Waratahs 2011

[Hawko]

That is a seriously degraded Waratahs backline!

It would be better if you swapped Bennetts for Cross and kept Turner at fullback with Anesi on one wing. Barnes for Hangers is just dependant on medical issues, and starting him allows you to bring Hangers on as soon as any problems arise. Starting Hangers means you can't bring him back on.

Its not the first choice backline, but its the best that can be done with what's not in casualty.

 

[Langthorne]

It is becoming clearer why the better coaches have been rotating their squads from early on....but the better coaches also recruit better, train better, have better tactics.....

 

[Gagger]

I'm afraid the Beale to 10 and rather than Hangers was another Anesi moment for me from Hickey

 

[Bruce Ross]

Beale out (knee). Ben Batger and Ben Roberts (?) training with the Tahs this week.
Revised team:
Anesi, Kingston, Cross, Carter, Turner, Halangahu, Burgess, Mowen, Waugh, Dennis, Timani, Mumm, Kepu, Uluiga, Robinson.
Res: N.Seymour/A.Halangahu/B.Roberts, Baxter, Douglas, McCutheon, McKibbon, Barnes*, Bennetts

*Should Barnes not play - I would like to see Ben Seymour given a look-in. Ben has played Manly 1's since his first year out of school, in 2009. Slick hands, good defensively, haven't seen him this year but his boot was abit iffy when Mr. D'Arcy went to Europe last year. I still remember him really taking it to the Curly Bill, back in 2006, while still in Year 10 at Scots.

Ben Roberts trained with the 'Tahs on Thursday, JJ.

 

[Ash]

Agree with Hawko. You don't want to bring Barnes on from the bench early and lose him with no replacement. If he is declared ready then I would start Barnes and be prepared to sub him early.

I don't think Beale is a 10 myself. He doesn't have the wider vision to find space outside. In a tighter game he is fine though. At 15 he is great because he gets that space to put himself into these tiny gaps and then he can link up with close support, if needed. At fullback I think Beale is world class but at 10 he is more like Super journeyman so I would never move him unless it is desperate. It is a bit moot as Beale is out injured, but anyway...

It is going to be a balancing act this week for the Tahs. The pack needs to get ascendancy and create lots and lots of room for their backs. I can see the former happening but it remains to be seen if they can get the ball to the backs when it needs to sing. It is something the Tahs have struggled with in the last few years (but not in a couple of fantastic games this year).

 

[jay-c]

when is vickerman looking to get a run?
havnt heard anything on that front for a while?
is he training with the squad?

 

[Ash]

I meant to add that the Rebels weakness is their defence midfield and out wide. The Waratahs need to work out how to exploit that, if they can with their current backline. Keeping it tight is probably not the best way to beat the Rebels.

 

[Bruce Ross]

Greg Growden, "Ruck and Maul". March 11:

"One Waratah who was in Nelson has even been nicknamed 'Harvey', as in Harvey Norman, as in no interest."

Greg Growden, "Ruck and Maul". March 25:

"The lampooned players did not take it well, while another was labelled 'Harvey', as in Harvey Norman, because he has no interest."

Greg Growden, "Ruck and Maul". April 29:

"The Waratahs are renowned for imploding after critical losses. It happened after their defeat to the Crusaders in Nelson last month when players started bickering, to the extent one was nicknamed Harvey, as in Harvey Norman, as in no interest."

 

[bryce]

when is vickerman looking to get a run?
havnt heard anything on that front for a while?
is he training with the squad?

Assuming he's not being granted any special treatment, his Cambridge exams will probably finish anywhere from next week until the first week of June at the latest.

 

[TheTruth]

Greg Growden, "Ruck and Maul". March 11:

"One Waratah who was in Nelson has even been nicknamed 'Harvey', as in Harvey Norman, as in no interest."

