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Waratahs 2024

Homer

Ted Fahey (11)
A couple of years ago Edmed was ranked 3rd or fourth then Harrison got injured. Harrison has a better running, passing and kicking game but looks like will be cut in favour of Edmed and Bowen. We have a great back 5 but they never get the ball at the right time because the inside halves don't read the game well enough and want to make hero plays.

Also, NSW have seemingly gone all in on Barrett as the future prop but he is way too small currently and they missed out on quality players like Massimo Delutiis and Tevita Alatini who are far superior scrummagers. (see the clip of Massimo easily benching 202.5 kgs at reds training!!)
 

Highlander35

Andrew Slack (58)
The Tahs would be fine on the loosehead side if Lambert was fit. Not that I think he's an amazing player, but he has the experience and physical conditioning to back up Bell alongside Thompson-Stringer.
 

Agent

Bill Watson (15)
The Tahs would be fine on the loosehead side if Lambert was fit. Not that I think he's an amazing player, but he has the experience and physical conditioning to back up Bell alongside Thompson-Stringer.

The Tahs are certainly struggling for props on both sides at the moment with Bell, Lambert, Holz missing. Lambert is gone for the season I think. Does anyone know what the return time on Bell and Holz looks like?
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
The Tahs are certainly struggling for props on both sides at the moment with Bell, Lambert, Holz missing. Lambert is gone for the season I think. Does anyone know what the return time on Bell and Holz looks like?

Bell is back in the side this week. Holz is still TBA.

Also, NSW have seemingly gone all in on Barrett as the future prop but he is way too small currently and they missed out on quality players like Massimo Delutiis and Tevita Alatini who are far superior scrummagers. (see the clip of Massimo easily benching 202.5 kgs at reds training!!)

All in? He's essentially got an academy contract. He's not part of the main squad.

Also, the other two players are from the Reds and Brumbies. We've signed the guy who has been part of all our junior teams and is clearly a good prospect.
 

Homer

Ted Fahey (11)
Bell is back in the side this week. Holz is still TBA.



All in? He's essentially got an academy contract. He's not part of the main squad.

Also, the other two players are from the Reds and Brumbies. We've signed the guy who has been part of all our junior teams and is clearly a good prospect.
Alatini played for the Rats and moved to Canberra with a large squad of NSW players like Johnno Ryan and Malakye Enasio. Massimo was from Qld then did time playing for Wests in the ACT before taking an offer from the Reds. Yes, Barrett has an academy contract but was in Fiji with the senior squad and has been present at other games. If you were going against the biggest front row in Australia wouldn't you put a seasoned scrummager on even if he was a Shute Shield player, not an underweight 19 year old?
 

Desmond

Stan Wickham (3)
Alatini played for the Rats and moved to Canberra with a large squad of NSW players like Johnno Ryan and Malakye Enasio. Massimo was from Qld then did time playing for Wests in the ACT before taking an offer from the Reds. Yes, Barrett has an academy contract but was in Fiji with the senior squad and has been present at other games. If you were going against the biggest front row in Australia wouldn't you put a seasoned scrummager on even if he was a Shute Shield player, not an underweight 19 year old?
Alatini was a Penrith Junior and part of the elite group that were unstoppable in the Juniors. Isiaha Katoa was the 10. He was over looked by the Gen Blue guys as did so many of those Penrith players. The Rats obviously saw something and developed it further.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
Alatini played for the Rats and moved to Canberra with a large squad of NSW players like Johnno Ryan and Malakye Enasio. Massimo was from Qld then did time playing for Wests in the ACT before taking an offer from the Reds. Yes, Barrett has an academy contract but was in Fiji with the senior squad and has been present at other games. If you were going against the biggest front row in Australia wouldn't you put a seasoned scrummager on even if he was a Shute Shield player, not an underweight 19 year old?

We have 7 props ahead of him in the squad.

I'd select him because we were desperate and he was the next man up.

He was tasked with playing 20 minutes and he got through it. Our scrum sucked pretty much all game so it wasn't like he was the only problem. If we needed someone to play significant minutes for the rest of the season then an injury joker or a more experienced Shute Shield prop would be worthwhile. I don't think we're in that position though.
 
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Brumby Runner

David Wilson (68)
Alatini was a Penrith Junior and part of the elite group that were unstoppable in the Juniors. Isiaha Katoa was the 10. He was over looked by the Gen Blue guys as did so many of those Penrith players. The Rats obviously saw something and developed it further.
My understanding is that Alatini was originally a Wagga boy, and therefore has returned to his natural base at the Brumbies.
 

Dismal Pillock

Simon Poidevin (60)

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Rob42

John Solomon (38)
According to The Roar, the review of the Waratahs set-up (not just Coleman) will be run by Mike Chu, who's "High Performance Elite Education Manager" at World Rugby, and was for several years in coaching development at NZR.

This seems hard to process - choosing someone with broad, relevant rugby experience for this task is very unlike RA or NSW Rugby. Has he even played Shute Shield?
 

pnut

Watty Friend (18)
According to The Roar, the review of the Waratahs set-up (not just Coleman) will be run by Mike Chu, who's "High Performance Elite Education Manager" at World Rugby, and was for several years in coaching development at NZR.

This seems hard to process - choosing someone with broad, relevant rugby experience for this task is very unlike RA or NSW Rugby. Has he even played Shute Shield?
No don’t think so. Makes a mockery of the jersey
 
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