something
Wilson
David Codey (61)
Aside from wikipedia mot being the best of sources Tongan Australian just means he has citizenship which has no bearing on eligibility. He may have initially arrived in Australia in 2017 but wasn't born or raised here and played for Panasonic in 2019 and the LA Gilitinis in 2021, either stint likely resetting his eligibility. I doubt he has anything near the 10 years cumulative so a "good lawyer" would need to be arguing that neither of those stints reset his eligibility, something that as far as I'm aware is without precedent.
More to the point that legal argument comes with a cost, both for financial to pay the lawyer(s) and political in the broader environment of world rugby. Vailanu's form is solid right now, but not so good that I can see RA digging deep in the vain hope of early eligibility for him.
Adam84
Nick Farr-Jones (63)
Arrived in Australia in 2016..
LA Gilitinis would have reset his 5 year residency, almost 6 months overseas is pretty hard to argue.
So wouldn’t be eligible until 2026/2027 by either the 10 year or 5 year rule.
Highlander35
Andrew Slack (58)
Professional contracts overseas will 100% be a dealbreaker for continuous residency.
Brumby Runner
David Wilson (68)
The bench must contain 3 players who are proficient to cover the 3 front row spots. Who out of Arnold, Gamble and Swinton d7o you see playing LHP. Actually, I probably wouldn't mind seeing Swinton play half a game there but it might be the last we'll ever see him on a rugby ground.
upthereds#!
Ken Catchpole (46)
For years it was 1 prop who could cover both sides - like a slipper, HJH (Harry Johnson-Holmes), talakai all spent time at lhp. So did alan early days. Just likes Greg Holmes, Guy sheperdson had to when that was the rule. Risky, but possible.
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Not possible anymore...