Greg Growden, "Ruck and Maul". March 25:

"The lampooned players did not take it well, while another was labelled 'Harvey', as in Harvey Norman, because he has no interest."

Greg Growden, "Ruck and Maul". April 29:

"The Waratahs are renowned for imploding after critical losses. It happened after their defeat to the Crusaders in Nelson last month when players started bickering, to the extent one was nicknamed Harvey, as in Harvey Norman, as in no interest."

Obviously Growden is a major shareholder in Harvey Norman

 

[Gooch]

Greg Growden, "Ruck and Maul". March 11:

"One Waratah who was in Nelson has even been nicknamed 'Harvey', as in Harvey Norman, as in no interest."

Greg Growden, "Ruck and Maul". March 25:

"The lampooned players did not take it well, while another was labelled 'Harvey', as in Harvey Norman, because he has no interest."

Greg Growden, "Ruck and Maul". April 29:

"The Waratahs are renowned for imploding after critical losses. It happened after their defeat to the Crusaders in Nelson last month when players started bickering, to the extent one was nicknamed Harvey, as in Harvey Norman, as in no interest."

He really is good at his job isn't he? Saving his bosses time and money by using the same story again and again.

 

[Hawko]

Greg Growden, "Ruck and Maul". March 11:

"One Waratah who was in Nelson has even been nicknamed 'Harvey', as in Harvey Norman, as in no interest."

Greg Growden, "Ruck and Maul". March 25:

"The lampooned players did not take it well, while another was labelled 'Harvey', as in Harvey Norman, because he has no interest."

Greg Growden, "Ruck and Maul". April 29:

"The Waratahs are renowned for imploding after critical losses. It happened after their defeat to the Crusaders in Nelson last month when players started bickering, to the extent one was nicknamed Harvey, as in Harvey Norman, as in no interest."

When you've got nothing new or insightful to say then just repeat the same stupid stuff every week!
I assume this was the point of your post Bruce, but it just allowed me to vent my displeasure.

 

[barbarian]

Most of Ruck & Maul is just regurgitations of anecdotes that are in either a recently released podcast or an interview in the upcoming match program. No original thought in it at all.

'The Crooked Feed' on the other hand...

 

[cyclopath]

Greg Growden, "Ruck and Maul". March 11:

"One Waratah who was in Nelson has even been nicknamed 'Harvey', as in Harvey Norman, as in no interest."

Greg Growden, "Ruck and Maul". March 25:

"The lampooned players did not take it well, while another was labelled 'Harvey', as in Harvey Norman, because he has no interest."

Greg Growden, "Ruck and Maul". April 29:

"The Waratahs are renowned for imploding after critical losses. It happened after their defeat to the Crusaders in Nelson last month when players started bickering, to the extent one was nicknamed Harvey, as in Harvey Norman, as in no interest."

As soon as he gets an email or any other communication validating the sheer wit of that comment, he will stop posting it. We can expect further sightings, I suspect. Either that or a bit of pie fell onto his keyboard and in his frantic efforts to retrieve the tasty gristle, he accidentally keeps pasting his favourite line into whatever article is on at the time.

 

[Rob42]

Nailed it Bruce, I was thinking that myself when I read it, again, this morning.

I'm wondering if we need a "Growden/R&M whinge thread", where we can all go to occasionally vent about the Chief Rugby Correspondent of the SMH and avoid having that vitriol infect other threads. Kind of like the school sporting scholarships thread.

Personally I find his "rumours" section to be the very pit of rugby journalism in this country.

 

[nathan]

Just caught some updates from the australian on Horne and Waugh - http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...aratahs-campaign/story-e6frg7o6-1226048005552

While Palu and back-up hooker Damien Fitzpatrick (knee) are set to return for the home game against the Lions in three weeks, there is concern Waugh and Horne may join Mitchell on the sideline for the rest of the season.

Horne has not played since aggravating an elbow injury in the loss to the Crusaders in Nelson in round three and Hickey confirmed there was no guarantee he would return.

