Search results

All class. He's been comfortably the best 8 in Australia over the last 5-10 years. Looks like he's lost a step of pace this year, he's definitely struggling to have an impact. Might be a year too far.

Oh man, I love it. Can we get onto the Rebels creative team and make that the slogan for next year? Preferably accompanied by a video of Lopeti hurting people.

That's a great video. Love the barrel. Dale Thomas is/was the worst though. I don't mind the drop punt in theory, should still easily be able to kick it 50. It's genuinely incredible how bad Australian rugby players are at kicking. How often have we seen Foley/Cooper/Giteau/Lilo/To'omua/Whoever...

Isn't that what everyone's been saying about Hooper for the last three years? It's nonsense. There's no one true way to play openside, look at how McCaw's style of play has evolved over the years. Palu puts in huge graft at the ruck - especially compared to our other 8s. Similarly Douglas and...

It is, but it's still way too inconsistent. He'll thump one 60 metres then five minutes later shank one and it'll go 20-odd.

I'd be looking at the 2017 spring Tests or the EOYT assuming he keeps progressing. He looked excellent for the Rising last year as well before regressing a fair bit for the Rebels. When defences started getting up in his grill and his options started getting taken away he didn't have much idea...

Turns out losing PAE, Smith, Jones, Neville, Timani and McMahon hasn't done wonders for the Rising scrum. Debreczeni is still so inconsistent. Frustrating player. Placid too, long way to go. The three openside backrow is paying dividends.

I think he's just banged up. He's had a lot of injuries over the last few years, most of them from pretty innocuous situations. Seems to have made him a lot more tentative. Whether he'll ever be able to get over that mentally I'm not sure. Some players never do.

Maddening. It was a deeply lacklustre back-three last year, brightened up by Sefa before he broke. If there was something going on behind the scenes we'd probably have to hear it from someone like daz, but then if he knew he'd likely not be able to say. Going to remain one of those mysteries I...

I'm still unhappy about how badly he was used. Hopefully he gets his chance in the WC and lights things up.

I don't think we'll lose a huge amount without English to be honest. Probably a good call not to start Jones last week knowing this sort of thing was coming. Very different approach to last year. Anyone know what Timani's status is?

Jones was pretty clearly on another level to everyone else out there, which makes sense, but he was still sloppy. Needs to tighten up. I like him out wide though, he's going to do damage out there. Meehan is lot like Phipps. He's quick and buzzy and occasionally throws a shocker. Stirzacker...

Absolute nonsense. Lomu is the ultimate case study in that. It's a tough one daz. Really shit situation for him, especially if he's been lead-on to an extent by the Wallaby coaching staff. There have been plenty worse Wallabies than him. He just seems to have always been caught in the middle...

Ha, let's be real though. He is. Big body, probably not quick enough to make it to the absolute top. Decent step, gets over the advantage line. And if he can kick then that means Placid can come in for Mikey Mike.

Absolutely. My point was more that the difference between the Soup and the Shute Shield is bigger than the difference between the Shute Shield and the Dewar.

Reel him in, niceeeee and slow

He's Mitch Inman with a kicking game based on that. Decent get.

Bourkey? It's just club rugby in general. It's almost a different sport to what's played at the professional level. It might be because I've no club allegiance, but I really don't care where anyone played. I just want to get the best players exposed to high level rugby as soon as possible.

What do you think is happening?

Having recently discovered the Shute Shield, can't say I was wildly impressed. The NRC is going to make an enormous difference over the next 10 years.