• Welcome to the Green and Gold Rugby forums. As you can see we've upgraded the forums to new software. Your old logon details should work, just click the 'Login' button in the top right.

Waratahs 2022

eastman

Arch Winning (36)
Read it somewhere. Can’t find it now. But articles are around crediting him with 10m/s. That’s about as fast as anyone.

If he was running 10.5s - it would have been at school (pre- professional rugby bulk) and it also would have made him close to the quickest schoolboy in Australia - now I'm pretty sure he wasn't.

Top speed also needs to put in context with acceleration btw.
 

The Nomad

Bob Davidson (42)
Heard at the UQ Presentation Awards last night that their #8 Lona Halaholo has picked up a Tah’s contract for next year. Will be keen to see what he can do being in a professional set up. The commentators during the QPR grand final were calling him the find of the season. This was his first year playing QPR after coming over from Auckland, still only in his early twenties, plenty to offer , strong ball runner with a great offload.
 

Pfitzy

George Gregan (70)
Heard at the UQ Presentation Awards last night that their #8 Lona Halaholo has picked up a Tah’s contract for next year. Will be keen to see what he can do being in a professional set up. The commentators during the QPR grand final were calling him the find of the season. This was his first year playing QPR after coming over from Auckland, still only in his early twenties, plenty to offer , strong ball runner with a great offload.

Which is what we need: forwards. It is very amusing to talk about Pietsch but really how is that going to help a pack going backwards?
 

Wilson

David Codey (61)
Yeah, Halaholo is a gun, apparently out of the crusaders setup originally but wasn't ready for them so came over here. It's a good pickup for the tahs but they probably need to be looking at the rest of the pack, backrow is already looking pretty full.
 

Rugby Head

Watty Friend (18)
Harris I'm unconvinced of. Rahboni Warren-Vosayaco looks promising but I'm not sure he's the next Cliffy Palu. That's what the Tahs needl
Rahboni Warren-Vosayaco has spent time in the centres aswell. Backrow is starting to build considerable depth, shame this isn't the case for the tight five where we have struggled the most. The clock is ticking.....
 

Derpus

George Gregan (70)
I was informed in no uncertain terms that the Tahs would be foolish to sign another loose forward with the vast swathes of excess revenue we have to spend, because we have so much depth in that position. We certainly should not sign the world class Pablo Matera :rolleyes:.

Tahs have done sweet fuck all and are staring at another blank season unless they really ramp up recruitment.
 
Last edited:

Jimmyjam

Darby Loudon (17)
Halaholo would be on a development/training contract, he's a bloody interesting prospect. Naturally big and powerful with decent speed and ability to drive the legs through contact. He's definitely worth investing in. Saw him play a few times in Hospital cup on Stan and he looked good.

Look like they're banking on the current crop of Holloway/Whetton/Douglas/Williams for th lock spots with backup from Hanigan when he gets there. Plenty of upside with Douglas/Williams. Holloway has the ability to dominate but odds are he'll be mediocre again. Hanigan will miss most of the 2022 season though.

Likely all these guys Whetton/Douglas/Williams were already contracted. But you'd be hoping they move Whetton on asap.

Still desperately short at TH....

Backs are looking pretty solid if we use RWV as a big bodied centre. Just need one of Donaldson, Ramm or Mark Nawaqa to fill the hole at FB.

I'm confident we'll have a much stronger squad than last year, especially with Hooper back on deck with Gordon also going up a level.

I think initial 2022 squad will look something like this..

Bell
Porecki
HJH (Harry Johnson-Holmes)
Holloway
Douglas or Whetton
Swinton
Hooper (c)
Harris
Gordon
Harrison
Ramm/Pietsch/Nawaqa
Rahboni WV
Foketi/Walton
Perese
Donaldson

Horton
Faulkner
?
Williams
Tizzano
Grant/Robertson
Edmed
Foketi/Walton
 

Froggy

John Solomon (38)
I think Caird re-signed, I see him as preferable to Whetton. My thoughts are Holloway and Douglas as locks with Caird off the bench. I would prefer to see Perese at 13, he was really effective there last year, Ramm and Peitsch on the wings, probably Donaldson at 15. Not sure where you fit Rahboni in, either he competes with Walton and Foketi at 12, or perhaps displaces Harris at 8, which he did at the end of last season. At this point I would imagine Breen is our back-up THP, wasn't too bad in his debut year, could yet develop into something.
I think a reasonable target for the Tahs for 2022 would be to finish 3rd of the Aus teams, and pick up at least one win against a NZ side.
 

Up the Guts

Steve Williams (59)
Pietsch is quick for his size but I find it very hard to believe he is mid 10s, don't think he even competed in the 100m as a schoolboy.

Also Pietsch spent a bit of time playing for the Wicks and wasn't a standout. Perhaps sevens has developed him but I'd expect him to have to earn a starting spot.
 

eastman

Arch Winning (36)
Pietsch is quick for his size but I find it very hard to believe he is mid 10s, don't think he even competed in the 100m as a schoolboy.

Also Pietsch spent a bit of time playing for the Wicks and wasn't a standout. Perhaps sevens has developed him but I'd expect him to have to earn a starting spot.
Think a stronger, bigger and slower Cameron Clarke.
 

eastman

Arch Winning (36)
I think Caird re-signed, I see him as preferable to Whetton. My thoughts are Holloway and Douglas as locks with Caird off the bench. I would prefer to see Perese at 13, he was really effective there last year, Ramm and Peitsch on the wings, probably Donaldson at 15. Not sure where you fit Rahboni in, either he competes with Walton and Foketi at 12, or perhaps displaces Harris at 8, which he did at the end of last season. At this point I would imagine Breen is our back-up THP, wasn't too bad in his debut year, could yet develop into something.
I think a reasonable target for the Tahs for 2022 would be to finish 3rd of the Aus teams, and pick up at least one win against a NZ side.
It's still very weak across the second-row, no. 8 and outside backs.
 

Froggy

John Solomon (38)
Certainly agree re the second row Eastman, and I think we are also short at THP. I don't see No 8 as a huge problem, between Rahboni, Swinton, Harris and Sinclair I think we have 6 and 8 covered, then of course Hanigan is to return later in the season. 15 is also a problem, I see the candidates as Donaldson, Nawaqanitawase and Newsome, with none really established at this level at 15.
 

redblack

Larry Dwyer (12)
Certainly agree re the second row Eastman, and I think we are also short at THP. I don't see No 8 as a huge problem, between Rahboni, Swinton, Harris and Sinclair I think we have 6 and 8 covered, then of course Hanigan is to return later in the season. 15 is also a problem, I see the candidates as Donaldson, Nawaqanitawase and Newsome, with none really established at this level at 15.
Ben Marr or Tim Clements would be options worth looking at for 15, both are match winners
 
Top