"Robbie Horne's ongoing with his elbow," Hickey said. "We'll see how it comes up. He may or may not come back. It will depend on his specialist's advice."

Hickey was more optimistic about Waugh's chances.

"Phil has a reasonable tear in his hamstring," Hickey said.

"He's looking at four or five weeks rehab. I'm pretty confident he'll be back on the park." After back-to-back losses to the Blues and Reds, Hickey was pleased with the way the Waratahs ground out the win against the Rebels, scoring three tries to nil.

 

[fatprop]

Heartfelt farewell speech by Burgess stirs Waratahs

Jon Geddes
From: The Daily Telegraph
May 02, 2011 12:00AM

IT WAS an emotional speech from departing halfback Luke Burgess to his teammates on Saturday night that could prove the defining moment in the Waratahs' season as they chase their first Super Rugby title.

Burgess struck a chord with the other players in the dressing room following their sometimes scratchy 28-9 win over the Rebels at the SFS when presented with his cap after his 50th game for the Waratahs.

"The first thing he did was throw it straight into his face to try and hide his tears," said Waratahs stalwart winger Lachie Turner.

"He gave a pretty fitting speech about what it means to him and how much he has enjoyed wearing the sky blue jersey."



The spontaneous response from Burgess, who is off to France at the end of the year, was just what the injury-hit Waratahs needed as they continue their fight to make the play-offs.

It was very timely as the team faces another big challenge against the gritty Force outfit on Saturday.

"That was something very special and the raw emotion he showed when he got the cap reminded us just how important this is to us and how much we love it," Turner said. "It was also a bit of a reminder about how it is a privilege and not a right to be here."

What gave the moment even more impact was not only what Burgess said, but the way he said it.

"Normally what he says is pretty sporadic and all over the shop," Turner joked.

"Talking to him is often like dancing through a minefield - you never know what is going to come up next.

"That was the best speech I have ever heard from him. It caught a lot of us off guard."

Turner believes Burgess's words were the catalyst for the rousing rendition of the Waratahs' team song which then echoed through the bowels of the SFS after the crowd had departed.

"When you go through a season you never know what the key moments are - and I think when we get to the end of the season we might look back and say that was a pretty key moment," Turner said.

Waratahs stalwart Al Baxter said Burgess's words touched everyone who was in the dressing room on Saturday night.

"'Burgo' is a guy who is pretty passionate about what he does and he spoke from the heart," Baxter said. "He told us about how good it was to be part of this team and how much he enjoyed playing with everyone.

"I think it brings everyone together more as a team when you realise that getting something like that means so much.

"It may be a defining moment."

Coach Chris Hickey said Burgess made the players realise they have to make the most of their limited time together.

As for Burgess, he proudly walked out of the dressing room with his cap planted firmly on his head.

 

[Hawko]

And while Greg Growden was regurgitating his "story", some real reporters were going about the business of reporting on Rugby.

 

[fatprop]

Bracken-Henry got on the field today for southern districts and looked OK for a first start, nice to see some cattle returning.

 

[Hawko]

Tahs have now lost Timani for six weeks and McCutcheon for four. Of these two Timani is the biggest loss because Douglas has not been playing well, but both are a huge loss because of the other losses. Timani won't be back till the finals (if required) and Cutch is out till round 17 (Highlanders).

Pat O'Connor was injured I think, but looks the best bet to go to SA if he's fit. Otherwise its Peterson to the bench and with the Saffer tour upcoming that doesn't fill me with confidence as Peterson is a 2012+ player. We need to play a fetcher so with McCutcheon and Waugh out its Alcock to run on, but who goes to the bench? Looks like time to pull someone from Shute, but who would you pick? Unless I'm mistaken there is no other fetcher in the squad, even the kids.

We need bigger squads and more depth at Super level, not less. The bigger season means more attrition, not less. D'Oh.