Waratahs 2025

[Derpus]

Where props?

 

[Strewthcobber]

What's Lancaster's contract status? Isn't this just Potter in, Lancaster out, with no net impact on the cap?

 

[Wilson]

What's Lancaster's contract status? Isn't this just Potter in, Lancaster out, with no net impact on the cap?

Lancaster is off contract, but he was on the last year of his rebels deal so likely would've been (somewhat) outside of the cap this year. I'd also think that going forward there's no way he's earning a contract close to what Potter is.

 

[Nuggetyflyhalf]

Where props?

Aus as a whole need to develop more tight 5 forwards of quality. Been a problem for 20 plus years.

 

[Tomthumb]

What's Lancaster's contract status? Isn't this just Potter in, Lancaster out, with no net impact on the cap?

I'd imagine Potter would be on more coin than Lancaster was

 

[Tomthumb]

Who's running the Tahs recruitment? Doesnt seem very organized or targeted at all

 

[Nuggetyflyhalf]

Who's running the Tahs recruitment? Doesnt seem very organized or targeted at all

I think overall Potter is an excellent signing from the Tahs, I think Lancaster is going to have to work harder or he gets a chance at the force.
Any update on Thor? I assume he’s no chance of being at the Tahs?

 

[Strewthcobber]

Doesnt seem very organized or targeted at all

?

Philip, Samu, Blyth(?), Potter in, before the test matches have even started?

 

[KOB1987]

Someone needs to do one of those Rugby Reg style front pages for the Waratahs 2026 thread opener so we can see where we are at re personnel. I'd do it but have neither the time nor knowledge of the current situation. Any volunteers in corporate land that need something to do to kill some time?

 

[Strewthcobber]

Someone needs to do one of those Rugby Reg style front pages for the Waratahs 2026 thread opener so we can see where we are at re personnel. I'd do it but have neither the time nor knowledge of the current situation. Any volunteers in corporate land that need something to do to kill some time?

Super Rugby Pacific transfers for 2026 - All.Rugby https://all.rugby/transfers/super-rugby

Pretty good starting point for the keen volunteer

 

[Tomthumb]

?

Philip, Samu, Blythe(?), Potter in, before the test matches have even started?

Spending money on a winger when you have no good Tight head props or first fives isn't a strategy employed by many winning teams

Especially when you need to jettison a test winger to have the cap space to sign a new test winger

 

[Braveheart81]

We can't forget that players, rightfully, have a right to preference.

This is the crux of it.

I don't think there is much to this beyond Harry Potter wanting to move back to the east coast.

Spending money on a winger when you have no good Tight head props or first fives isn't a strategy employed by many winning teams

Especially when you need to jettison a test winger to have the cap space to sign a new test winger

If the choice is signing Potter who wants to move to your team or re-signing Lancaster surely you take Potter every day of the week. He's very likely to feature in the test team this year whereas Lancaster is a long way away.

I'd imagine Potter would be on more coin than Lancaster was

It wouldn't be a lot though because there aren't huge differences between the top Super Rugby contracts and the bottom ones. The test players get a lot of their remuneration directly from Rugby Australia.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Spending money on a winger when you have no good Tight head props or first fives isn't a strategy employed by many winning teams

Especially when you need to jettison a test winger to have the cap space to sign a new test winger

It's June, not February. No team has signed anyone yet. Expecting the Tahs to sign no-one else until a non-existent "good" tight head prop is found would be a bizarre way to build a team. You take who you can when you can.

The last line is just a very strange way of saying that the Tahs have improved their team for next year. I'd take Potter over Lancaster every day of the week.

 

[Dctarget]

I really hope Lancaster stays in the rugby ecosystem. He's not a Wallaby quality player yet but fuck me does he have some upside. Speed like Toole but a body like Vunivalu? We can get him to another level surely.

 

[Braveheart81]

I really hope Lancaster stays in the rugby ecosystem. He's not a Wallaby quality player yet but fuck me does he have some upside. Speed like Toole but a body like Vunivalu? We can get him to another level surely.

Hopefully he gets an Australian contract somewhere. As you said, he has the size and pace you can't teach and he's only 22.

Plenty of future upside.

 

[Wilson]

It wouldn't be a lot though because there aren't huge differences between the top Super Rugby contracts and the bottom ones. The test players get a lot of their remuneration directly from Rugby Australia.

That's the big unknown here, particularly because the way the salary cap is actually applied is pretty opaque. From the numbers I've seen thrown around previously (not these contracts), I'd be expecting a gap of something like 200k, but maybe narrowing in subsequent years. That's not insignificant for mine. Whether or not it's a misspend won't really be clear until the squad is settled and even then it'll be hard to see from the outside, but the reactionary nature of this doesn't necessarily inspire confidence for mine, much the same way the Rebels had Tupou fall into their lap when they didn't really need tight heads, and then went into a season without a reliable goal kicker or lineout throwing hooker. It's not at that scale, but the inefficiencies are still there.

The other part is the time it'll take to integrate him into the tahs environment and build the connections. It's less of an issue for a winger and he'll be helped by time in the Wallabies with Sua'ali'i, Kellaway and Jorgenson, but it still won't be immediate. If this is a 3 year deal it's probably fine, 4 would be better, but 2 will be a huge gamble from the tahs perspective - given his age profile Potter will be looking at his last big contract next time he signs one and of he's not a nailed on wallaby starter then he'll have to go overseas for that.

 

[Braveheart81]

That's the big unknown here, particularly because the way the salary cap is actually applied is pretty opaque. From the numbers I've seen thrown around previously (not these contracts), I'd be expecting a gap of something like 200k, but maybe narrowing in subsequent years.

I think the upper end of Super Rugby contracts is around $200k.

The average full time contract is somewhere between $140-$150k.

The other part is the time it'll take to integrate him into the tahs environment and build the connections. It's less of an issue for a winger and he'll be helped by time in the Wallabies with Sua'ali'i, Kellaway and Jorgenson, but it still won't be immediate.

He's replacing a guy who wasn't in the matchday 23 when everyone was healthy. They're hardly losing a lot of continuity there.

I don't really get the pushback on this. The Tahs have a current Wallaby wanting to sign with them but seemingly should have rejected that advance and re-signed Lancaster to save maybe $60k a season because they have weaknesses in other areas.

Given these will be Harry Potter's age 28 and 29 seasons this should probably be his peak.

 

[Strewthcobber]

I think the upper end of Super Rugby contracts is around $200k.

Maybe a little bit more than that.

Donaldson left the Tahs because they wouldn't pay him the min $220k which makes a player eligible for a Wallaby top-up

 

[Tomthumb]

It's June, not February. No team has signed anyone yet. Expecting the Tahs to sign no-one else until a non-existent "good" tight head prop is found would be a bizarre way to build a team. You take who you can when you can.

The last line is just a very strange way of saying that the Tahs have improved their team for next year. I'd take Potter over Lancaster every day of the week.

When you're in a salary capped league, I think you should be a bit more prudent around the key positions and maximizing the whole team. They already had and all wallaby back 3. Personally I'd target positions of weakness (of which there are a few)