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Waratahs 2024

wamberal99

Jim Clark (26)
Surely it just comes down to who's available. If they can find someone with a decent CV who is interested you'd imagine they'd take the chance to move on but that's a fairly big IF given financial constraints.
For my money I would say we should stick with Coleman. He is an Aussie, with an in-depth knowledge of the Shute Shield rosters.

Injuries have killed the Tahs this season.
 

Rob42

Nicholas Shehadie (39)
For my money I would say we should stick with Coleman. He is an Aussie, with an in-depth knowledge of the Shute Shield rosters.

Injuries have killed the Tahs this season.
Good concept, but he confessed he didn't know anything about Lewis Ponini until the week he debuted.
 

Steve_Grey

Bill Watson (15)
Neither did I. But somebody in the coaching team obviously did.

Seems a bit strange.
How much did the early statement by NSW Rugby (contract review after 4 rounds) affect Coleman's early selection processes I wonder?

Too late now, but could have been very different in those close games if he had been less conservative with his selections.
 

Rugby Survivor

Ted Fahey (11)
Chopping and changing the coach is not going to make the Waratahs any better. It comes down to the personnel he has at his disposal and what he can do with that talent. A fully fit Waratahs squad is good enough to make the semis and possible top 4. The current squad with all the injuries is just not good enough to compete with the top 6 sides and hence they sit 11th on the table.
The two assistant coaches have been at the Tahs longer than Coleman but they don't seem to be mentioned when change arises.
We need to select hardened players and keep them in the system. Not kids who haven't played any first grade but we are scared they may leave and go somewhere else so we give them a contract.
 

The Ghost of Raelene

Simon Poidevin (60)
Taumoepeau & Whittaker should be moved on. Had a very good (long not successful) run as assistants.

Can someone show me developments made with their area of responsibility? Our best Forwards have been blokes to come back like Holloway and Hanigan with Bell being a genuine freak.

Good bloke response only last so long and with good results.

Was mentioned Peter Hewat has joined the Leicester staff. He would have been someone I would have loved to see back.
 

Pass it to Dunning!

Bob Loudon (25)
Chopping and changing the coach is not going to make the Waratahs any better. It comes down to the personnel he has at his disposal and what he can do with that talent. A fully fit Waratahs squad is good enough to make the semis and possible top 4. The current squad with all the injuries is just not good enough to compete with the top 6 sides and hence they sit 11th on the table.
The two assistant coaches have been at the Tahs longer than Coleman but they don't seem to be mentioned when change arises.
We need to select hardened players and keep them in the system. Not kids who haven't played any first grade but we are scared they may leave and go somewhere else so we give them a contract.
We can't blame injuries for playing so dreadfully. There were eight capped Wallabies in the 23 this week. We should be competitive everywhere but the front row. Instead our young players aren't developing and our big names are regressing. The Tahs need to replace the entire coaching staff.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
We can't blame injuries for playing so dreadfully. There were eight capped Wallabies in the 23 this week. We should be competitive everywhere but the front row. Instead our young players aren't developing and our big names are regressing. The Tahs need to replace the entire coaching staff.

I think it was 9 Wallabies but I'm also not sure it's a good measuring stick.

I think Holloway, Swinton and Hanigan have been really good this season. Gleeson has had a pretty poor season.

In the backs Jake Gordon has been fine. He's had his ups and downs but is still our best 9. Foketi has been ok since returning from injury and Perese has probably been our most threatening back. Mark Nawaqanitawase has been down on form this season after making huge strides in the last two years. He's obviously gone at the end of the season too. I think Max Jorgensen has made a good leap forward this year.

42 capped Wallabies played for the Australian Super Rugby sides last weekend. It's par for the course that a lot of capped players are playing in every game of Super Rugby.

Fielding such a second rate front row pretty much all season has been a disaster and I'm not sure it gives you a particularly good handle on whether the coaching staff need to go or not. I think cost constraints play a big part in it. While Coleman is off contract where does everyone else sit?

What's the replacement option and how much do they cost?
 

Rob42

Nicholas Shehadie (39)
@Braveheart81 I agree with your sensible take. To add another unpopular opinion, I'm actually reasonably confident that RA might be able to make some good decisions coming out of this review. The new Wallaby coaching setup is of higher quality than I expected. The other teams that RA manage are some of the brightest spots in Australian rugby currently - the U20s have been pretty good for a few years, the 7s program is doing very well.

