Waratahs 2026

[fatprop]

To me, it a appears a number of the "roster" were there for contractual compliance, and not to buy into the goals and expectations of a team

 

[Froggy]

I agree, a lot was made of the Rebels additions, however I'm not sure they made a huge impact. TT and Leota really didn't do a lot more than go through the motions, I thought both were a long way below the best we have seen from them in the past. Kailea and Lancaster couldn't make the 23 for most of the year without an injury, and Kellaway wasn't a product of the Rebels folding, he had agreed to a Tahs contract way before that.

 

[Homer]

NSW will improve in 26 and 27.

Surely they are favourites for next year!

 

[Alex Sharpe]

I agree, a lot was made of the Rebels additions, however I'm not sure they made a huge impact. TT and Leota really didn't do a lot more than go through the motions, I thought both were a long way below the best we have seen from them in the past. Kailea and Lancaster couldn't make the 23 for most of the year without an injury, and Kellaway wasn't a product of the Rebels folding, he had agreed to a Tahs contract way before that.

If those five blokes went to the Brumbies they would have won the comp

 

[Braveheart81]

Quite possibly.

Not unreasonable to think that a few more recruits for the third placed team from 2024 could have put them over the top in 2025.

I don't think the Tahs' improvement was all down to those guys because like Froggy, I don't think Tupou and Leota were particularly impressive for the Waratahs and Kailea and Lancaster weren't involved in the matchday 23 much but they also went from 2 wins in 2024 to 6 wins in 2025.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Which 5 (expensive) guys would the Brumbies have had to have shed to fit them in?

 

[HogansHeros]

Start with 7As (Allan Ala'alatoa) and Hooper, happy to swap them for Leota and Tupou.

 

[Alex Sharpe]

What 5 expensive players were released by NSW?

 

[Braveheart81]

The Waratahs were unable to re-sign players like Jed Holloway, Ned Hanigan, Lachie Swinton, Izaia Perese, Dylan Pietsch because Rugby Australia needed to make room for players that were already contracted and they needed to pay.

 

[Adam84]

Not sure that is entirely true, other Aus Super Rugby teams were still re-signing players around the same time that these players announced they were leaving. To say RA didn't let them re-sign them is only part of the story.

Jed Holloway and Dylan Pietsch were both released from their contracts which ran through to 2025, in the case of Pietsch he was released after the Tahs had added additional non-Rebel outside backs to the team.

Swinton signed to play in France well before the Rebels folded and said he had made that decision in the off-season, and then announced in Feb. Perese was another who signed overseas before the Rebels were formally scrapped.

 

[Jimmyjam]

This is true, but my understanding from a connected source is that ARU were lowballing/delaying resigning all these players because the writing was on the wall re: the rebels.... understandable, but also caused a few players to move who would have been happy to stay with a comparable offer.

 

[Braveheart81]

You're definitely right on the Swinton timing. That happened earlier.

The change of the Tahs ownership to Rugby Australia was confirmed in November 2023 and then the Rebels went into administration in January 2024.

I think it is pretty clear that if there wasn't the impending move of various Rebels players to the Waratahs because Rugby Australia had to continue paying those players then some of the players from the 2024 Waratahs that weren't re-signed would have been.

On paper the Waratahs received some clear upgrades from the Rebels (whether or not they turned out to be). I don't think it is reasonable to conclude that the Tahs would have lost all the players that they did after the 2024 season and would have had to replace them with random recruits if they hadn't received players from the Rebels.

 

[Adam84]

This is true, but my understanding from a connected source is that ARU were lowballing/delaying resigning all these players because the writing was on the wall re: the rebels.... understandable, but also caused a few players to move who would have been happy to stay with a comparable offer.

Yeah, but from that list, the only players this could apply to is Perese and Hanigan.. Which may be true.

Whereas Holloway and Pietsch were still under contract so weren't getting low-balled and Swinton had already made the decision to leave prior to the Rebels fiasco.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Which 5 (expensive) guys would the Brumbies have had to have shed to fit them in?

Let's start with Swain, Brown, Tua, Kautai, O'Donnell. All losses along with Fred Kaihea, Ed Kennedy and Connel McInerny. Feliuai and Tualima the only gains from the Rebels. So yeah, the Brumbies would definitely improved their year if it had been a more equitable sharing of the Rebels players.

 

[Rob42]

Are we sure the Brumbies wanted a host of Rebels players? I thought there was some talk at that time that they didn't want too many, preferring to promote players already in their system.

 

[Brumby Runner]

The proposition was that with the 5 Rebels players who went to the Tahs, the Brumbies would have won SRP (Super Rugby Pacific) 25. To which a question was asked about which 5 Brumbies would be given up in their place. My response was to show that question was unnecessary as 5 players had been lost from 2024 and had not been replaced.

There is no suggestion on my part that the Brumbies wanted any extra Rebels specifically and nor am I critical of such an approach. But I do think the original proposition would have had some chance of being proven correct had things gone that way.

 

[Adam84]

Let's start with Swain, Brown, Tua, Kautai, O'Donnell. All losses along with Fred Kaihea, Ed Kennedy and Connel McInerny. Feliuai and Tualima the only gains from the Rebels. So yeah, the Brumbies would definitely improved their year if it had been a more equitable sharing of the Rebels players.

Equitable is an interesting term to use.

on the basis of outcomes and improving the competitiveness/equitable balance across all Australian teams, giving more to NSW was probably the right call and the Western Force are the ones who should be the ones who have an issue with it all.

 

[Braveheart81]

My response was to show that question was unnecessary as 5 players had been lost from 2024 and had not been replaced.

Ben O'Donnell was at the Brumbies this year.

I'd argue you upgraded at prop with Fotuaika, Alatini and Ieli.

Swain was a loss but it allowed you to promote Lachlan Hooper.

Brown wasn't that much of a loss but you've also added Tualima to replace him.

Tua was certainly a loss but you got Feliuai from the Rebels.

 

[Tazzmania]

Brown wasn't that much of a loss but you've also added Tualima to replace him.

Not sure if you are aware that Brown has been selected for the 2025 All Black Maori squad and started 5 / 6 games for the Chiefs this year.

 

[Braveheart81]

Sure, but the Brumbies have been very well served in the backrow by Valetini, Scott, Reimer, Tualima and Hooper etc.

Losing a (I believe) non-Wallaby eligible backrower who may not have started in their best team in 2025 doesn't strike me as a major loss.