Search results

Mate, Folau had played about 10 games of rugby ever to that point. Mogg's a long way behind him at this point. He's an interesting player with a lot of upside, but there are some serious question marks over his readiness for Test rugby at the moment.

It's not just a form issue with Mogg though. It's whether he can handle the physicality of Test rugby. Last year he couldn't, it'll be interesting to see whether he can make the step up this go round.

Yep. The other thing is though, his game is predicated around kicking right? Ignoring the fact that he's got a pop-gun boot, kicking to this Tahs back-three is suicide. It's just insane. And even trying to grind out a territory battle against an enormous Tahs pack is a seriously risky business...

I really think this might be a complete bloodbath. The Roberts selection has me very, very, worried.

Yeah, I was talking to madmave who mentioned wanting both Reid and Timani on the bench. Roberts is a surreal selection. Him kicking to Folau, Betham, Beale, Foley and Alofax2 is going to be a bloodbath. No Stirzaker on the bench either, I thought he was back this week? He's much better than...

Folau to score another hattrick as the Tahs win by 30-odd points.

It's a nice easy trope for a lot of people to grab onto and bang on about. Of course in the next breath they'll start declaiming about the need for someone to straighten the line. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) isn't perfect, and he could work on his passing game, but he hasn't played 80-odd Tests by being a completely mug.

No lock cover at all? Pretty risky. It's different to starting Jones at 6 then asking him to play the last 20 minutes at lock. Has Kingston actually played any fullback?

Nope. He's regressed quite a way from last year IMO. Before he was playing a loose, but still physical, brand of footy. This year he's just not around. He's been largely carried, and overtaken, by Jones in these early days. Needs to lift massively in the next month or so if he wants to have any...

We will lose by many, many, points if Roberts starts at fullback. His style of play is the absolute antithesis of what's needed against these Tahs.

13,000 for the Storm this week apparently. Pretty much exactly the same as the Rebels. 17k for the Giants up in Sydney. Rugby really, seriously, needs to start learning from the AFL.

Fantastic game of rugby. Australian conference is best conference. Rebels excepted of course.

Still too early I think. It's what so frustrating about the last couple of weeks. Week one the team played above itself, the last couple they just haven't at all. I don't know whether that's a coaching issue, a player attitude problem or some combination of the two. There's really no way of...

Okay, who else needs culling? Woodward has, at times, been excellent for us. He's been badly out of sorts the last couple of weeks though. No single club is made up of 23 A-list players, it just isn't possible. Finding the proper gameplan for your players, and then teaching them to execute...

Shit game, shit result.

Studiously avoided mentioning PEDs I note. There's still a place for 'smaller' players in the game. Ben Smith, JOC (James O'Connor), Wade over in Engerland, Tanaka the Highlanders scrumhalf is smaller than me I'm by no means big. What is going to be a challenge, especially in Australia, is the enormous...

120 kegs is massive. That's what big Sita was allegedly weighing in at.

Well, at least it's an admission he was wrong. Kingston was pretty shit last week, but so was most of the team. Pretty harsh omission. He's got a way higher ceiling than Mitchell, and he's a better player now IMO.

Stirzaker is very slight, I'd be astonished if he was stronger than Burgess. Regardless, Burgess is pretty clearly the superior defender which we know is something McGahan values. I'd still rather see Stirzaker starting sooner rather than later. I reckon you gain a lot more than you lose with...

Much as I love Stirzaker, he'll have to win the starting jersey off Burgess from the bench. There's a few boys who need a massive rocket up the arse after last week - Pyle, Neville, Woodward, Higgers, PAE, Lahiff etc. Could include Roberts, but I don't think it was lack of effort with him...