As a bonus of the 7s program, the players that come from the 7s into Super Rugby seem to be well developed in terms of rugby IQ. I don't know if John Manenti or Tim Walsh will be looking for something new after the Olympics, but they've earned the opportunity - or others within that 7s staff. I'd be very happy for them to keep doing what they're doing, tho.

OK, apologies for that burst of optimism, I'm sure it won't be rewarded.
 

Tomikin

David Codey (61)
@Braveheart81 I agree with your sensible take. To add another unpopular opinion, I'm actually reasonably confident that RA might be able to make some good decisions coming out of this review. The new Wallaby coaching setup is of higher quality than I expected. The other teams that RA manage are some of the brightest spots in Australian rugby currently - the U20s have been pretty good for a few years, the 7s program is doing very well.

As a bonus of the 7s program, the players that come from the 7s into Super Rugby seem to be well developed in terms of rugby IQ. I don't know if John Manenti or Tim Walsh will be looking for something new after the Olympics, but they've earned the opportunity - or others within that 7s staff. I'd be very happy for them to keep doing what they're doing, tho.

OK, apologies for that burst of optimism, I'm sure it won't be rewarded.
Here you go

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Jimmyjam

Watty Friend (18)
We can't blame injuries for playing so dreadfully. There were eight capped Wallabies in the 23 this week. We should be competitive everywhere but the front row. Instead our young players aren't developing and our big names are regressing. The Tahs need to replace the entire coaching staff.
They played very well in my opinion, with effort and intent... However in rugby you need a competitive scrum to at least win your own feed. You also need a functioning lineout to win your own throws. In this case the tahs had 3 club players on the bench, an injured prop (Ross) and their 4th choice hooker. Lineout calls, lifting, and co-ordination are all in relative disarray with so many new and inexperienced players. So yes, you can absolutely blame injuries for the loss, the players they had tried hard and should be proud of their efforts, but constant changes in crucial set piece players disrupts all facets of the game, attacking and defensive patterns etc. To not acknowledge this clear reality is being fairly disingenuous.
 
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Steve_Grey

Bill Watson (15)
Randwick having a bonus time in the backs recently - with Max J playing for them vs Norths this weekend. He should tear it up in attack.
 

Strewthcobber

Simon Poidevin (60)
Seems like most of it is from a big loss of revenue from "courses and other revenue" (-$3m) whatever that is, and down $1m on stadium rebates

As well as an extra spend of $1.4m on pro rugby, and around $1m extra on corporate and community rugby
 

Strewthcobber

Simon Poidevin (60)
It does show that the Tahs transfer to RA wasn't quite a bailout, and NSWRU will probably still be in the black overall this year, but they sure aren't in a very healthy financial state and if they hadn't done the transfer they probably would have needed a bailout this year.
 

Steve_Grey

Bill Watson (15)
It does show that the Tahs transfer to RA wasn't quite a bailout, and NSWRU will probably still be in the black overall this year, but they sure aren't in a very healthy financial state and if they hadn't done the transfer they probably would have needed a bailout this year.
So is that $4.9 mio absorbed by RA given the keys have been handed over? Just wondering how much is attributed to Waratahs?

2nd question, if that debt remains with NSW - how does NSW fund that loss? Assets are one thing, but cashflow is king.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
Seems like most of it is from a big loss of revenue from "courses and other revenue" (-$3m) whatever that is

The "Other Revenue" specifically was $3.125m in 2022 and $2.9m in 2021. I have a feeling that a significant amount of that was COVID related grants but I'm not totally sure.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
So is that $4.9 mio absorbed by RA given the keys have been handed over? Just wondering how much is attributed to Waratahs?

2nd question, if that debt remains with NSW - how does NSW fund that loss? Assets are one thing, but cashflow is king.

NSWRU have already paid for the losses incurred. Their cash balance dropped a significant chunk in 2023 in doing so.

There's no ongoing debt. Reading the financials there's no big debt that RA have suddenly taken up with the centralisation change (despite some earlier reports indicating that was the case).
 

Steve_Grey

Bill Watson (15)
NSWRU have already paid for the losses incurred. Their cash balance dropped a significant chunk in 2023 in doing so.

There's no ongoing debt. Reading the financials there's no big debt that RA have suddenly taken up with the centralisation change (despite some earlier reports indicating that was the case).
Thank you - good news for RA, but disappointing for NSWRU - puts financial pressure on them to support community rugby (as that is all they are responsible for now?).
 
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